Biodiversity and Conservation

Biodiversity Extinction: the disappearance of a species when the last of its members dies Biodiversity: number of different species living in a specific area

Biodiversity Genetic diversity: variety of inheritable characteristics or genes in an interbreeding population Species diversity: in a biological community, the number of abundance of different species Ecosystem diversity: variety of ecosystems in the biosphere

Importance of Biodiversity Direct economic value: provide food, clothing, energy, medicine, and shelter; preserve the genetic diversity so to provide for desirable genes; genetic engineering Indirect economic value: biogeochemical process, protection against floods and droughts; generate and preserve fertile soils, detoxify and decompose wastes; regulate local climates Aesthetic value: beauty Scientific value: contribution to scientific studies

Threats to Biodiversity Extinction rates Background extinction: gradual process of a species becoming extinct Mass extinction: a large-scale dying out of a large percentage of all living organism in a n area within a short time

Factors that Threaten Biodiversity Humans Natural resources: any material or organism in the biosphere, including water, soil, fuel, and plants and animals Overexploitation: overuse of species with economic value-a factor in species extinction

Factors that Threaten Biodiversity Habitat loss Destruction of habitat Disruption of habitat Habitat fragmentation: habitat loss from separation of an ecosystem into small pieces of land Edge effects: any different environmental condition occurring along an ecosystem’s boundaries

Factors that Threaten Biodiversity Pollution Biological magnification: increasing concentration of toxic substances, such as DDT, in organisms as trophic levels increase in food chains or food webs Acid precipitation Eutrophication: water pollution from nitrogen-rich and phosphorous-rich substances flowing into waterways, causing algal growth

Factors that Threaten Biodiversity Introduced species: nonnative species deliberately or accidentally introduced into a new habitat

Conserving Biodiversity Renewable resources: any resource replaced by natural processes more quickly than it is consumed Nonrenewable resources: any natural resource available in limited amounts or replaced extremely slowly by natural processes Sustainable use: use of resources at a rate that they can be replaced or recycled

Conserving Biodiversity Protected areas in the US International protected areas 7% of the world’s land Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites Costa Rica mega-reserves

Conserving Biodiversity Biodiversity-hot spots Endemic: found only in one specific geographic area Corridors between habitat fragments

Restoring Ecosystems Bioremediation: technique using living organisms to detoxify a polluted area Biological augmentation: technique of adding essential materials to a degraded ecosystem

Legally Protecting Biodiversity Endangered Species Act Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITIES)