Date post: | 25-Dec-2015 |
Category: |
Documents |
Upload: | lewis-pierce-lamb |
View: | 216 times |
Download: | 3 times |
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!
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