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Biodiversity

Biodiversity. Biology SBI3U Ms. Topp. Biodiversity or ‘biological diversity’, refers to the variety of life on Earth It includes all living things, including plants, animals, micro-organisms, and their unique characteristics. What is Biodiversity?.

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Biodiversity

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  1. Biodiversity Biology SBI3U Ms. Topp

  2. Biodiversity or ‘biological diversity’, refers to the variety of life on Earth • It includes all living things, including plants, animals, micro-organisms, and their unique characteristics What is Biodiversity?

  3. Field of biology combining Ecology and Evolution • Goal is to understand the workings of Natural Systems • Heavily influences the field of Conservation Biology (Society for Conservation Biology) What’s it All About?

  4. ‘We’ divide the concept of biodiversity up and look at it at 3 different levels – can you guess what they are? • Three levels of biodiversity: • 1) Ecosystems • 2) Species • 3) Genes (genetic diversity) Forms of Biodiversity?

  5. = the variety of habitats, living communities, and ecological processes on Earth • That is – variation in the type of communities of organisms • Deals with larger geographic scales Ecosystem Diversity

  6. = variation in the type of organism in a given area Species Diversity

  7. Species diversity

  8. Genetic Diversity • Yellow Warbler Mug ShotsCan you see the difference?

  9. = variation of genetic characteristics (genes and alleles) of a population • Genetic diversity ensures that parents pass on the traits that their offspring need to survive • E.g. of traits = disease resistance and physical features • Source of evolutionary process Genetic Diversity

  10. Species Richness – how many species are in an area (# of different species) • Species Evenness – how well distributed individuals are among species • Differences – the genetic distance between species (phylogenetic trees) • Measuring activity Measures of Biodiversity

  11. Evolution • Immigration • Extinction • Genetic Bottlenecking • How Biodiversity developed on Earth Factors that Affect Biodiversity

  12. There are estimated to be between 5 million and 20 million species on Earth • We’ve only identified 1.8 million species • 56% of species = insects • 14% = plants • 3% = vertebrates • It is estimated that Canada has ~ 140,000 different species Biodiversity Status

  13. Source of genes for agriculture, bioengineering etc. • Bioremediation – native species control invasive pests, clean our water, recycle matter etc., • Food and medical sources • Ecosystem services: pollination, soil aeration, fertilization, etc., Importance of Biodiversity

  14. Enjoyment • Scientific interest • Self-perpetuation – all life is interdependent; our existence depends on ecological stability • Potential – as our knowledge grows, so too does the ‘uses’ we find for biodiversity Importance of Biodiversity

  15. Major threats to biodiversity loss are: • Habitat loss and degradation • Climate change • Excessive nutrient load and other forms of pollution • Over-exploitation and unsustainable use • Invasive alien species Biodiversity Threats

  16. Depends on the Niche of the organism • Keystone species play unique roles  extinction has rippling effect on others Affect of Extinction on Biodiversity

  17. Video from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) • http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-biodiversity-and-extinctions Biodiversity Threats

  18. Smallest level = ____________________. • A group of ____________that resemble one another in appearance, behaviour, chemical makeup, processes and genetic structure and that produce fertile offspring under natural conditions = _______________________. Ecosystem Structure:

  19. A group of individuals of the same ________ living and interacting together in the same geographic area at the same time = _________ • _______________ of different species interact to make up a _________________. • A ________________ and its members interact with each other and their non-living environment to make up a _______________. Ecosystem Structure:

  20. Organism Species Population Community Ecosystem Biome • Biosphere can be broken down into units • The final and last unit is the biome. • It consists of many ecosystems taken together and classified according to their dominant vegetation and animal communities. Ecosystem Structure:

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