Download Biodiversity - Ms. Petrauskas` Class

Biodiversity
Ms. Petrauskas
The importance of Biodiversity
• Biodiversity is the variety of life in a particular
ecosystem; also known as biological diversity
– Found by counting the number of species in a
particular habitat
• Species richness is the number of species in
the area
– * When you have species richness, you have
biodiversity
Where to find it?
• Closest to the equator is where biodiversity is
greatest
Extinction
• Refers to species that have died out and no
longer can be found on earth
• Natural process (wooly mammoth, dinosaurs,
dodo bird): 5 in the past billion years
– Asteroid or massive volcanic eruption
• Humans have increased the rate of extinctions
occurring: 700 in past 400 years
Other terms….
• Extirpated: a species that no longer exists in an
area (paddlefish from all of Canada)
• Endangered: a species facing imminent
extirpation or extinction (barn owl in some areas)
• Threatened: likely to become endangered if
factors reducing survival do not change
(humpback whale)
• Special concern: may become threatened or
endangered from a combination of factors (polar
bear)
Biodiversity threatened
• Many things are reducing biodiversity
including habitat loss, deforestation, urban
expansion, pollution, climate change, invasive
species etc…..
Causes
• Habitat loss and fragmentation
– Urbanization
• Introduction of non-native species
• Pollution
• Human consumption (deforestation, mining,
wetland destruction and dumps)
1. Habitat loss and fragmentation
• Habitat loss: Conversion of natural habitats
into farmland, urban areas and transportation
routes (400 expansion)
• Fragmentation: the division of a large habitat
into smaller ones
– larger animals need larger habitats to survive
– Creates more exposure to pollution
Ecosystem Sustainability
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•
•
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Creating corridors between fragments
Increase proximity of fragments
Increase the size of habitats
Reduce outside influence
2. Introduction of non-native species
• Invasive species: a non-native species whose
intentional or accidental introduction
negatively impacts the natural environment
• You are already well acquainted with some
alien, or non-native, species like Kentucky
bluegrass, periwinkle, lily of the valley, cats
(Africa), potatoes(South America), corn
(Mexico)and the dandelion..
Zebra Mussels
• They are extremely harmful because they eat
food that young fish eat, bottom feeders
spike because of increased lake deposits,
increase clarity due to filtration causes
increased weed growth, light sensitive fish
need new habitat
• any surface, including other animals like
mussels and block water pipes, sink bouys,
cover boat hulls(reduce sailing capability)
Round Goby
• Found throughout the great lakes, St. Clair
river reaching densities of 100 per cubic
centimetre of water.
• Fast breeding and extremely aggressive
• Feed on other fish eggs (reducing their ability
to reproduce)
Asia long-horned Beetle
• Attack both healthy and weakened leafy trees,
dig holes into trees to lay eggs. 1 female can
lay up to 32 eggs. The holes leave the trees
exposed to disease. Kills the trees.
• Limit habitat and food for many species and
could impact forest and urban biodiversity.
Effect of invasive species
• Ecological: competition can lead to population
decline or extinction
• Economical: Damage forests, lower crop
yields, increased disease in livestock
• Tourism: decrease wildlife viewing, fishing etc
• Health: disease causing viruses like the west
nile and pesticides can cause health issues
Controlling Invasives
• Chemical: pesticides
• Mechanical: kill them manually (pull weeds,
discard of gobies and zebra mussels, put up
barriers
• Biological: introduce other species to control
the invasives (challenging to get right, but
effective)
3. Pollution
• Pollution: harmful contaminants released into the
environment
• VOC’s , CFC’s, methane, nitrous oxides, carbon
dioxides-leads to global warming and acid rain
• Acid precipitation: sulfur from burning fossil fuels
– Change pH of lakes, rivers and streams killing fish and
other aquatic species
– Limestone helps neutralize
– Damage terrestrial plants and change soil pH
Pollution cont.
• Oil spills: oil is released into the ocean due to
damaged oil tankers, faulty drilling and faulty oil
lines (BP)
– Skimming/vacuuming: collect floating oil
– Bioremediation: use of micro-organisms to consume
or breakdown the spilled oil
– Burning: Burn the floating oil
– Dispersal agents: break the oil down into small
droplets with detergent
Plastics at Sea
The western and Eastern Pacific garbage patches
(twice the size of Texas)
4. Deforestation (type of habitat loss)
• Clear cutting: All
• Shelterwood cutting: mature
• Selective: thins out mature
and young
Activity # 1
• Using your text come up with 2 solutions to
each of the threats to biodiversity (Pages 83105)
– Invasive species
– Pollution
– Deforestation
– Habitat loss and fragmentation
Activity # 2
• In groups come up with 5 questions dealing with
your topic of biodiversity
– Importance and distribution
– Population dynamics, carrying capacity and
equilibrium
– Threats to biodiversity terms
– Invasive species
– Pollution
– Deforestation
– Habitat loss and fragmentation
– Maintaining biodiversity