1. Opening Question
Why is biodiversity important?

2. Biodiversity 04

3. Which do you like better?
Circa 1910 A B

4. Which do you like better?
Sugar cane A B

5. What do you think biodiversity means?

6. Biodiversity
What does “Bio” mean?
Life
Bio =

7. What does “Diversity” mean?
Biodiversity
What does “Diversity” mean?
Diversity = Variety

8. “The variety of life in all its forms, levels and combinations”
Includes:
ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity

9. Scientists have identified more than 2 million species
Scientists have identified more than 2 million species. Tens of millions -- remain unknown
The tremendous variety of life on Earth is made possible by complex interactions among all living things.

10. There are 3 components of biodiversity
Diversity of genes Chihuahuas, Greyhound and Newfies are all dogs—but they're not the same because their genes are different.
Chihuahua
Greyhound
Newfoundland

11. There are 3 components of biodiversity
Diversity of species.
Hoary Bat
Kahuli
Iwi

12. There are 3 components of biodiversity
Variety of ecosystems Each one is different, with its own set of species living in it.
Tropical Rain Forest
tiaga
Desert

13. Biodiversity has Intrinsic Value
Source: Burmbaugh © AMNH-CBC
Intrinsic Value = Something that has value in and of itself

14. Biodiversity also has Utilitarian Value
Utilitarian Value = the value something has as a means to another’s end.
Utilitarian values include:
Goods
Services
Information

15. What do we get from biodiversity?
Oxygen
Food
Clean Water
Medicine
Aesthetics
Ideas

16. Should we be concerned about biodiversity?
What we know: The Earth is losing species at an alarming rate
Some scientists estimate that as many as 3 species per hour are going extinct and 20,000 extinctions occur each year.
when species of plants and animals go extinct, many other species are affected.

17. Threats to biodiversity
HIPPO Dilemma
Habitat Loss
Introduced Species
Pollution
Population Growth
Over-consumption

18. Biodiversity Hotspots

19. Total # of species recorded
Quiz:
Mammals
Birds
Fish
Insects
Flowering Plants
Total # of species recorded
Estimated Total # of species in the World
5,416
9,956
30,000
950,000
297,326
1,589,361
~ million species

20. Provide formal documentation of the world’s known biodiversity (living or dead)
Museums, Zoos, Arboreta, Botanical Gardens, Public and Private Research Collections

21. Education
Research
Species
distributions
classification
Conservation and recovery programs