1. Biodiversity
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

2. Biodiversity Variety of living things, number of kinds
Ecological diversity
different habitats, niches, species interactions
Species diversity
different kinds of organisms, relationships among species
Genetic diversity
different genes & combinations of genes
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

3. Benefits of Biodiversity
Ecosystem functions
Ecosystem services
Cleaning water, habitat & breeding areas for wildlife
Aesthetic and cultural benefits
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

4. Benefits of Biodiversity
New food sources
Grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

5. Benefits of Biodiversity
Medicines
Plants
Jellyfish & sea anemones
Nudibranchs
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

6. Biodiversity How much biodiversity 1.7—2.0 million species
Estimates to 100 million
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

7. Biodiversity Where is the biodiversity Everywhere
Every continent and habitat has unique life forms
Concentrated in the tropics
Panama: > 500 species of breeding birds
Arctic: species
Dense concentrations
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

8. Threats to Biodiversity
Extinction and population reductions
Hunting and overharvesting
Tiger
Dodo
Whales
Sharks
Habitat loss
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

9. Threats to Biodiversity
Extinction and population reductions
Pollution
Climate change
Invasive species
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

10. Protecting Biodiversity
How can we protect biodiversity
Stop overharvesting
Sustainable yield
Hunting & fishing laws (every state ?)
in developing nations ?
Refuges, parks, preserves
Endangered Species Act
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

11. Protecting Biodiversity
Refuges, parks, preserves
How big should refuges be?
Where should they be?
McArthur & Wilson “Theory of Island Biogeography”
colonization rate
extinction rate (local)
predicts number of species
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

12. Protecting Biodiversity
Effect of island size
Effect of island distance
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

13. Protecting Biodiversity
McArthur & Wilson “Theory of Island Biogeography”
colonization rate
extinction rate (local)
predicts number of species
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

14. Protecting Biodiversity
Island Biogeography
Island size predicts number of species
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

15. Protecting Biodiversity
Island Biogeography
Everyplace is an island
Habitat fragmentation
Smaller fragments hold fewer species
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

16. Protecting Biodiversity
How can we protect biodiversity
Endangered Species Act (1973)
Listing of “endangered” and “threatened” species
Restricts development of habitats
Captive breeding programs
Release of captive bred stocks to enhance or recover wild populations.
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt

17. Protecting Biodiversity
Biodiversity “hotspots”
Protection of habitat
24 March 2009
Biodiversity.ppt