Welcome to the Biodiversity Department The Warehouse Department represents the vast array of living organisms and the valuable products of Earth.

Everyplace on Earth is an ecosystem, including our club site.

In today’s club adventure, we will investigate the Biodiversity Department eco-services…

…provided at our club site.

Storehouses of species You only need to look around to see many of the amazing creatures living on earth. You can think of earth as a giant warehouse, storing millions of species on land and in the oceans.

What is biodiversity? Diversity of genes Diversity of species Biodiversity can be discussed in three ways: as the diversity of genes, diversity of species, and diversity of ecosystems. Diversity of genes Diversity of species Diversity of ecosystems

BIODIVERSITY: Storehouse of genetic diversity If biodiversity represents the variety of living things on earth, there are several ways that we can categorize that diversity. At the lowest level, biodiversity is the variety of genes found in the species on earth. To preserve genetic biodiversity, you must try to save all the genetic variation in a species. For example,to save the biodiversity of fox squirrels, you need to maintain populations that are tan, grey or black.

BIODIVERSITY:Species diversity Worldwide Most people think of biodiversity as the variety of species living on earth. There are about 1.5 million named species on earth. Half of those species are insects. The estimates of bacteria, fungi and protozoa are low, because we don’t know very much about these organisms. From E.O. Wilson, the Diversity of Life

Species diversity Animals Over half the species on earth and nearly 75% of all animal species are arthropods (insects, spiders, scorpions). Conservation efforts often focus on mammals eve though only about 0.4% of the species on earth are mammals. From E.O. Wilson, the Diversity of Life

Species diversity Plants Scientists estimate that there are about 250,000 species of plants on earth. As we explore remote tropical environments, we find more new plants and the number increases. It is important to remember that for most species on earth, almost all we know is the name that scientists have given it. For most species, we don’t know what it eats or who eats it, or what conditions are important for its survival. From E.O. Wilson, the Diversity of Life

Diversity of Ecosystems Still other people think that the way we should think about diversity is through ecosystems. After all, all species live in ecosystems and we need to maintain viable ecosystems to maintain species. Maintaining the ecological relationships is critical to maintaining the species.

Diversity maintains stability in interdependent systems. Diversity is important in ecosystem stability. If the environment causes a decline in the population of bumblebees, then other wild bees can fulfill the important task of pollinating this tree.

Many important products from wild species Gene resources Medicine Timber Biodiversity provides important and valuable commodities for human populations. Wild species, like this wild tomato, are important sources of disease resistance genes that scientists breed into our crops. Many drugs also come from wild species. In fact, 25% of our existing drugs come from plants or fungi. And finally, the timber we use for our homes and other buildings is obtained from our forests.

Dr. Arrow is in charge of the Biodiversity Department in Garden Earth.

How will we learn about the Biodiversity Department? Biodiversity is Amazing!

What Lives Here?

Threats to biodiversity: Extinction Extinction is real. This small tree is the Franklinia tree, discovered in Georgia by John Bartram in the late 1700s. He and his son, William, collected it from the wild and planted it at their home in Philadelphia. It disappeared from the wild soon after it was discovered. It would have been lost forever,if the Bartrams had not collected it. How many other species are lost before we have the chance to even know that they exist? The Franklinia Tree – Disappeared in the Wild

Threats to Biodiversity: Loss or Deterioration of Habitat In the five years between 1992 and 1997, over 1 million acres of land in Georgia were converted from open space to developed property. In addition to the loss of open space caused by the expansion of cities and suburbs, agricultural uses can also decrease habitat for species. This photo shows a habitat unique to the southeastern United States, the Carolina bays. These periodically flooded wetlands are important locations for rare plants as well as breeding locations for some amphibians and reptiles. Expansion of agriculture has impacted these sites.

Worldwide reasons for biodiversity loss: overpopulation over-consumption poverty The main reason that species on earth are disappearing is the growth of the human population. More people require more food, more land, more resources. In poor countries, human populations may try to make a living by cutting forests to create agricultural land to grow crops. Or they may harvest wild species (such as parrots, orchids) to sell on the world market. If each person could consume less, we could help preserve habitat and resources for wild species.

What can you do to save Garden Earth’s Biodiversity?