1. Journal – Species Listing
While you wait
List as many species that you can think if that you’ve seen in the last week
Be as specific as possible (if not common name, describe)
Bird – Blue with gray feathers
If you’ve seen more than one that you can’t differentiate, estimate the number of different times you’ve seen it
Example: Birds (3)

2. What is Biodiversity?
Unit 4: The Biosphere

3. Biological Diversity
Every day, species are going extinct. Is this natural or can it be prevented?
Discussion: unnecessary species
The number of different species in a given area
Very high in rainforests—why?
Q and A about unnecessary species
When should we dedicate time and money to protecting these species? Who should make these decisions?

4. Levels of Diversity How many species do we even know about?
Insects are the most numerous
Genetic diversity – all the different genes contained within a population
Species diversity – number of different species in a given area
Ecosystem diversity – variety of habitats, communities, etc.
1.7/10 million! (17 percent)

6. Levels of Diversity (cont.)
Alpha diversity – diversity within a local population
Gamma diversity – diversity within a regional population
Beta diversity – Gamma/Alpha (basically how are the two related)
Whittaker (1960). 2nd and 4th Period stopped here!

7. Why do we care?
Ecosystems – every species is either dependent on or depended on by another species
How many pieces from the food web can we lose before it collapses?
Keystone species – critical to the functioning of an ecosystem
Hunting of otters led to loss in kelp beds – why?
Different from flagship species or charismatic megafauna
Urchins are the missing link

8. Why do we care?
Genetic diversity increases the chance that some members will survive environmental change
Less likely in small and isolated populations
Bottlenecking – genetic
diversity in the resulting
populations is severely
decreased

9. Why do we care? Human uses
Pharmaceuticals (plants) – novacaine comes from the coca plant
Antibiotics (fungi)
Food – why can’t
we depend on a
few crops?
Ethics, aesthetics,
and recreation