Title of Notes: Biodiversity pg. 20 RS

I can define biodiversity and explain why it’s important. Learning target I can define biodiversity and explain why it’s important. Today I am… learning about biodiversity in an ecosystem. So that I’ll be able to… understand why it creates a healthy ecosystem. I’ll know I’ve got it when… I can create a foldable representing biodiversity and its importance.

The variety of life in an ecosystem. What is biodiversity? The variety of life in an ecosystem.

Every species plays a vital role in their ecosystem. Why is biodiversity important?

Niche: The role an organism plays in an ecosystem.

Ex: A bee's niche is making honey and pollinating flowers.

Ex: Dung beetles bury the feces of animals and lay their eggs in it Ex: Dung beetles bury the feces of animals and lay their eggs in it. The hatching grubs feed on the feces. The buried feces also fertilize plants, which in turn feeds the primary consumers.

Three ways scientists categorize biodiversity Species biodiversity Genetic biodiversity Ecosystem biodiversity

Genetic Biodiversity The variation in genes that exists within a species.  Label in your notes: Example of genetic biodiversity Ex: A helpful way to understand genetic diversity is to think about dogs. They are all the same species but their genes determine what kind of dog they are.

Ecological Biodiversity The diversity of ecosystems, natural communities and habitats.     Label in your notes: Example of ecological biodiversity Ex: The forests of Maine differ from the forests of Colorado by the types of species found in both ecosystems, as well as the temperature and rainfall. 

Biodiversity Species richness Relative abundance The number of different species in a certain place of interest. The number of individuals in a species relative to the total number of individuals.

Keystone species Keystone species A species that plays a critical role in a community and whose influence is great. Keystone species Keystone species Label in notes: Example of keystone species Ex: Sea otters are considered a keystone species because they feed on the herbivore sea urchins which allows kelps to flourish along the rocky coast, along with an entire ecosystem associated with these large marine plants.

Endangered Species Act Ex: The sea star feed on mussels on northeast Pacific rocky shores. The sea star prevents mussels from taking over the entire shore and allows less competitive species to thrive.

Keystone species Loss of biodiversity A species that plays a critical role in a community and whose influence is great. Keystone species Loss of biodiversity Label in notes: Example of keystone species Ex: Sea otters are considered a keystone species because they feed on the herbivore sea urchins which allows kelps to flourish along the rocky coast, along with an entire ecosystem associated with these large marine plants.

Bullet point 4 facts from the reading in your notes Pg. 206-211 Bullet point 4 facts from the reading in your notes

Video clip! (2 minutes) Biodiversity http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-loneliest-animals- web-exclusive-video-the-importance-of-biodiversity/4942/

Biodiversity Drawings pg. 20 LS Draw a picture of high biodiversity Explain what makes the picture high biodiversity Draw a picture of low biodiversity Explain what makes the picture low biodiversity Both pictures must have color