Biodiversity in Ecosystems

What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity means the richness and variety of life - of genes, species and ecosystem Biodiversity maintains the health of the earth and its people. It provides us with food and medicine and contributes to our economy It tells us a lot about the health of the biosphere. The greater the variety of species, the healthier the biosphere Biodiversity is not evenly distributed. It varies greatly across the globe as well as within regions. Among other factors, the diversity of all living things (biota) depends on temperature, precipitation, altitude, soils, geography and the presence of other species

What is Sustainability? The ability to maintain ecological processes over long periods of time Sustainability of an ecosystem is the ability of that ecosystem to maintain its structure and function over time in the face of external stress The more sustainable an ecosystem is, the stronger and healthier it is

Biodiversity and Sustainability The biodiversity of an ecosystem contributes to the sustainability of that ecosystem Higher/more biodiversity = more sustainable Lower/less biodiversity = less sustainable. High biodiversity in an ecosystem means that there is a great variety of genes and species in that ecosystem A great variety of genes and species means that the ecosystem is better able to carry out natural processes in the face of external stress So, the ecosystem is more sustainable

Biodiversity supports Ecosystems Biodiversity is necessary for life. Every species is linked with many others in an ecosystem. All animals are part of food webs that include plants and animals of other species. Minor disruptions in a particular ecosystem tend to lead to changes that eventually restore the system. But large disturbances of living populations or their environments may result in irreversible changes. Higher biodiversity=more sustainable=healthier ecosystem

Cont’d Biodiversity regulates the chemistry of our atmosphere and water supply It is directly involved in water purification, recycling nutrients, and providing fertile soils Biodiversity supports ecosystem services including air quality, climate (e.g., CO2 sequestration), water purification, pollination, and prevention of erosion