Earth – an island in space

number of different life forms or….. Our planet is home to an amazing number of different life forms or….. BIODIVERSITY!

Take time to answer the following pre-assessment questions

Write your answers on your worksheet  How would you define biodiversity? Is biodiversity important? What are human impacts on biodiversity around the globe?

Let’s start with the question…. How is biodiversity defined? Compare the following definition to yours and add anything you may have missed 

Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems

To further understand biodiversity consider that… Scientists have classified approximately 1.7 million organisms, but they recognize that the overwhelming majority have not yet been catalogued Between 10 and 50 million species may inhabit our planet – more are being discovered every year!

Another important aspect of biodiversity is the connection between different creatures and their environment All living things are part of a complex, often delicately balanced network called the biosphere The earth’s biosphere, in turn, is composed of countless ecosystems, which include all creatures and their physical environments

Is biodiversity important? Take notes on the following slides and after you’ve had time to consider the information, you will be asked this question again

Biodiversity is important to people because we depend on other species and the ecosystems they create for…..   Ecosystem services, such as the fresh air, clean water and productive soils that we need to survive.

Biodiversity provides Food, medicines and natural products that keep us healthy.

Biodiversity provides Economic benefits that maintain a healthy economy Nature Parks Ecotourism Agriculture

Biodiversity provides Natural beauty that we enjoy and improves our quality of life. Species can act as environmental indicators that let us know it’s safe to enjoy nature!

Biodiversity is so important that….. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was called for by the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2000. Initiated in 2001, the objective of the MA was to assess the consequences of ecosystem change for human well-being and the scientific basis for action needed to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of those systems and their contribution to human well-being. The MA involved the work of more than 1,360 experts worldwide.

When the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment synthesis report was released in 2005, it strongly advised world leaders to address ecosystem degradation world-wide because…. “Any progress achieved in addressing the goals of poverty and hunger eradication, improved health, and environmental protection is unlikely to be sustained if most of the ecosystem services on which humanity relies continue to be degraded,”

Biodiversity is so important that… There are preserves, laws and other conservation efforts all over the world that were created to protect it!

Percent of Total Land Area Protected 2003 IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 2003

Marine Protected Areas Covering Coral Reefs Currently recognized by the World Conservation Monitoring Center

The United States recently created the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument: the largest marine preserve in the world

To protect biodiversity… The United States also passed the ground-breaking Endangered Species Act in 1973

In the preamble to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the US congress recognized that…. …endangered and threatened species of wildlife and plants…. … “are of esthetic (beautiful and pleasing),… …ecological, educational, historical, …recreational, and scientific value… …to the Nation and its people.”

Is biodiversity important? Briefly discuss your answer with a partner in your class….what do you think now?

What are human impacts on biodiversity around the globe? Given the importance of biodiversity, the answers are cause for concern! Use information from the following slides to add information to your worksheet if you missed any key ideas in your pre-assessment 

Basically, biodiversity is decreasing around the globe, as an increasing number of species are threatened or endangered

The findings of the Millennium Ecosystem Study study are cause for concern Approximately 60 percent of the ecosystem services that support life on Earth – such as fresh water, capture fisheries, air and water regulation, and the regulation of regional climate, natural hazards and pests – are being degraded or used unsustainably.

The United Nations Environmental Program World Conservation Monitoring Center has reported that: 16,119 species are currently threatened with extinction worldwide. Forests and woodlands once covered almost half the global land area, and now cover one quarter of the global land area. 52% of monitored global fish stocks are bordering their sustainable catch limits, while 24% have surpassed it, are completely depleted or are recovering from depletion. Nearly 60 percent of the earth's coral reefs are threatened by human activity.

When ecosystems are degraded – species are threatened with extinction Gone forever

No one knows how the extinction of organisms will affect the other members of its ecosystem, but the removal of a single species can set off a chain reaction affecting many others.

Although species extinctions occur naturally… ….scientific evidence strongly indicates that the current rate of extinction is much higher than the natural or background rate of the past.

Primary reasons for ecosystem degradation and species threatened with extinction are human actions that cause… Habitat loss Over-harvesting Pollution Pollution that is contributing to global climate change and ocean acidification Introduction of invasive, non-native species

What can you do to protect biodiversity where you live? Should you bother? Reflect on these questions, write your answers on your worksheet and be prepared to discuss your thoughts 

Acknowledgements Ian Harrison et al, for their contribution to the definition of biodiversity used in this slideshow The US Fish And Wildlife publication “Why Save Endangered Species” was quoted throughout the slide presentation