Biodiversity Defined as the number of species in an ecosystem and the variety within those species

How diverse is our biosphere? There are between 3 - 30 million species on Earth a few studies predict that there may be over 100 million   Currently, we have identified only…??? 1.7 million species!!!!

Are we affecting the biodiversity of our earth? Between 0.01 and 0.1% of all species will become extinct each year.

Example: Amazon Rainforest

The Importance of Biodiversity FOR HUMANS: provides us with a variety of foods and materials and it contributes to the economy (eg. Not just potatoes!) medical discoveries - every time a species goes extinct, we will never know whether research would have given us a new vaccine or drug. FOR THE PLANET: Biodiversity allows for ecosystems to adjust to disturbances . If a species goes extinct, a forest with 20 other species is likely to adapt better than another forest with only a limited number of species.

Threats to Biodiversity Some of the activities have direct effects on species and ecosystems, such as: Habitat loss Over exploitation (ex. Overfishing) Spread of invasive / alien species Climate change pollution monocultures

Did you know? Monoculture An ecosystem in which there is only one plant. example : a wheat field. Did you know? Four crops – rice, corn wheat and potatoes – make up more of the worlds food production than all of the other crops combined. 90% of the foods we eat come from 15 species of plants and 8 species of animals!!

What can you do to maintain Biodiversity? Next time you are shopping ask yourself? Do I really need this item? Is the product made using environment-friendly materials and processes? How far does the product have to travel to get to me? What is the social and environmental reputation of the company that makes the product? Is the product able to disposed of in a manner that doesn’t negatively impact the environment? Make informed choices in our daily lives.

Sustainability – is the goal! Stable and healthy ecosystems are sustainable Sustainable ecosystems are renewable and can continue without the addition of new materials or human intervention. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaW0tr0Keic