 Rainforests are the most diverse biomes in the world.  Is preserving this biodiversity important?  Why or why not?

 – Discuss the perceived vulnerability of tropical rainforests and their relative value in contributing to global biodiversity  – Discuss current estimates of numbers of species and past and present rates of species extinction

 28% of world’s oxygen turnover (CO 2 → O 2 )  Huge amount of biodiversity  40-75% of all species  Large numbers of species endemic to area

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 Most species have evolved to inhabit very specialized niches in their environment  When humans disrupt that environment, many species cannot survive  Humans have destroyed/disturbed about half of these forests  Because species depend on each other in a complicated web of relationships, changing just one part of the web harms the entire ecosystem  This breakdown of rainforest ecosystems will likely lead to the disappearance of up to 10% of the world’s species within the next 25 years

 Humans depend on the rainforest’s millions of life forms for its own existence  The genetic diversity provides invaluable additions to the gene pool which help maintain and improve domestic crops  Without a diversity of strains, crops become overly homogenous and vulnerable

 The projected major harmful effects:  Reduce Earth’s vital biodiversity ▪ Destroying/degrading the habitats of unique organisms  Accelerate climate change due to global warming ▪ Reduction of CO 2 consumption  Alter regional climate patterns to prevent return of diverse forests in cleared lands

 Design an experiment where you investigate the effects of some factor on the biodiversity at a site of your choosing  You will be assessed on all 3 aspects of the Planning rubric