Download Genetic diversity

What is Biodiversity?
Unit 4: The Biosphere
Biological Diversity
Every day, species are going extinct. Is this
natural or can it be prevented?
Discussion: unnecessary species
The number of different species in a given area
Very high in rainforests—why?
Levels of Diversity
How many species do we even know about?
Insects are the most numerous
Genetic diversity – all the different genes
contained within a population
Species diversity – number of different species in
a given area
Ecosystem diversity – variety of habitats,
communities, etc.
Levels of Diversity (cont.)
Alpha diversity – diversity within a local
population
Gamma diversity – diversity within a regional
population
Beta diversity – Gamma/Alpha (basically how
are the two related)
Why do we care?
 Ecosystems – every species is
either dependent on or
depended on by another species
How many pieces from the food
web can we lose before it
collapses?
 Keystone species – critical to the
functioning of an ecosystem
 Hunting of otters led to loss in kelp
beds – why?
Why do we care?
Genetic diversity increases the chance that
some members will survive environmental
change
Less likely in small and isolated populations
Bottlenecking – genetic
diversity in the resulting
populations is severely
decreased
Why do we care?
Human uses
Pharmaceuticals (plants) – novacaine comes
from the coca plant
Antibiotics (fungi)
Food – why can’t
we depend on a
few crops?
Ethics, aesthetics,
and recreation
Concept Mapping
Aka how to study for a test!