1. Video
Why is biodiversity so important Video (Resources page)

2. What is Species Diversity?
Species diversity is defined by two components:
Species richness, or the number of species present
Relative abundance of the species, or how much of the community is made up of that species
The highest species diversity results from
High species richness
Population sizes that are closest to equal

3. Woodlot A
Woodlot B
Figure 37.10A Species composition of woodlot A 82

4. Table 37.10
Table Relative Abundance of Tree Species in Woodlots A and B 83

5. Is a Higher Species Diversity Good?
Yes!! Diversity is important for a couple of reasons.
Reduces the potential of getting infection from parasite or pathogen.
Especially if it only effects one species.
Diverse plant community leads to a more diverse community overall
Provides food and homes to animals

6. Biodiversity Hotspots
Many places in the world have very high levels of biodiversity.
Tropical rainforest, Islands, etc.
Tend to have climates with little change
Many of these places often have endemic species, meaning that they have species that are only found in that area.
These areas are often the focus of conservation efforts.

7. Lab Each petri dish represents a community.
Be careful, the bottoms will fall out if you do not pick it up with both hands.
Each color of bead represents a different species.
If you have red, yellow, and green your richness is 3.
Relative abundances should be in percentages.
(#of that color/# of total beads)X100