Chapter 5Chapter 5Biodiversity & Biodiversity & ConservationConservation

BiodiversityBiodiversity is the variety of life in an area that is the variety of life in an area that is determined by the total number of different is determined by the total number of different species.species.

A lot of different species means a lot of A lot of different species means a lot of

biodiversity.biodiversity. Biodiversity is good for the environmentBiodiversity is good for the environment An ecosystem with biodiversity is a healthy An ecosystem with biodiversity is a healthy

one one

because it means that it is in because it means that it is in balancebalance and can and can support a lot of different organismsupport a lot of different organism

The two areas with the greatest biodiversity are The two areas with the greatest biodiversity are the the rainforestrainforest & & coral reefs.coral reefs.

Biodiversity is good for humans because we Biodiversity is good for humans because we get many different products from many get many different products from many different organisms.different organisms.

Food: Food: meat, eggs, milk, veggiesmeat, eggs, milk, veggies Medicine: Medicine: penicillinpenicillin Clothing: Clothing: cotton & hempcotton & hemp Wood: Wood: lumber & paperlumber & paper Oxygen: Oxygen: from plantsfrom plants Protection: Protection: erosion, floods, good soilerosion, floods, good soil Balanced ecosystems with Balanced ecosystems with

biodiversity looks nice!biodiversity looks nice!

ExtinctionExtinction (when a species is eliminated) (when a species is eliminated) ccauses a auses a decreasedecrease in biodiversity. in biodiversity.

Organisms have always naturally gone Organisms have always naturally gone extinct BUT humans are causing them to extinct BUT humans are causing them to go extinct MUCH faster by destroying the go extinct MUCH faster by destroying the habitats organism live in…habitats organism live in…– Bulldozing land to make houses, roads & Bulldozing land to make houses, roads &

buildingsbuildings– Polluting the land, water and airPolluting the land, water and air– Chopping down forests for wood & paperChopping down forests for wood & paper– Poaching animalsPoaching animals

LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY:LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY:

EXTINCTEXTINCT = = the disappearance of a the disappearance of a species when the last member diesspecies when the last member dies

ENDANGEREDENDANGERED = = when numbers of a when numbers of a species become so low that species become so low that extinction is possible.extinction is possible.

THREATENEDTHREATENED = = when a species is when a species is likely to become endangeredlikely to become endangered

threatened threatened endangered endangered extinctextinct

Threats to BiodiversityThreats to Biodiversity

Habitat destruction / loss Habitat destruction / loss – One of the biggest One of the biggest threatsthreats!!– Ex. clearing the Amazonian rainforest Ex. clearing the Amazonian rainforest

for for farmingfarming and for and for firewoodfirewood

Habitat fragmentation Habitat fragmentation – The separation of The separation of wildernesswilderness areas from areas from

other wilderness areasother wilderness areas– This creates “islands” of This creates “islands” of habitathabitat

Habitat degradationHabitat degradation

Damage to a habitat caused Damage to a habitat caused by by airair, , waterwater, or , or landland pollution pollution– Ex. Air pollution causes Ex. Air pollution causes acidacid rain rain

– Ex. Air pollution has damaged the Ex. Air pollution has damaged the ozoneozone layer, which blocks layer, which blocks UVUV radiationradiation leads to more skin cancerleads to more skin cancer

Ex. Air pollution causes the Ex. Air pollution causes the GreenhouseGreenhouse EffectEffect, which leads to , which leads to global warmingglobal warming