What is biodiversity? Agenda for Wednesday Feb 10 th 1.Biodiversity and Conservation Test Friday

What is biodiversity? Variety of life in an area – # of different species

Species Diversity increase as you go towards the equator – Biodiversity hot spots

3 types of Biodiversity Genetic Diversity Species Diversity Ecosystem Diversity

Why is diversity important to ecology? More diverse = more likely to flourish – Multiple organisms in each niche

Importance of Biodiversity Direct Economic value Food, clothing, energy, medicine, shelter Preserve desirable genes – Food crops – most crops come from a few species Close relatives exist in the wild Disease resistant plants in wild – create disease resistant crops

Importance of Biodiversity Indirect Economic Value Provide oxygen and remove CO2 Natural processes clean water Protect against floods and droughts Water cycle, carbon cycle, wetlands – New York City – create $6 Billion water filtration system or clean wetlands to filter water

Importance of Biodiversity Aesthetic and scientific value Camping Hunting Research vs.

What role do humans play? Extinction = species or larger group dying out / disappearing Normal Background Extinction: activity from other organisms, climate change, and natural disasters -> Less concern! 1/3 to 2/3 of current species will go extinct in second half of this century -> A CONCERN! Humans are increasing extinction rates to 1000 times normal background extinction rate.

But it’s just 1 Species Keystone species – a species that plays a large role in an ecosystem – Removal impacts entire food web/ecosystem Elephants, otters, prairie dogs

Threat to Biodiversity ThreatDescriptionWhat organisms it effects How does it disrupt an ecosystem? Page 116

Non-native/Introduced and Invasive species Invasive – species that are not native to area – cause economic, env’t, harm or harm human health – No predators, parasites, and competition to keep in check – out compete – No natural enemies Non-native – Not from here Not harmful – Pheasants

Common Invasives Buckthorn Zebra Mussels Emerald Ash Borer Silver Carp

List 3 reasons biodiversity is important. Agenda for Thursday Feb 11 th 1.Finish notes 2.Review/work time Test tomorrow

Threats to biodiversity Fragmentation Edge effect Overexploitation Habitat loss (#1)

Threats to Biodiversity Invasive species Overexploitation Fragmentation Edge effect Habitat Loss HUMANS

Human Impact How do humans decrease biodiversity? land use, the cutting of vast areas of forest, pollution of the soil, air, and water, add/remove organisms energy demand

Human Impact - pollution Air pollution acid rain damage to the ozone layer Smog global warming Biological magnification

Human Impact - pollution Water pollution Eutrophication – accumulation of nutrients in water (Nitrogen) – causes excessive algal growth – reduction in O 2 levels and death of aquatic life

Conserving Biodiversity How do we conserve and protect biodiversity? Endangered Species Act, Fishing and hunting regulations Protected areas – National Parks – State Parks – International Protected areas Large reserves protected by buffer zone

Identify hot spots – Endemic species – species found only in one area

Conserving Biodiversity Corridors – Connect habitat fragments which creates a larger piece of land – Allows animals to move safely – Can spread disease

Restoring Ecosystems Abandoned land can recover to create a new ecosystem

Restoring Ecosystems Bioremediation – using living organisms to detoxify an area – Gulf coast oil spill and bacteria Biological Augmentation – adding natural predators to a degraded ecosystem

or_more_wonder_rewild_the_world/transcrip t?language=en#t or_more_wonder_rewild_the_world/transcrip t?language=en#t On a sheet of paper: – 3 facts you learned – 2 questions you have – 1 topic you’d like to learn more about