Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stability 1. What was one great (and appropriate) thing you did over the Mardi Gras break? 2. What biome would you expect to find the MOST plant and animal species? Explain your reasoning. 3. What biome would you expect to find the FEWEST plant and animal species? Explain your reasoning. Write in complete sentences! Don’t talk during the Catalyst!

Objectives By the end of today, all SWBAT…  Define biodiversity  Describe benefits of biodiversity  Explain what will happen to an ecosystem if biodiversity is reduced

Agenda  What is biodiversity?  Why do we need biodiversity?  Biodiversity Reading  Classwork  Exit Questions

Biodiversity Definition Biodiversity is the number of different species that live in an ecosystem  Low biodiversity: few species  High: many species

HIGH OR LOW BIODIVERSITY??

HIGH or LOW biodiversity??

LOW OR HIGH????

LOW OR HIGH???

LOW OR HIGH????

Food Webs YARN

 Key Point #1: There are many benefits to preserving biodiversity  Benefits: rewards/good things  Preserve: protect, keep =

Biodiversity Reading Read the Biodiversity article on page complete the classwork  Remember to:  Circle key words  Underline key facts

3.1 Reading Response Questions Answer questions 1-4 in ONE complete sentence 1.Paragraph 1 Main Idea: What is biodiversity? 2.Paragraph 2 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity? 3.Paragraph 3 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity? 4.Paragraph 4 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity? 3.1 Reading Response Questions Answer questions 1-4 in ONE complete sentence 1.Paragraph 1 Main Idea: What is biodiversity? 2.Paragraph 2 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity? 3.Paragraph 3 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity? 4.Paragraph 4 Main Idea: Why do we need to conserve biodiversity?

 Many people find nature beautiful  Provides us with food, clothing, medicines, material to sell  Preserves ecosystem stability The 3 most important benefits are…

Ecosystem stability… What that is!?  Stable = things stay the same  Key Point #2: High biodiversity = stable ecosystem, low biodiversity = unstable ecosystem  If an ecosystem is unstable, one small change could cause many species to die  If an ecosystem is stable, it does not change easily

This food web has low biodiversity Rabbits eat grass. Foxes eat rabbits Grass Rabbit Foxes

This food web has low biodiversity  A disturbance hits… A drought happens and kills all the grass. Grass Rabbit Foxes

This food web has low biodiversity  What happens to the foxes? Grass Rabbit Foxes How many species do we have left? 0! BIG change?

This food web has higher biodiversity Let’s add a few more species to our original ecosystem Grass Rabbit Foxes Chickens Lettuce

This food web has high biodiversity  A disturbance hits… A drought happens and kills all the grass. Grass Rabbit Foxes Chickens Lettuce

This food web has high biodiversity  What happens to the foxes? Population size decreases… a little BIG change? Grass Rabbit Foxes Chickens Lettuce  The food web started with high biodiversity  High biodiversity = stable ecosystem  One change… didn’t really do anything!

Complete Classwork  Be thoughtful about your answers  Once you finish, ask me to check your answers. If they’re all correct, move on to the homework.

Closing  There are three primary benefits to biodiversity  Beautiful, medicines, ecosystem stability  An ecosystem is stable if it does not change easily when disturbed  “Change” = number of species that live there  High biodiversity = more stable  Low biodiversity = less stable

Exit Questions: Answer ALL Read the passage at right to answer the questions below:  How does trawling affect coral reef biodiversity?  Would the coral reef be more or less stable after trawling? Explain why, and be SPECIFIC.  (Hint: describe what happens to all the organisms in the coral reef ecosystem, and use the word “biodiversity.”) Read the passage at right to answer the questions below:  How does trawling affect coral reef biodiversity?  Would the coral reef be more or less stable after trawling? Explain why, and be SPECIFIC.  (Hint: describe what happens to all the organisms in the coral reef ecosystem, and use the word “biodiversity.”) Many organisms live in coral reefs, such as plankton and algae, hundreds of species of fish, sea urchins, and eels. All of these organisms depend on the coral to survive: they live inside of it, use it for shelter, eat it, etc. Trawling is the process of dragging a gigantic rake across the bottom of the ocean floor to scoop up organisms. This is a very good way to catch fish, but has the unfortunate side effect of destroying nearly all the coral in the trawler’s path. Many organisms live in coral reefs, such as plankton and algae, hundreds of species of fish, sea urchins, and eels. All of these organisms depend on the coral to survive: they live inside of it, use it for shelter, eat it, etc. Trawling is the process of dragging a gigantic rake across the bottom of the ocean floor to scoop up organisms. This is a very good way to catch fish, but has the unfortunate side effect of destroying nearly all the coral in the trawler’s path.