1. Enquiry Question 1 Defining Biodiversity
What is the nature and value of biodiversity?
Next 2 lessons – Factors & Hotspots
Key Questions:
What is the global distribution of biodiversity?
What are the factors that influence biodiversity?
Which scales do these factors operate under and which are the most important?
What is a biodiversity hotspot and why are they there?

2. Describe the pattern of biodiversity for 4 marks
Maps from Memory!
Biodiversity
Describe the pattern of biodiversity for 4 marks
Think at different scales: Is it even? Which latitudes/compass directions/continents/
countries are high or low?

3. Peer Mark – Out of 4 and add a target!
1 mark for saying if it is even or uneven
1 mark for using accurate compass points
1 mark for using accurate latitudes
1 mark for naming correct countries/continents as examples
What sort of countries are these?
Biodiversity is strongly linked with latitude. The closer to the tropics generally the more biodiversity.
Why is this a problem? What do these countries lack?
Why?

4. What’s a biome?
Look at the map on page 101 in the Oxford Text book and compare to this one
Which have the highest biodiversity on average?
Which have the lowest?

5. FACTORS AFFECTING BIODIVERSITY
Which reasons might explain this global distribution?

6. What’s this video to do with today’s lesson?

7. Key Concept: Endemism Endemism vs. Cosmopolitan Distribution
Cosmopolitan Distribution is the ecological state of being found almost anywhere around the world.
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a particular location, such as a specific island, habitat type or nation. To be endemic to a place or area means that it is found only in that part of the world and nowhere else. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the island of Madagascar and 90% of plants are endemic to Hawaii.
Over to you…..
Define ‘endemic’ and ‘cosmopolitan’
then list 5 species’ examples of each type

8. A comparison… Tropical rainforests to the tundra!
P95 – Tundra; P108 – TRF
Draw a table to compare the following:
Highlight all the key terms you use in one colour and facts/statistics in another
Make sure you write parallels together in one line for easier comparison – add explanation for why that fact makes it have high or low biodiversity
Tundra
Tropical Rainforests
Location
Biodiversity level
Climate
Vegetation
Soils

9. Key Concept: Biodiversity Hotspot
An area containing a high concentration of biodiversity. A large percentage of these species are endemic. Most remarkable places on earth and most threatened. They cover less than 2% of earth’s surface yet contain 44% of plant species.
Now using the atlas label the 25 hotspots with their place names!

10. Answers!

11. 3 types of biodiversity hotspot
Continental hotspots…richest in terms of biodiversity
Add 3 examples of each from your map!
Large island hotspots…these are home to diverse and distinctive species which can include relict fauna
Small island hotspots…Often low in species number, but have a high proportion of endemics. Susceptible to extinction with small numbers.
Why would these places be biodiverse?

12. Key Concept: Pivotal Area
Areas with high concentrations of hotspots. They are regarded as important for their sheer variety of species.
Give an example of a part of the world that’s the largest pivotal area

13. Homework
Research the 4 biodiversity hotspots with the links provided. Using this and your notes from today, complete the A3 map fact file

14. Essay question
Explain how physical factors influence the level of biodiversity shown (10 marks)