Ch 6-3 Biodiversity

Biodiversity

BiodiversityBiological diversitySum total of the genetically based variety of

all organisms in the biosphereSIMPLE TERMS – all genetically different

organisms in a biosphere

Types of biodiversity

Ecosystem diversity Habitats, communities, and ecological processes

Species diversity Different species 1.5 million species found so far

Genetic diversity Different forms of genetic information carried by all

organisms

Value of Biodiversity

Why is biodiversity important? Earth’s greatest natural resource

Food Industrial productsMedicine

Threats to biodiversity

So what can screw it up? HUMANS!!!

Human activity can alter habitatsHunt to extinction Introduce toxic chemical to food web Introduce foreign species to new

environments

Habitat alteration

Humans destroy homes for organisms causing habitat fragmentation Split ecosystem Imagine tearing down a

part of your house and putting a road. What happens to your lifestyle?

Demand for Wildlife products

Mink coats, chinchilla jackets, ivory piano keys, so on…

The more we demand, the more we pay for these itemsMonetarilyEcologically

We destroy food webs!

What is left…

Pollution

Biomagnification Concentrations of

harmful substances increase in organisms at higher trophic levels in the food chain or web

The top consumer always gets “jacked” by the chemicals!

Fish-Eating Birds Magnification ofDDT Concentration

10,000,000

100,000

10,000

1,000,000

1

1000

LargeFish

Small Fish

Zooplankton

Producers

Water

Introduced species

Invasive species Species that are not

native to an ecosystem

Competes with native species

What can we do?

ConservationProtect speciesProtect habitat

Homework

SA 6-3 #1-6

Classwork

Conservation handout Handout of 6-3

Classwork – By yourself or pairs

Create a conservation flyer – “How we can conserve biodiversity” 20 pointsQuick explanation of biodiversity (5 pts)How we are affecting the environment (5 pts)How we can help (5 pts)Drawings in color and catchy title (5 pts)