Biodiversity & The 21 st Century Jenn Troop SBI4U – Fall 2009

What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity refers to the number and variety of organisms present in an area and their spatial distribution. Describes the variability among organisms on earth, and considers variation within and between species and within and between ecosystems. *California Biodiversity Council

Types of Biodiversity Genetic Diversity Species Diversity Ecosystem Diversity

Genetic Diversity Variation within a species Measured by determining polymorphism across the genome The genetic diversity of a species directly relates to its ability to adapt, survive and evolve *Charles Darwin

Species Diversity Within a defined area, the number of species of plants and animal present The abundance of a species in a community *California Biodiversity Council

versus

Ecosystem Diversity Variety of functioning habitats and communities in an area Defined by geological characteristics Each organism has a particular place in a food web, community

Biodiversity Today... Now more than ever, there are many ethical concerns having to do with biodiversity on our planet Many factors are leading to the endangerment / extinction of certain species, and in turn constantly affecting other species and BIODIVERSITY

Good or Bad? Climate change has negatively affected biodiversity in every continent The earth’s biodiversity has declined 1/3 in the last 35 years Extinction rate has increased to 10,000 times the “accepted normal” *Mr. Watts’ Homepage – Interesting Readings – Ecology Papers

Influencing Factors Human Interference Global Warming / Climate Change “Domino Effect”

Human Interference Destruction of Land Colonization Exploitation Poisoning Pollution Use of unsafe products

Orang-utans 70% of Indonesia’s rainforests lost Palm oil manufacturing Fish All fish and invertebrate extinct by 2048 Pollution (pesticides, plastic, hormones) *Mr. Watts’ Homepage – Interesting Readings – Ecology Papers

Global Warming If the average temperature increases by 2.5%, biodiversity will decrease 30% If it increases by 3.5%, biodiversity will decrease 70%

Polar Bears 2/3 of polar bears gone by 2050 Habitat destruction Shellfish Decrease in those with calcium carbonate shells. Increase in those without. Acidity in oceans increasing bear.jpg&imgrefurl=

The “Domino Effect” All species within a web, community, ecosystem are interconnected Cannot remove one organism without directly influencing others

If one species becomes endangered or extinct, other species will always be directly affected by it When an organism’s habitat is disturbed, it is disturbed When one part of a chain is removed, all suffer

Humans are contributing so much to the decrease in biodiversity. How will the decrease in biodiversity affect Humans?