1. Biodiversity

2. Estimate over 1.5 million species
Biodiversity is the number of different species in an area.
Major environmental issue.
Why?

3. Value of Biodiversity Economic Value
They can provide food, materials for clothing, medicine, and other products.
Useful species still undiscovered.
Ecotourism provides jobs and money for many countries

4. Ecological Value 
All species in an ecosystem share resources and are dependent on each other for food and shelter.
Some species are the center stone of their ecosystem. These keystone species are species that influence the survival of many other species in an ecosystem
1800 sea otter extinction

6. Factors Affecting Biodiversity
Area
 The larger the area the more species can be found (100 vs. 10)

7. Climate Species increase from the poles toward the equator.
Tropical rain forests are near the equator.
Make up 7% of land mass but contain more than half the species in the world. Coral reef which are 1% of the ocean but have 20% of sea species.
Due to the constant warm temperature. This allows niche diversity, where species don’t have to compete as much.

8. Gene Pool Diversity Genes carry organism’s hereditary information
Each organism has different genes from other individuals.
Individual differences make up the total gene pool.
Less diversity=less ability to adapt to changes in the environment

9. Extinction of species
Extinction is the disappearance of all members of a species from the Earth.
Rate of extinction has dramatically increased.
Once the size of a species drops to a certain level they may not recover.

10. Species in danger of becoming extinct are endangered species.
Species that could become endangered in the future are called threatened species.

11. Causes of Extinction Habitat Destruction Habitat fragmentation
(breaking large habitats into smaller ones)

12. Poaching
Illegal killing or removal
of wildlife species
Hunted for their skin, fur, teeth, horns, etc
Sold as exotic pets
Pollution
This can pollute the water or air killing animals or cause a low birth rate.

13. Exotic Species
Introducing exotic species into an ecosystem can threaten biodiversity.
Can outcompete or prey on existing species.

14. Protecting Biodiversity
Captive Breeding
Mating animals in the zoo or wildlife preserves.
Scientist care for the young and release them into the wild
Laws and Treaties
Endangered Species Act prohibits the killing or trading of endangered animals and/or products
Hard to enforce

15. Habitat Preservation
The most effective way is to preserve a whole ecosystem.
Must be large enough to preserve the population, contain a variety of niches, and be a diverse ecosystem