LOGO Unit 1: Diversity of Living Things Lesson 1: Intro to Biodiversity

Learning Goals  Describe the nature of biological diversity and the biological species concept  Outline some of the primary human- caused threats to Earth’s biodiversity

Biological Diversity or Biodiversity  The number and variety of species and ecosystems on Earth Ex: a rainforest has more biodiversity than the tundra

Measuring Biodiversity  the number of types of plants, animals and microorganisms  The fundamental unit of biodiversity is the SPECIES

Species  population of individuals capable of breeding freely with each other under natural conditions  Ex: under natural conditions, lions breed with lions; robins breed with robins  species discovered each year  > 1.7 million identified and described by scientists  Scientists estimate that there are 13 million different species in the world, but that estimate has been known to vary from 3 million to 100 million

 Of all the species that have ever lived on Earth, how many are living today?  less than 1%  1%  10%  20%  50%  0.1%, so in other words 99.9% of all species that have ever lived are extinct!

Species Survival  Microorganisms  Often single celled  Bacteria and protists  Heterotrophs  Cannot make their own food  Feed on other living or dead organisms  Autotrophs  Make their own food using suns energy

Interactions Between Species  Food supply  Protection  Transportation  Reproduction  Hygiene  Digestion

Biodiversity Includes  Genetic diversity  Species diversity  Structural diversity

Genetic Diversity  The genetic variability among organisms – usually referring to individuals of the same species

Species Diversity  The variety of species and the number of individuals of each species  The larger the population, the more biologically diverse and thus healthier

Species & Genetic Diversity  Result from:  Hybridization  Evolutionary Change

Structural Diversity  The range of physical sizes, shapes and distribution of the individuals, as well as habitats in an ecosystem

Impacts of Threats to BD  Threatened food supply  Elimination of sources of medicine  Economic impact: tourism  Disruption of biogeochemical cycles  Carbon, nitrogen, etc.  Species extinction …

Classwork 1.Suggest three examples of species that clearly fit the definition of a species based on the biological species concept. Explain your choices. 2.Explain why some species must be defined based on their morphology rather than on reproductive behaviour. 3.Analyze some ways in which the loss of biodiversity might affect the following industries a) agriculture and forestryb) tourismc) healthcare 4.E.O. Wilson estimates that we are losing species per year. Based on this number, how long will it take for 1 million species to become extinct? 5.What are some of the primary human activities responsible for the increased rate of extinction? 6.Explain how climate change is affecting biodiversity in the Arctic. Why are changes in the Arctic ecosystems significant for the rest of the world?