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Biodiversity
Scoil Phádraig Naofa Athy
Green School Committee
What is Biodiversity?
 Biodiversity is our life support system.
 It is the variety of all life forms on Earth,
from the tiniest bugs living in the soil to the
butterflies in your garden, the plants they
feed from, and the biggest whales in the sea.
Three Types of Biodiversity
Biodiversity includes:
1. Genetic diversity - the diversity of individuals within
a species
2. Species diversity - the diversity of species within an
ecosystem or habitat
3. Habitat diversity - the diversity of ecosystems or
habitats
Dictionary
 Species – a group or type of plant or animal.
For example, the ash is a species of tree, the
squirrel is a species of mammal.
 Habitat – the natural environment in which a
plant or animal lives. It is the physical
environment that surrounds, influences and is
utilised by a species. For example, a woodland
or a bog is a habitat.
Dictionary
 Ecosystem – is a community of plants, animals,
fungi and micro-organisms that live, feed,
reproduce and interact together in the same area
or environment.
Irish examples include a bog, a woodland, a marsh,
a hedge, a lake or even a rock pool.
 Ecosystem Services – are the benefits of
ecosystems. Ecosystems can provide protection
from flooding, regulate climate change, breakdown
wastes and recycle nutrients, filter and purify
water, maintain soil fertility, purify the air, control
pests and diseases and provide goods such as
woods, textiles and food.
 Rapid human population growth has affected the
natural world and caused changes to habitats and
threatened the existence of millions of species and
basic ecosystem processes.
 As with climate change, humans have accelerated the
degradation of biodiversity around the world.
 This led to the adoption of the United Nations
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) of which
Ireland became a member of in 1996.
The Value Of Biodiversity
 The world’s biological diversity is an
essential natural resource which humans
have used and benefited from for
thousands of years.
 Biodiversity keeps us alive, therefore, it
is vital we conserve it!
Economic Benefits
 Food
 Medicine
 Fuel
 Building materials
 Fibre for clothing
 Industrial products
Threats in Ireland and Abroad
 Habitat loss/destruction/fragmentation
 Invasive non-native species (also known as
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Invasive Alien Species)
Land use change/increased infrastructure
development
Pollution/litter
Intensive farming practices
Over-exploitation of resources
Climate change.
Conserving Ecosystem Services
 Protecting areas from soil erosion, floods and
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other harmful weather conditions
Reducing the risk of local and global climate
change
Recycling nutrients/ composting
Pollination
Controlling pollutants
Monitoring the health of the environment
Biodiversity In Our School
 Biodiversity is the theme we will work on to get
our next Green School Flag
 Over the next few terms we will all work to
improve the Biodiversity in the habitats
surrounding our school.
How will we promote biodiversity?
To start with.....
 We will do this by planting vegetables, flowers
and trees in our school garden.
 We will create some new habitats for
minibeasts.
 We will continue to keep our surroundings
litter and pollution free.
If you are still not sure about the
importance of biodiversity.....
 The work of earthworms is worth €700 million
a year to the Irish economy
 http://www.irishtimes.com/business/even-a-worm-will-
turn-1.1213103