1. Biodiversity The variety of life in an area
Important because all organisms depend on each other!
Food webs
Medicine
Food sources
CO2/O2

2. Threats to Biodiversity
Habitat Destruction
Definition: Destruction or removal of the habitat
Examples: clear cutting in rainforest, coral reef bleaching
Why it’s Bad: Biggest threat to biodiversity

3. Threats to Biodiversity: Habitat Destruction

4. Threats to Biodiversity
Habitat Fragmentation
Definition: Division of habitats
Examples: roads, subdivisions
Why it’s Bad: larger predators need territories, migration routes are altered, organisms isolated

5. Threats to Biodiversity: Habitat Fragmentation

6. Threats to Biodiversity
Habitat Degradation
Definition: Damage to the habitat by pollution
Examples: Air, water, land pollution
Why it’s bad: Destroys the environment!

7. Threats to Biodiversity: Pollution

8. Threats to Biodiversity
Introduced/Invasive Species
Definition: species NOT native to an area
Examples: In GA: KUDZU, zebra mussels, Chinese privet; rabbits and camels in Australia
Why it’s bad: Typically lack competition AND predators—no way to keep populations in check!

9. Threats to Biodiversity: Invasive Species

10. Loss of Biodiversity Threatened Species:
Populations begin rapid decline
In danger of becoming endangered!
Examples: African Elephant, Gopher Tortoise, Tree Frogs in Amazon River Basin, Sea Otter, Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Florida Manatee

11. Loss of Biodiversity: Threatened Species

12. Loss of Biodiversity Endangered Species
Population numbers are so low, extinction is possible
Examples: Black Rhino, Giant Panda, Sumatran Tigers, Grizzly Bears, several freshwater mussel species in GA

13. Loss of Biodiversity: Endangered Species

14. Environmental Issues: Air Pollution
Caused by
Increase in green house gasses
CO2, CFCs, CH4, N2O
Gasses trap heat within the atmosphere
Burning of fossil fuels
Oil, coal, natural gas
Forest fires, volcano eruptions

15. Environmental Issues: Global Warming
Gradual increase in the average global temperatures
Linked to greenhouse gasses in atmosphere
Drastic changes in last 200 years
Some scientists believe that it is a result of increased greenhouse gasses due to burning of fossil fuels
Other scientists believe that it is part of the earth’s natural temperature fluctuations

16. Environmental Issues: Global Warming
Effects of Global Warming
Melting ice sheets
Rising sea level
Changes to global weather patterns
Warmer water = more intense hurricanes
More frequent droughts

17. Environmental Issues: Water Pollution
Common sources
Fertilizers and pesticides used in agriculture
Runoff from roads, construction sites, unlined landfills, etc
Soil erosion
Fresh water is a very limited resource!
80% is locked up in polar ice caps
99.5% of what is left is unusable

18. The Environment Renewable Resources
Resources that can be replaced at the same rate that they are consumed
Renewable resources are either so large that they can’t be depleted or are constantly renewed so that they are never used up
Ex: wind, solar power, freshwater*, trees*

19. The Environment Nonrenewable Resources
Resources that are formed at a much slower rate than they are consumed
Most of the energy sources we use today are nonrenewable—fossil fuels
Fossil Fuels: coal, oil, natural gas
Pressure, heat, and time have converted the remains of organisms into oil and natural gas

20. Conservation Biology Study of methods to protect biodiversity
Protect existing natural areas
Establishment of national parks/wildlife refuges
Restoration
Cleaning and restoring a damaged area
Sustainability
Using areas and resources without damaging them
Reintroduction
Releasing organisms into their natural habitat

21. The Environment: Environmental Awareness
Education
Can’t expect people to care about things they don’t know about
Ecotourism supports conservation and educates while “entertaining” people
Advocacy
Conservation groups work on local, regional, national, international levels
Organizations like Green Peace, The Nature Conservancy, riverkeeper groups lobby government officials about environmental decisions

22. The Environment
Humans depend on the environment for food, water, fuel, and many other resources
As our population increases, our need for resources puts more pressure on the environment.
Learning how our actions impact the environment helps us find better ways to take care of the planet so that it can continue to support us and other species.