Biodiversity: refers to the variety of species in a specific area A rainforest has a greater “biodiversity” than a cornfield The more species there are, the greater the biodiversity A. Where is biodiversity found? Biodiversity increases as you move toward the equator Most biodiverse places are warm places » Rainforests, coral reefs, and large tropical lakes I. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

B. Studying Biodiversity You can study the amounts of organisms in a specific area Quadrant Technique Only study about 1/4 th of a certain area and you can assume that the other 3/4 th ’s will be about the same Keeps studying biodiversity from being so time consuming I. BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

A. Importance to nature Living things are “interdependent” Think about food webs and how all organisms depend on others for food. Each different species can be a “niche” that an organism plays In other words, the more organisms there are, the more ways an organism can get their food So what happens if organisms go extinct? II. IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY

B. Biodiversity brings stability The greater the biodiversity, the more spread out organisms will be The more spread out they are, the less dense their populations are The less dense their populations are, the less likely it will be that disease and predators can take out a whole species in an area II. IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY

C. Importance to People Humans depend on a variety of species in many ways For oxygen, for food, for medicines, clothes, furniture, and buildings Penicillin, tylenol, aspirin, etc are all derived from plants/fruits II. IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY

Extinction: the disappearance of a species when the last member dies – Ex: Passenger Pigeon Dinosaurs Main cause of extinction of species is humans – Habitat loss – Land exploitation – Humans need for natural resources III. LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

Endangered species: when its numbers become so low that extinction is possible Sea Turtles Threatened species: when the population of a species is likely to become endangered African Elephant Threatened  endangered  extinct III. LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

What are some of the things that can cause organisms to go threatened, end., or extinct? A. Habitat Loss Land clearing for farmland and homes Plant and animal life where habitats are lost is not easily re-established Coral reefs can be effected too Habitat loss usually caused by humans IV. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

B. Habitat fragmentation Habitat fragmentation: the separation of wilderness areas from other wilderness areas can lead to the following – Increased extinction – Disruption of local ecology – Opportunity for “invader” species – Increased risk of fire – Changes in local climate IV. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

C. Edge Effect Edge effect: the different conditions along the boundaries of an ecosystem can be controlled by 2 sets of abiotic factors Temperature and precipitation Have greater biodiversity – Different habitats w/different species are brought together Can affect what goes on in interior of area IV. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

D. Habitat degradation Habitat degradation: the damage to a habitat by pollution – Air, water, land Air pollution – Caused by burning of forest fires, volcanic eruptions – Mainly caused by burning of fossil fuels Puts sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere IV. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

D. Habitat degradation Acid precipitation: rain, snow, sleet and fog with low pH values Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide combine with water to make acid rain SO 2 come from coal-burning factories and NO come from gasoline cars Can cause loss of nutrients to trees, plants, and pond ecosystems IV. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

D. Habitat degradation Acid precipitation: rain, snow, sleet and fog with low pH values Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide combine with water to make acid rain SO 2 come from coal-burning factories and NO come from gasoline cars Can cause loss of nutrients to trees, plants, and pond ecosystems IV. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

Acid Preci ACID PRECIPITATION

D. Habitat degradation Ozone layer: absorbs UV rays from the sun Ozone is destroyed by Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s) CFC’s used to be found in many aerosol cans and hairsprays until they were banned IV. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

OZONE DEPLETION

E. Water Pollution Degrades aquatic habitats Excess fertilizers, chemical “runoff”, animal waste Cause algal blooms (big boom in algae growth) Can cause death of organisms IV. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

F. Land Pollution Garbage in landfills We’re producing more waste than decomposers can recycle Use of pesticides can be land pollution – DDT used to kill mosquito Caused bird egg shells to deteriorate and almost caused bald eagle to go extinct IV. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

G. Exotic Species Exotic species: “non-native” animals that are introduced into an area have no natural predators Will grow exponentially and use up all other native animals resources Can cause other animals in an area to go extinct or become endangered IV. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY