Mrs. Costa SCIENCE ~ CHAPTER 11 LIVING RESOURCES

Biodiversity SECTION 3

Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment. Each organism in an ecosystem fills the energy role of producer, consumer, or decomposer, and has a variety of adaptations that are suited to its specific living conditions. (Chapter 10) ANTICIPATORY SET

S 6.5.b – Students know different natural energy and material resources, including air, soil, rocks, petroleum, fresh water, wildlife, and forests, and know how to classify them as renewable or nonrenewable STANDARDS

Factors that affect biodiversity in an ecosystem include:  Area  Climate  Diversity of niches THE BIG IDEA

 Biodiversity – the number of species in an area  Keystone species - - a species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem  Extinction – the disappearance of all members of a species from Earth  Endangered species – a species in danger of becoming extinct in the near future KEY TERMS

 Threatened species – a species that could become endangered in the near future  Habitat destruction – loss of a natural habitat  Poaching – illegal killing or removal of wildlife  Captive breeding – the mating of animals in zoos or wildlife preserves KEY TERMS

 No one knows exactly how many species live on Earth  More than 1.5 million species have been identified so far!  The number of different species in an area is called its biodiversity  It is difficult to measure the biodiversity on Earth  So many areas of the planet have not been studied  Deep oceans alone could hold 10 million new species! BIODIVERSITY

Read Biodiversity on page 462 of your textbook BIODIVERSITY

 Biodiversity varies from place to place Factors that affect biodiversity in an ecosystem include:  Area  Climate  Diversity of niches FACTORS AFFECTING BIODIVERSITY

 Within a given biome, a large area will contain more species than a small area AREA

 The number of species generally increases from the poles toward the equator  Scientists hypothesize that the great biodiversity in the tropics may be related to climate CLIMATE

Tropical rain forests are the more diverse ecosystems in the world CLIMATE

 Tropical rain forests have fairly constant temperatures and large amounts of rainfall throughout the year  Many plants in this region grow year- round  Provides a continuous food supply for other organisms CLIMATE

Coral reefs are the second most diverse ecosystems in the world NICHE DIVERSITY

 Coral reefs are often called the rain forests of the sea  Found only in shallow, warm waters  Supports many different niches for organisms that liver under, on, or among the coral NICHE DIVERSITY

 All the species in an ecosystem are interconnected  A keystone species is a species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem KEYSTONE SPECIES

Read Factors Affecting Biodiversity on page 463 of your textbook FACTORS AFFECTING BIODIVERSITY

The disappearance of all members of a species from Earth is called extinction BIODIVERSITY IN DANGER

 In the last few centuries, the number of species becoming extinct has increased dramatically  Species in danger of becoming extinct in the future are called endangered species  Species in danger of becoming extinct in the NEAR future are called threatened species  Threatened and endangered species are found on EVERY continent and in EVERY ocean EXTINCTION

Humans can also threaten biodiversity These activities include:  Habitat destruction  Poaching  Pollution  Introduction of nonnative species BIODIVERSITY IN DANGER

The main cause of extinction is habitat destruction HABITAT DESTRUCTION

 Can occur when forests are cleared to create grazing land  When wetlands are filled in to build towns  Some species are not able to survive such changes to their habitat HABITAT DESTRUCTION

 Poaching is the illegal killing or removal of wildlife from their habitats  Many endangered species are killed and sold for their skin or fur  Others may be sold as pets POACHING

 Substances that cause pollution (called pollutants) may reach animals through the water or air  These pollutants may harm or kill organisms POLLUTION

 Introducing a species that is not native to the area is a threat to biodiversity  Without its natural predators and consumers, the introduced species often outcompetes or harms the native organisms NONNATIVE SPECIES

Read Biodiversity In Danger on pages of your textbook BIODIVERSITY IN DANGER

Three successful approaches to protecting biodiversity are:  Captive breeding  Laws and treaties  Habitat preservation PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY

 Captive breeding is the mating of animals in zoos or wildlife preserves  Scientists care for the young and then release them into the wild when they are grown CAPTIVE BREEDING

Laws help protect species:  The Endangered Species Act prohibits trade in products made from threatened or endangered species LAWS AND TREATIES

The BEST way to preserve biodiversity is to protect whole ecosystems HABITAT PRESERVATION

 Many countries have wildlife habitats as parks, reserves, and refuges  To succeed, reserves must have the characteristics of diverse ecosystems HABITAT PRESERVATION

Read Protecting Biodiversity on page of your textbook PROTECTING BIODIVERSITY

The number of different _________________ in an area is called its _______________________. Factors that affect biodiversity include: area, _______________, diversity of _____________, and _________________ species. Human activities that can threaten biodiversity are: habitat ______________, poaching, _______________ and introduction of _______________________ species. The best way to preserve biodiversity is to protect ___________ _____________________. GUIDED PRACTICE

The number of different species in an area is called its biodiversity. Factors that affect biodiversity include: area, climate, diversity of niches, and keystone species. Human activities that can threaten biodiversity are: habitat destruction, poaching, pollution, and introduction of nonnative species. The best way to preserve biodiversity is to protect whole ecosystems. GUIDED PRACTICE

Complete Biomes 11-4 Independent Practice worksheet INDEPENDENT PRACTICE