1. Biodiversity Under Attack!
Learning Goals:
I will be able to explain what biodiversity is.
I will be able to explain the classification of species at risk
I will be able to explain how humans impact biodiversity.

2. Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the number of different species living in a given area or ecosystem

3. Based on the following map, where is there the most biodiversity?

4. Abiotic Factors and Biodiversity
The more sunlight and the more rain an area gets the higher its biodiversity will be.
Ecosystems closer to the equator have greatest biodiversity of animal species
The more biodiverse an area is the more likely it is that the ecosystem will be able to stay healthy and stable.
Biodiversity in a Rainforest
Biodiversity in a Coral Reef

5. Biodiversity Hot Spot
A biodiversity hot spot is a biogeographic region with significant levels of biodiversity that is under threat from humans
A biodiversity hot spot must have lost at least 70% of its habitat due to human impact
The Biodiversity Hotspots of Canada

6. Biodiversity in Madagascar
More than 700 species of reptiles and amphibians live on the African island of Madagascar
Madagascar is unique because about 90% of its species are found nowhere else on Earth
Madagascar Biodiversity video

7. Species at Risk
The greatest threat to biodiversity is that a species can become extinct
An extinct species is one that has died out and no longer exists anywhere on Earth
Table 1: Status of Wildlife in Canada
Classification
Definition
Number of Species
Examples
Special Concern
May become threatened or endangered because of various factors
160
Polar bear
Threatened
Likely to become endangered if no action taken
145
Humpback whale
Endangered
In immediate danger of becoming extirpated or extinct
244
Swift fox
Extirpated
No longer exists in the wild in a specific area 23
Grey whale
Extinct
No longer exists on earth 13
Sea mink

8. Human Causes for Extinction
The greatest threat to today’s species is human activity
About 80 species of birds and mammals became extinct shortly after humans reached North American over years ago
These include the sabre-toothed cat, the mammoth and the Stellar’s sea cow
Recently extinct species include the thylacine, quagga and passenger pigeon
Hinterland Species at Risk
Crash Course Ecology: Human Activity
A thylacine (extinct)
A quagga (extinct)
A passenger pigeon (extinct)

9. Class Work
Page 95 #1, 6, 8, 10