Biodiversity Biodiversity – the diversity of life in all its forms and at all levels of organization. Word first used in print by E.O. Wilson 1986

Biodiversity At all levels of organization – usually three: Species Diversity Genetic Diversity Ecosystem Diversity

Northern Elephant Seal

Southern Elephant Seal - Antarctica

Corn and southern leaf blight

Traditional Peruvian potato varieties

Terrestrial World Biomes

Structure and Function Structure of biodiversity – usually the units of biodiversity (genes, species, ecosystems) Function of biodiversity – harder to define but usually refers to what the units do

Measuring Biodiversity When discussing biodiversity, most people talk about species diversity which has two components: Species richness - # of species Species evenness (heterogeneity) – proportion of individuals in each species

A comparison of species diversity in two communities Community 1 A: 25%B: 25%C: 25%D: 25% Community 2 A: 80%B: 5%C: 5%D: 10% D C B A

Global Plant Biodiversity a. Plant species per Ecoregion b. Areas of highest diversity per region c. Quality of data

With Biodiversity We Must Consider: Risk of extinction of species Endemism – endemic species are found in a particular geographic area

Endemism – Gray Wolf vs. Coyote

Wolf Coyote

Local Endemic - Morro Bay Kangaroo Rat

Home of Morro Bay Kangaroo Rat

Kirtland’s warbler

Red-winged blackbird

Whittaker’s Diversity alpha diversity is diversity within a habitat - such as a jack-pine forest beta diversity is diversity among habitats, usually measured as change from one habitat to another - such as a jack-pine forest and nearby marsh gamma diversity is diversity at a large geographic scale - perhaps all of Michigan or North America

Species Diversity

What is a Species? Atelopus frog discovered in Suriname, June 2007

The Biological Species Concept Species are groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations, which are reproductively isolated from other such groups. - Ernst Mayr Mayr on right – in New Guinea 1928

Black Bear – Ursus americanus

Brown or Grizzly Bear – Ursus arctos

Brown Bear Range

Polar Bear – Ursus maritimus

Grolar bear – polar bear x grizzly bear hybrid

Gray wolf – Canis lupus

Coyote – Canis latrans

Red wolf – Canis rufus

Helianthus - sunflowers

Oak Leaves

Hybrid Oak Leaf

Hawthorns - Crataegus

Hawthorns

Species are assemblages of individuals with morphological features in common and are separable from other such assemblages by correlated morphological discontinuities in a number of features. - Davis and Heywood Morphological Species Concept

Linneaus

How many species in genus Rubus? Red raspberry – Rubus strigosus Common blackberry – Rubus fructicosus

Red Crossbills – a group of sibling species

Red Crossbill types type 4 top, type 2 bottom

Gilia tricolorGilia angelensis Sibling species in Gilia

Polytypic species – Song sparrows

Paraspecies (asexual) - yeast

Extinct species - Paraceratherium

Phylogenetic species concept Species are determined by whether they are reproductively and geographically isolated from each other - thus they are considered to have branched apart - this would result in more species than we recognize today as any separated populations which do not exchange individuals would be considered to be isolated and thus separate lineages

Florida scrub jayWestern scrub jay

Terry Erwin fogging insects

Box corer for sampling the deep ocean

Using a box corer

Soil bacteria diversity – in a nutrient enrichment experiment

Seven kinds of rarity From Deborah Rabinowitz

Pigweed – widespread, truly common

Red Mangrove – rare – large range, narrow habitat, large populations

Pygmy Cypress – rare – small range, wide habitat, large populations

Haleakala silver sword – rare – small range, narrow habitat, large population

Beach tiger beetle – rare – small range, narrow habitat, large population

Bristle grass – rare – large range, wide habitat, small populations

Peregrine Falcon – rare – large range, wide habitat, small populations

Pacific Yew – rare – large range, narrow habitat, small populations

Osprey – rare – large range, narrow habitat, small populations

Malaysian tapir– rare – small range, wide habitat, small populations

Alpine Lily - rare – small range, narrow habitat, small populations

Giant Panda - rare – small range, narrow habitat, small populations