1. Biodiversity
Biodiversity

2. What is Biodiversity?
The number and variety of species in an ecosystem
More inclusive of all diversity:
the totality of genes, species, and ecosystems of a region

3. How many species are there on Earth
How many species are there on Earth? Estimates range from 5 to 100 million
10,000
×500
minimum

4. The relatedness of identified species can be found here: Click
Phylogenetic Tree
The relatedness of identified species can be found here: Click

5. How do we know?
It can be hard to estimate total diversity within an ecosystem
4 main sampling techniques are used
Canopy fogging
Quadrant sampling
Transect Sampling
Netting
SEE TABLE 3.1 ON PAGE 90

6. Why is Biodiversity Important?
Still a topic of much scientific research
Main Idea
more biodiversity = more resistance to change

7. One organism can fill the niche of another
More feeding relationships may result in less overall effects of changes in the ecosystem
One organism can fill the niche of another
What happens if insecticides are used?
What happens if Grouse are hunted?

8. Why is Biodiversity Important?
More biodiversity = more resistance to change
More niches filled means more nutrient cycling
Maintenance of ecosystem services
Potential for new discoveries (eg. medicines)
Economic benefits (exploitation / ecotourism)
Natural beauty / fascination / personal connection

9. What are Ecosystem Services?
Through the natural processes that take place in nature, ecosystems perform a number of seemingly free services which sustain humanity and all other life on earth

10. eg 1 - Transfer of energy
The sun’s energy is captured and moved through food webs which provides food for all creatures on the planet

11. eg 2 - Water purification
Many ecosystems ultimately provide clean purified water as a result of the biotic and abiotic features within them. Marsh ecosystems are particularly important natural water filters.

12. eg 3 - Oxygen cycle
The huge variety of autotrophs on Earth remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and replenish oxygen supplies

13. Biodiversity Hotspots
25 identified regions of particularly large plant diversity which are under particularly strong threats of habitat loss (at least 70% lost of original habitat)
Established in 1999
Some estimated that they contained 44% of earth’s plant species and 35% of terrestrial vertebrates
They covered about 11.8% of earth’s land surface
Now they have been reduced to only about 1.4%

17. Threats to Biodiversity
Habitat Loss
Over-exploitation
Pollution
Invasive species
Climate Change

18. Habitat Loss

19. Threats to Biodiversity
Habitat Loss
Changes in land use by humans
Growing cities / urban sprawl
Expansion of farmland / habitat fragmentation
Draining wetlands
Habitat Fragmentation
Larger habitats become divided into smaller sections by highways, roads, farms, urbanization, etc.

20. Over-exploitation

21. Threats to Biodiversity
Over-exploitation
Over-hunting
eg. Dodo bird hunted to extinction
Over-fishing
eg. in 1992 it became illegal to catch Atlantic cod
Deforestation
See
Relentless consumption
eg. The average Canadian ecological footprint may be around 7 or 8 times larger than the footprint of countries in the developing world

22. Pollution

23. Threats to Biodiversity
Pollution
Pollutant are chemicals with known toxic effects on one or many species
Human activity has introduced waste products and contaminants throughout the biosphere
Air, land and water have been affected nearly everywhere
Egs. Industrial waste, municipal waste, pesticides, sewage containing hormones, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, etc.

24. Invasive Species

25. Threats to Biodiversity
Invasive species
Non-native species of plants and animals that establish in new habitats
These may disrupt local ecosystems and/or displace local species causing extinction or population reduction
Eg. in Canada: purple loostrife, mountain pine beetle, asian longhorned beetles, zebra muscles
Eg. in Australia: prickly pear cactus, cane toads, feral pigs, red foxes, european rabbits, camels

26. Climate Change

27. Threats to Biodiversity
Climate Change
Rapid disruption of ecosystem stability
Changes in global geography (eg. melting of permafrost)
Unpredictable changes to ecosystems around the world