Ms. Pici Park school of buffalo

 Note packet  Numbered card  Set of pictures  1 per table

 In groups with members of similar colors, discuss and write/illustrate what you think biodiversity is. How it has to do with environmental science. How humans effect biodiversity. Does park have biodiversity on our campus? What types of biodiversity? Can your group classify the pictures in front of you as more diverse or less diverse?

Bio= life Diversity= variety Refers to the different number of species in a given area

The study of biodiversity starts with cataloging all the species that exist on earth However the actual number of species on earth is unknown New species are considered known when they are collected and described scientifically

 Species diversity refers to the number of different species in an area.  Ecosystem diversity is all the different genes contained within the members of a population  Recall what is a gene?  Gene is a piece of DNA that codes for a specific trait that can be inherited

 Stability and sustainability of a population  The tremendous variety of life on Earth is made possible by complex interactions among all living things including micro-organisms.  Keystone species are species that are so clearly critical to the functioning of an ecosystem Example: sea otter

 Diversity in populations is critical to a species, diversity increases the chance that some members of a population will survive environmental changes.  Population shrinks the diversity shrinks

 People on earth use plants for a variety of uses including : food, clothing, shelter, and medicine.  Hybrids are new crop varieties that have been developed by combining genetic material from more than 1 population.

 Ethics and some people think that we need to preserve species and ecosystems  People alsp enjoy the aesthetics of biodiversity Ex: having pets, camping, bird watching  Ecotourism is very important that supports the conservation and sustainable development of unique areas.

 65 million years ago the earth underwent major changes in the ecosystem and climate that resulted in a massive extinction of ½ the earth’s species.  If many species die in a relatively short amount of time it is referred to as a mass extinction

 up to 25% of the populations may become extinct, scientists believe that we are in the midst of another mass extinction.  Extinction rates now are different now mainly because they are caused by humans.

 Small populations in limited areas  Species that migrate  Those species that need large special habitats  Species exploited by humans.  Sand cat- endangered species

 Endangered species : species that is likely to become extinct if measures are not taken by humans to protect them  Threatened species: a species whose populations is declining and is likely to become endangered if not protected

 Human population growth rate  Habitat destruction  Introduction of non native species  Pollution  Overharvesting of species

 Human populations have grown, as a result we use more land to build houses, and obtain resources  Habitat loss causes 75% of extinctions EX). Florida panther is the most endangered animal in north America, there are less than 100 panthers as of 2003

 Exotic species is a species that is not native to a particular region  These species can threatened native species that have no defense mechanisms against them.  Asian carp in the Mississippi river

 Thousands of species worldwide are hunted and harvested and sold as pets, houseplants, wood, food, or herbal medicine.  Countries now have laws to regulate fishing, hunting, harvesting, and wildlife trading.  Poaching is when these activities occur illegally.

 Humans use many materials such as pesticides, cleaning agents, drugs and other chemicals that make their way into food webs throughout the globe.  Many of these have effects that we are not sure of at this time.  Example: Bald eagle and DDT

 Parts of the world have a larger amount of biodiversity than others  These areas have large numbers of endemic species, or species that are native to and only found within a specific area  Ex). Trigger fish or the state fish of Hawaii humuhumunukunuku ā pua ʻ a

 The remaining tropical rainforests cover less than 7% of the earth  Over half the world’s species live here  Many species that have not been discovered are found here and often disappear before they can be recognized  Case study page 266

 Coral reefs contains a large portion of the biodiversity that exists in marine environments  60% of reefs are threatened by human activities  Provide many benefits to earth

 Limited number of species from mainland, therefore new species evolve  Ex. Hawaii have birds called honeycreepers, which are an endemic species of birds

 25 areas which have been identified by international conservationists  Areas which have high numbers of endemic species but are threatened by human activities  lost 70% of their natural vegetation

 3 hotspots occur in the U.S.  Lots of different ecosystems  Florida everglades, California coast, Hawaii, prairies in the west, and forest on the pacific coast.

 Humans have to make an effort to save endangered species and work to restore stable populations  This is done through: captive breeding programs, preserving genetic material, zoos, aquariums, gardens, and studies. 

 Involves breeding species in captivity with the hopes of reintroducing the population to their natural habitats  Ex California condor

 Preserving the genetic material  Germ plasm any form of genetic material such as reproductive, or germ, cells of plants, animals  Banks store material for use in research or species recovery efforts

 Zoos house the remaining members of certain species, and are often the last hope for the species survival  Living museums of the world’s biodiversity

 The most effective way to save a species is to protect their habitat  This means preserving large areas, to allow for species to find food, a suitable mate, and rear their young. Species confined to a small space can be wiped out by a single natural disaster

 The earth’s biosphere depends on all connected ecosystems.  Many conservationists believe it is important to protect an entire ecosystem rather than one species  Focus is on hotspots

 Many nations have laws and regulations to prevent the extinction of species, the U.S. is one of the strongest.  Endangered Species Act : 1973, designed to protect plant and animal species in danger of extinction List of endangered and threatened species Anyone who buys, or sells any part of these species is subject to a government fine. -no projects are to be carried out that can harm a species on the list

 Under the Endangered species act, USFWS must prepare a species recovery plan  Habitat conservation plan a plan that attempts to protect one or more species across large areas of land through trade-offs or cooperative agreements.

 IUCN : International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, protects species and habitats  Collaborates with 200 government agencies and 700 private conservation organizations.  Publish red lists of species in danger of extinction around the world

 CITIES Conservation on International Trade in Endangered Species. First effort to stop the killing of African elephants for their ivory tusks.  Banned trade on ivory  Poaching of elephants has declined since selling ivory is illegal

 Earth Summit  Biodiversity Treaty: the goal is to preserve biodiversity and ensure the sustainable use of genetic resources in all countries.

 World wildlife fund : sustainability of resources and wildlife protection  Nature Conservancy : purchases land for habitat preserves  Conservation International : helps identify biodiversity hotspots and develop conservation projects  Green Peace International: helps counter environmental threats sometimes confrontational actions