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Biodiversity
Levels of biodiversity
1. Ecosystem diversity
2. Species diversity
3. Genetic diversity
Ecosystem diversity
• Number and variety of ecosystems in an area
• Variety of communities
• Variety of habitats
Ex: Forests have more ecosystem diversity
than farmland
Protecting ecosystems
protects all organisms that live there
Species diversity
Species are unevenly distributed
• More species are found in the tropics
• This is called the Latitudinal gradient
Certain categories of species are of importance
to ecologists.
These are studied to help make conservation
decisions.
1. Umbrella species By protecting their habitat, other species are
protected as well.
Umbrella species characteristics:
• they are easily observed or sampled
• they have large home ranges
• they have a long lifespan.
Ex: wolf, grizzly bear
2. Keystone species • Their presence is necessary for other species
to survive and thrive.
• Their removal causes changes in ecosystem
structure and often loss of diversity.
• They may be habitat modifiers.
Ex: prairie dogs, beavers, sea otters
3. Indicator species • particularly sensitive to environmental
conditions
• a decline in their health can signal air and
water pollution, soil contamination, climate
change or habitat fragmentation
Ex: Canaries in coal mines. If the canary dies
the miners know the air is unsafe.
Ex: Mutated frogs indicate contaminated water.
Genetic diversity
• variations in DNA among members of a
population or species
• Having more variations gives the species a
better chance to adapt to environmental
change
Ex: variations in coat thickness allowed some
tigers to survive in the tropics, while others live
in Siberia
Benefits to biodiversity
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ecosystem services
Agriculture
Medicine
Ecotourism
1. Ecosystem services •
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Clean water – estuaries filter pollutants
Breathable air
Natural climate control
Flood control
Protect shorelines from erosion
2. Agriculture • New food sources
• Wild strains are cross-bred with crops to
increase pest and disease resistance
• New plants may have other uses
3. Medicine • Every species that goes extinct is a lost
opportunity to find a cure.
• 118 of the 150 most often prescribed drugs
come from nature, not labs.
4. Ecotourism • Emphasizes conservation, education,
sustainability, and community participation
• Can bring millions of dollars into the nation
Ex: is a vital source of income
in Costa Rica and Kenya