Science 9 Unit A - Biological Diversity BIODIVERSITY - BIO means Life DIVERSITY means differences The variation of life forms within an ecosystem High biodiversity or having lots of biodiversity is indication of a good ecosystem

3 Types of BIODIVERSITY 1: Genetic Diversity - The total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species The more genes in a gene pool a species has the better that species can adapt to changes in the environment. 2: Species Diversity - The diversity within an ecological community The rainforest has more species than the desert because there is more sunlight and water available. Conservative estimates of the number of species on Earth range from 5 to7 million but some scientists estimate as many as 30 million! With only about 1.6 to 2 million of these species having been studied (many only at the most basic level) and given a name, much still needs to be learned about the diversity of life on Earth. There are more species of insects than all of the other kinds of life forms combined. It is no wonder that they are considered the most successful form of life. 3: Ecosystem Diversity - The variety of different habitats on the planet Different types of ecosystems support different types of organisms ECOSYSTEM - The living and non-living components in a given geographic area Ecosystems exist on a variety of scales. An example of a small scale ecosystem (micro) is a pond. A medium scale ecosystem (messo) could be a forest. The tropical rainforest is an example of a very large ecosystem (biome). A species is a particular group of organisms that have the same structure and can reproduce with each other. A population is members of a species that live in a specific area and share the same resources A community is populations of different species living in the same area. Abiotic Factors – all non-living components of an ecosystem Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Sunlight, Water, Soil

Biotic Factors - all living organisms found in an ecosystem 1. Producers- (Autotrophs)- produce own food. 2. Consumers - (Heterotrophs)- "other" feeders Primary consumers- herbivores Secondary consumers- carnivores, omnivores 3. Decomposers - bacteria, fungi - use dead organisms as energy Biotic Factors rely on Abiotic Factors for life. Much of the Earth's biodiversity is concentrated in the tropics. Some scientists estimate that 50 percent of all species on the planet are found in tropical rainforests that comprise only 6 to 7 percent of the Earth's land surface. Given the rapid rate at which tropical rainforests are being cut, it is estimated that up to 20 percent of the Earth's biodiversity may become extinct in our lifetime! If you took a trip to a wetland ecosystem or carefully observed the life forms underneath a rotting log, you would realize that we are surrounded by an incredible diversity of life forms. If you consider the wide range of environmental conditions that exist on Earth, from the frigid cold of the poles to the steamy heat of the tropics, there is no single kind of organism that can survive in all of Earth’s regions. Each area possesses its own unique community of characteristic life forms. Species Distribution - Plant and animal species are not distributed evenly throughout the various eco-regions of the world. Most of the different species of plants and animals can be found in tropical regions and, more specifically, in the rainforests. As you move closer to the poles of the Earth, there is less biological diversity.

Pluie, a radio collared wolf left the Central Rockies Study Area and reappeared near the panhandle area of Idaho. After 2 years spent travelling over 3000 kms - Pluie reentered the Central Rockies and established a new pack.

In order for wolves to survive in the Central Rockies they need 40,000 km2 of suitable habitat in which to hunt and live. Wolves were once the most widespread mammal in North America. However, when Europeans arrived, they brought with them a legacy of persecuting the wolf. As settlement spread, wolf populations plummeted. In the Rockies, wolf control started in the 1920s. Not only wolves, but also coyotes, cougars and lynxes were shot and poisoned even in parks. In the 1940s, wolf populations began to rebound but declined again in the 1950s due to a rabies scare. Wolves were once the most widespread mammal in North America. However, when Europeans arrived, they brought with them a legacy of persecuting the wolf. As settlement spread, wolf populations plummeted. In the Rockies, wolf control started in the 1920s. Not only wolves, but also coyotes, cougars and lynxes were shot and poisoned even in parks. In the 1940s, wolf populations began to rebound but declined again in the 1950s due to a rabies scare. It wasn't until the early 1980s, after an absence of thirty years, that wolves were seen again in the Central Rockies. Today, wolves occur in both Yoho and Kootenay National Parks as well as on adjacent lands. The type of wolf found in the Rockies is a subspecies of the Gray Wolf Canis lupis irremotis. It is larger than the wolf found in eastern Canada. The male Rocky Mountain Wolf weighs 35 to 55 kg and stands about one meter at the shoulder. Females are smaller and lighter. Wolves vary in colour from brown, black, and grey shades to almost white. Wolves are a highly social and playful species. They live in small, tightly organized family groups called packs. These are made up of about four to eleven members and are essentially extended families. Each pack is dominated by an alpha male and an alpha female who are the only mating pair in the group. The alpha female dens up to deliver and raise the pups. There are usually four or five pups per litter born in late April or early May. The rest of the pack helps to feed and care for the pups. Wolves eat everything from mice to moose whatever they can hunt and kill. They favour big game, especially in the winter when smaller animals are hard to get at under the snow or are hibernating. Researchers studying wolves in Kootenay National Park found that they feed mostly on elk, moose and deer. Researchers are closely monitoring wolf recolonization of the Central Rockies. The Central Rockies Wolf Project started in 1987, with Parks Canada as a partner. This research uses radio telemetry and snow tracking techniques to find out how wolves use their mountain habitat and how human activities affect them. The Central Rockies Wolf Project works closely with governments, communities and landowners to help resolve conflicts in land use that affect wolves. The ultimate goal is to maintain a self-sustaining population of wolves in the Central Rockies. Researchers track the wolves using radio telemetry. Study animals are fitted with a radio collar equipped with a transmitter that emits a unique radio frequency. A directional antennae and a receiver are used to locate the signal. Researchers sometimes conduct telemetry from the air using an airplane or a helicopter. This can be more economical than ground searching for wide-ranging animals. In the winter, researchers follow the tracks of wolves and their prey and by looking for other evidence in the snow, so they can piece together events of the hunt.

To avoid disturbing the wolves, the researcher follow the tracks backwards, away from the direction the wolves are traveling. Once a kill site is located, samples are taken from the prey to determine species, age and physical condition. Wolf scat is also analysed to determine food habits. This research is providing data about wolf movements, habitat and prey preferences, mortality and location of critical areas such as dens. This information is used to determine the level of human use of trails and other park facilities as well as seasonal closures in critical areas such as den sites. Properties of all living things :

• are made up of cells • need energy • grow and develop • reproduce • have adaptations which suit them to the specific habitat in which they live.

The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. Biological Classification Carolus Linnaeus developed a Latin naming system in the 18th century, enabling scientists, around the world, to refer to the same species, by the same name. This classification system was much more reliable than previous systems, because he used structure, rather than habitat. It consists of 3 domains:

1) Archaea Domain – prokaryotic, single celled organisms without a nucleus, most primitive often characterized by living in extreme environments

2) Bacteria Domain – prokaryotic – single celled organisms without a nucleus

3) Eukarya Domain – eukaryotes, cells have a nuclear membrane, has 4 kingdoms.

Four Kingdoms 1) Kingdom Fungi or fungi Examples: yeasts, molds, mushrooms 2) Kingdom Plantae or plants Examples: mosses, flowering plants 3) Kingdom Animalia or animals Examples: insects, arachnids, and crustaceans and human beings 4) Kingdom Protista or protists Examples: red algae

Mountain Lion

Scientific Name Genus Species White Spruce - Picea glauca Wolf - Canis lupus Bull Trout - Salvelinus confluentus Human Beings - Homo sapiens Each and every species depends on many other species within an environment in order to survive and prosper. Food chains and Food webs represent different types of ongoing relationships between and among all the organisms, within a particular environment.

Niches A niche is the role of an organism within a particular ecosystem. An organism's niche includes: * What it eats * What eats it * Its habitat * Nesting site, range and habits * What effect it has on the other populations * What effect it has on the environment A niche, for a particular organism, can change, depending on the environment in which it is located and the organisms with which it inter-relates. Resource partitioning is the action which enables competing species to share the resources by accessing these resources in different ways, involving less direct competition. These three warbler species feed on spruce bud worms in different parts of a spruce tree. Their niches differ in the feeding location they prefer. Note there is some overlap between species This is called resource partitioning Interspecies competition - happens when two or more species need the same resource. This type of relationship helps to limit the size of populations of the competing species. There are many examples of these types of symbiotic relationships, which show the importance of adaptations, helping particular species survive. Symbiosis A different type of interdependence is an association, within a certain population, between members of different species. There are different types of symbiotic relationships: Commensalism - in which one of the participating members benefits, but the other does not, and there is no harm done to that organism. Examples: a bird using a tree to build its nest in barnacles on a whale Mutualism - both organisms benefit from the relationship. Examples: Lichen Clown fish lives among the forest of tentacles of an anemone Wood Termites and the protozoa Insects and plants

Ant Acacia plant Parasitism - one organism benefits while the other organism is harmed. Examples: Tapeworms Insects Variation within a Species Although the members of this species may look alike, they vary genetically from one another. Variation within a population of a single species, is called variability. Variability is important if the environment, in which the species lives, changes suddenly or drastically. When a species has a great deal of variation, then, some of the individuals within that species will likely survive when there is change. Examples of variability include: * Red fox - color of coat * Antibiotic resistance - bacteria * Banded snail - color of shell Your classmates are all members of the same species but each of you differs slightly in appearance - hair or eye color, etc Natural Selection Happens when the environment 'selects' which individuals will survive long enough to reproduce. If they are able to live long enough to reproduce, then those individuals with their 'survival adaptations’ will have offspring with similar survival characteristics Survival of the fittest An example of natural selection in our own time occurred in southwestern Nebraska. In May 1996, a severe cold spell gripped the area for six days. Dr. Charles Brown, who had been studying the same colony of cliff swallows for 17 years, watched about 30 000 birds, or about half of the colony, die of starvation. Why did some birds die and others survive? To answer this question, Dr. Brown and Mary Bomberger-Brown collected more than 1800 dead cliff swallows. They measured the beaks, wings, and legs of the dead birds and then measured the same structures on about 1000 survivors. They discovered that the survivors were larger overall, with bigger beaks and legs. They were also more symmetrical—both sides of their bodies matched. Because of an extensive banding program, the Browns were able to determine that before the severe weather, the non-survivors were just as healthy as the survivors. The Browns hypothesized that the bigger birds were selected for survival because their larger size allowed them to store more fat and their greater symmetry allowed them to forage with less energy loss.

The offspring of the survivors were also large and symmetrical. Charles Darwin is a central figure in biology He synthesized the theory of evolution by natural selection Evolution is the core theme of biology The theory of natural selection explains the main mechanism whereby all species of organisms change, or evolve