Effects of Not Maintaining Biodiversity Tuesday, December 9th, 2014

Do Now Homework Complete the handout if we don’t finish in class Do Now Which regions have the highest levels of biodiversity? Are ecosystems with high levels of biodiversity more stable? Explain your answer.

Objectives SWBAT understand the reasons for maintaining the earth’s biodiversity by analyzing data from sample environments and determining the harmful impacts of not maintaining biodiversity. Essential Question Why does the biodiversity of our world matter?

Vocabulary Review Antibiotics Deforestation Resistant Biome Desertification

Impacts of not maintaining biodiversity TED talk “How to reverse desertification and reverse climate change” 1:20 - 2:36 4:20 - 6:50 8:57 - 10:40 11:30 – 13:00 What did scientists originally do to the biodiversity of the grazing animals? How did reintroducing the grazing animals impact the ecosystem?

The conversion of large amounts of fertile land to desert has long been thought to be caused by livestock, such as sheep and cattle overgrazing and giving off methane. This has now been shown to be incorrect, as removing animals to protect land speeds up desertification. Rising population, land turning into desert at a steady clip, and climate change, converge to create a “perfect storm” that threatens life on earth. According to an African ecologist, dramatically increasing the number of grazing livestock is the only thing that can reverse both desertification and climate change

According to estimates, grazing large herds of livestock on half of the world’s barren or semi-barren grasslands could take enough carbon from the atmosphere to bring us back to preindustrial levels. A holistic management and planned grazing system has already been implemented in select areas on five continents, with dramatically positive results.

How to reverse desertification and reverse climate change What did scientists do to the biodiversity of the grazing animals? How did reintroducing the grazing animals impact the ecosystem?

Worksheet Use complete sentences and detailed answers Complete the readings on Antibiotics Coral Reefs Arctic Rainforest And answer the questions There are also 2 TCAP questions

Answer the Essential Question Why does the biodiversity of our world matter?

Exit Ticket Which 2 populations would be most affected by a widespread use of insecticide 2? If the 2 populations from question 1 are completely eliminated, will insecticide 2 still be effective? Why or why not?