Loss of Biodiversity

By: Dardan Seci, Miranda Tyson, Ziqi Xu, and Ryan Jaipersaud

What is biodiversity?

• The number and variety of organisms found in a specific geographic region

 

Why are we losing biodiversity?

The number one cause of loss of biodiversity is human actions. We have:

Polluted Introduced foreign species to new environments Biologically magnified over hunted species Introduced toxic compounds into the food web Advanced technologies to an extent that generally harms animals

However, we have not done much about this problem because the government does not see this as a top

priority

Over time and overall, the fossil fuel emissions per year have exponentially increased, which promotes the pollution factor of loss

of biodiversity

http://www.solarnavigator.net/images/Global_Carbon_Emission_graph.png

So what’s the problem?Loss of biodiversity is a problem because

many species of plants, animals, and other organisms are disappearing. Without many and multiple different food sources, primary

and secondary consumers will die out, leaving the top of the food chain without

food. This also disrupts the natural food web by adding organisms that throw off the

natural balance of an ecosystem, which is threatening to the preexisting organisms.

Including bunnies.

And who wants to live in a world without bunnies?

http://evilmonito.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/bunny-in-the-

shadows-410x546.jpg

What is the extent of biodiversity loss, as a result of human action?

Forests are rapidly disappearing in the AmazonWe are losing coral reefs worldwide

We are losing freshwater lakes due to algal buildup

Some species have been pushed to the edge of extinction because of environmental changes

Here is a graph that displays how many species' have collapsed since 1950. As anyone can see, in only sixty years time, we have contributed to the extinction of

35% of species'

http://cdn.physorg.com/newman/gfx/news/2006/GraphBio.jpg

How will it affect the environment?

Biodiversity is a delicate matter and we need to preserve it. We are currently using using 25% more natural resources than the planet can sustain. Without biodiversity it is predicted we will run out of the plants we harvest for medicine. The ecosystem is worth a lot of money so we could see a economic disaster too. Millions of plants and animals will die.

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/biodiversity/biodiversity_and_you/

http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/loss-of-biodiversity-with-continued-agricultural-expansion-pollution-climate-change-and-infrastructu

This shows how humans have

impacted biodiversity of the environment and an estimate on how badly we will have damaged the

biodiversity on Earth by the year 2050.

How will a loss of biodiversity affect the human race?

Humans will lose:1) Medication (pain killers, antibiotics, heart drugs,

antidepressants and anticancer drugs)2) Industrial products

3) Food supplies

How can we fix the problem?In order to fix this problem, we need to:

1) Keep each species proportional to each other. 2) Introduce environmentally safe waste removal practices (e.g.

 fisheries and factories)3) Stop harmful human advancement in overpopulated areas.

4) Stop pollution 

And if you help out you can earn a bunny! (or a Pikachu, whichever you prefer)*

*while supplies last. they just ran out, too bad...*

Bibliography• http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/gca?SEARCHID=1&FULLTEXT=loss+of+biodiv

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• http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/gca?SEARCHID=1&FULLTEXT=loss+of+biodiversity&FIRSTINDEX=0&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&gca=314/5800/787&gca=314/5800/745&gca=316/5829/1285c&sendit.x=82&sendit.y=13&sendit=Get+all+checked+abstract(s)#314/5800/745

•  http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/gca?SEARCHID=1&FULLTEXT=loss+of+biodiversity&FIRSTINDEX=0&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&gca=314/5800/787&gca=314/5800/745&gca=316/5829/1285c&sendit.x=82&sendit.y=13&sendit=Get+all+checked+abstract(s)#316/5829/1285c

•  http://www.tgdaily.com/sustainability-features/49704-loss-of-biodiversity-could-damage-world-economy-says-un