Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics

Biodiversity Why is biodiversity so important to the health of the Earth?

BIO DIVERSITY

Biodiversity within Ecosystems  Biodiversity of an ecosystem is the measurement of the number of species within that ecosystem.  There are presently over 8 million different species on Earth. Some people estimate that there are many more. They are discovering new species all the time.

 Canada supports a remarkable diversity of tundra, forest, grassland, freshwater and ocean ecosystems  About:  40% of Canadais forests and woodlands (10% of world’s total)  14% is wetlands (25% of world’s total)

Biodiversity is important!  SURVIVAL!  each species is adapted to a certain set of environmental conditions. All species depend on each other to survive  What happens if one species becomes extinct?

 Individual traits can allow some species to adapt to environmental changes,  but many species cannot adapt if their habitat and food chains are greatly altered.

 Each member of an ecosystem is a valuable participant in the stability of that area.  All organisms have a niche, or role to play within that ecosystem.  Whether they are predators, prey, producers or decomposers, their position is valuable to the sustainability of the region.

 Even now, biodiversity is disappearing at an alarming rate. It has been estimated that nearly 50% of all mammals and birds could become extinct within the next century

 Biodiversity provides Canada with ecological resilience  Ability of an ecosystem to maintain it’s normal patterns (nutrient and biomas production)  Ecological resilience is recognized as being essential if ecosystems are to be able to adapt to stresses (i.e. climate change, invasive species)

Question:  What are the consequences of being unconcerned with balance and biodiversity?

Biomes How do we identify biomes?

 Biomes are regions of the world with similar climate (weather, temperature) animals and plants.  They share similar biotic and abiotic factors

30  N Tropic of Cancer Equator Tropic of Capricorn 30  S Key Tropical forest Savanna Desert Chaparral Temperate grassland Temperate broadleaf forest Coniferous forest Tundra High mountains Polar ice

 Regions of the earth that are similar in organism type although the particular species differ  Driven largely by climate – temp., water, seasonality  Other factors – soil, topography

Tundra Short growing season Cold and dark for most of the year

Taiga (Coniferous Forest)  dominated by a few species of trees  found where there are short summers, and long, snowy/WET winters

Temperate Deciduous Forest  Well-defined seasons.  Nutrient-rich soil.  Long growing season.

Tropical Rainforests  Abundance of rain and resources lead to extraordinary species diversity.

Savannas/ Grasslands

Deserts  Found at about 30 degrees latitude (north and south of the equator).  Winds lack moisture, producing little rainfall.  Temperatures are extreme.

Question:  What is a key factor in determining biodiversity and Biomes?

Vocabulary  abiotic  biodiversity  biotic  ecological footprint  Biome  ecosystems  Ecological resilience  overexploit  Primary productivity  resilience  stability