Biodiversity - why does it matter?

Biodiversity in the Curriculum CfE  I understand how animal and plant species depend on each other and how living things are adapted for survival. I can predict the impact of population growth and natural hazards on biodiversity SCN 4-01a National 4 – Life on Earth 2. Impact of population growth and natural hazards on biodiversity - Debate issues around conservation of endangered species to maintain biodiversity nationally and globally National 5 – Life on Earth 1. Biodiversity and the distribution of life - a. Biotic and abiotic factors affect biodiversity in an ecosystem. Human activities can also have an impact on biodiversity.

Biodiversity - why does it matter? How to use this activity This discussion activity comprises of: This introductory power-point which could be used to set the scene before beginning the discussion (slides 4-10 choose slides suited to your class) The pupil task and response sheets (slides 11-12) Web links for each organism (slides 13-16) Four sets of discussion cards: BONGO, POTATO, SCOTTISH WILD-CAT and BANANA. Each organism has 4 cards and teachers can choose the cards appropriate to their class

Biodiversity - why does it matter? How to use this activity Read out the task (slide12) Put the class into groups Give each group a record sheet and the first card only Once they have made their decision with card one give them the second card and ask them to make the decision again Continue until all the cards and decisions have been made

Populations Populations of living organisms fluctuate over time. Conditions change and some organisms do well while other populations reduce in size. The human population has not followed this general rule but we have increased dramatically over time. Most of this increase has been in relatively recent years.

Biodiversity This type of population increase impacts on other living organisms and, as the human population has been increasing, other populations have been decreasing as they cannot compete with humans for resources such as space to live and food. Many are now extinct or endangered. So the world is losing what we call it’s biodiversity 

Biodiversity is life - Biodiversity is our life   Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. It is essential for sustaining the natural living systems or ecosystems that provide us with food, fuel, health, wealth, and other vital services.

Biodiversity is life - Biodiversity is our life   Humans are part of this biodiversity too and have the power to protect or destroy it. Currently, our activities are destroying biodiversity at alarming rates.  These losses are irreversible, impoverish us all and damage the life support systems we rely on. But we can prevent them.

BIODIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURE Biodiversity is the basis of agriculture. Its maintenance is essential for the production of food and other agricultural goods and the benefits these provide to humanity, including food security, nutrition and livelihoods.   Biodiversity is the origin of all crops and domesticated livestock and the variety within them. Biodiversity in agricultural and associated landscapes provides and maintains ecosystem services essential to agriculture.

BIODIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURE Agriculture contributes to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity but is also a major driver of biodiversity loss. Farmers and agricultural producers are custodians of agricultural biodiversity and possess the knowledge needed to manage and sustain it. Our lives are intertwined with nature. We use plants and animals to produce our food, drink, clothing, building materials, fuel and medicines.

BIODIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURE Living systems also provide the services we take for granted such as clean air, fresh water, fertile soil, breakdown of natural waste, plant pollination and regulation of climate. These natural services are mostly available to everyone, for free. But just because they’re free doesn’t mean they have no economic value.

Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth. Your class has been asked to decide where £100,000 of Scottish Government funds should be used to preserve Biodiversity. You have a choice of 4 organisms. Your task is, to work in a group, to decide which of the 4 organisms will get the funding. You have to make and give a presentation of your case to your class. As a handout you must produce ten bullet points which could be used as a plan for an essay entitled: ‘Biodiversity – an example of the need for preservation.’

Choice 1: Reason: Choice 2: Choice 3: Reason Choice 4

Potato http://www.potato2008.org/en/potato/biodiversity.html (this is brilliant and leads you to almost everything else) http://www.eu-sol.net/public/biodiversity/potatoes http://animal.discovery.com/tv/animal-armageddon/top-10/modern-mass-extinction/loss-of-biodiversity.html

The Eastern or Mountain Bongo http://www.mountainbongo.org/ http://www.tusk.org/mountain-bongo-surveillance-project.asp http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/animals/individuals/EasternBongo.html http://mountainbongo.org/reports/J.Veasey.pdf

Scottish wildcat http://www.scottishwildcats.co.uk/ http://www.highlandtiger.com/ http://www.ypte.org.uk/animal/cat-wild-/61

Bananas http://www.bananalink.org.uk/ http://bananas.bioversityinternational.org/index.php http://www.unctad.org/infocomm/anglais/banana/technology.htm http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn9152-a-future-with-no-bananas.html