1. Biology – Chapter 6

2. Our Earth is an ISLAND Unlimited Resources?
If we view the Earth as an island – are there enough resources for our population to survive?
Unlimited Resources?

3. Resources Environmental resources classified as either: Renewable
Nonrenewable
Renewable – resources that replenish through natural processes (not always unlimited)
Nonrenewable – resources that cannot replenish by natural processes
List examples of each type of resource
Human activities can affect the quality and quantity of otherwise renewable resources

4. Biodiversity
Biological diversity (biodiversity) is essential for biosphere survival – allowing the differences in biological systems to absorb any drastic changes that may happen.
Biodiversity = the amount of variation in life in a given species, ecosystem, biome or planet

5. Types of Biodiversity
Ecosystem diversity – variety of habitats, communities & ecological processes in the biosphere
Species diversity – the number of different species in the biosphere
Genetic diversity – the total of all the different forms of all the different organisms in the biosphere
Biodiversity is one of the Earth’s greatest natural resources – providing us with medicines, building materials, artistic inspiration and food.

6. Threats to Biodiversity
Human activity can be a threat to biodiversity by:
Changing natural habitats
Land development, deforestation
Hunting species to extinction
Food, “pests”
Introducing toxic compounds into food
webs
Pollution, biological magnification
Introducing foreign species into new
environments
Invasive
species

7. Conserving Biodiversity
Conservation – the management of natural resources to preserve biodiversity for future generations
Sustainable Development - A way of using natural resources for human needs without depleting them or causing long term environmental harm

8. Conservation Strategies
Protection of species & ecosystems
Biodiversity hotspot = a geographic region with a large amount of biodiversity that is being threatened by humans

9. As of the year 2000, more than 35 biodiversity “hotspots” have been identified