Biodiversity: Introduction
Unit 1 : Humans and Ecosystems Main themes: Biodiversity, Ecosystem services, Sustainable development, Climate change 9 weeks 2 assessments – one test and one project
Climate change Conclusions from the graphs ? Action- 17th Sept – Assembly Impacts of climate change on biodiversity & ecosystems (and therefore us)
Levels of Biological organisation
INDIVIDUALLY Classify these words 1) never heard it before 2) heard it but not sure what it means 3) think I know 4) could use it confidently Biodiversity Extinct Endangered Conservation Taxonomy Species Endemic species Non-native species Biodiversity hotspot Seed bank Mass extinction
Quick Quiz 1.How many species are there on the planet ? 2.How many does ’science’ know about ? 3.How many more do we find each year ? 4.Which groups of organisms have the most species in them ? 5.How old is life on earth ? 6.Where are the most biodiverse regions on the planet ? 7.How did you get your answer ?
Biodiversity The variety of life on Earth Product of c. 4 billion years of evolution million species described (100 ?) million species total ????
How come we don’t know ? New species continually discovered /described, c. 18,000 per year 36 new Mammal species Where would you look to find new species ?
How many do we know about… 70 % of Plants are known & described 50 % ofAlgae 22 % fof single celled protozoa 12 % of animals 7 % of fungi
Bioluminescent Mushroom (Discovered 2011) (Some fruiting bodies of Mycena luxaeterna growing on a rotten branch. © Cassius V. Stevani/IQ-USP, Brazil)
Mindoro Stripe faced fruit bat Styloctenium mindorensis
98 new species of beetle found in Indonesia
Further reading how-to-discover-a-new-species how-to-discover-a-new-species
Exploring Biodiversity day/archives day/archives Select a species, and bring the info to class next time
The Red List global conservation status of plant and animal species IUCN Science based Classifies species according to categories
One way of looking at this diversity… Taxonomy Taxonomy is the science of classification For what reasons do we need to classify organisms ?
Why classify ? After 3 billion years of evolution, there are c million species of organisms living on earth If we are to talk about them and understand their roles in ecosystems, then it is important that each has its own name. Uses include conservation, medicine, pest control, agriculture, ecological studies on all levels
What to call a species ? Before 1750, scientific names could be really cumbersome: Apis pubescens, thorace subgriseo, abdomine fusco, pedibus posticis glabris utrinque margine ciliatis And any scholar could change them as they saw fit.
Modern hierarchical classification Species are classified into groups called TAXA (singular = taxon) Based on important features that are shared by the members of the group – E.g. birds have wings, beaks and feathers The highest level is the KINGDOM
Hierarchical classification KPCOFGS Kids playing catch on freeway get squashed
Amimal examplePlant Example KingdomAnimaliaPlantae PhylumChordataAngiospermophyta ClassMammaliaDicotyledonae OrderPrimatesRanales FamilyHominidaeRannunculacae GenusHomoRanunculus Speciessapiensacris Common name HumanMeadow buttercup (smörblomma)
Some rules Both the genus and species are printed in italics (or underlined) The Genus, but not the species, has an initial capital letter. Species is spelled the same in both singular and plural. The plural of Genus is Genera The full name has an authority after it. e.g. L. is for Linneus
What is the“biodiversity crisis”? Extinction: death of all individuals of a species Extinctions are a normal part of the history of life 99 % of all species that have existed are now extinct... BUT: Humans are causing extinctions at a tremendous rate. ~100 times faster than expected without human activity parallels or exceeds previous mass extinction events What if extinction > speciation?
Species diversity in different groups of organisms
Species extinctions
Planetary boundaries Stockholm Resilience centre- Science, Jan 2015