Download Biodiversity

Biodiversity
With your group
Answer the following question
• If you could get rid of one species what would
it be? Explain why with three different reasons
• Elect someone to share to the class.
• You have 3 MINUTES…… clock has started
What is biodiversity
• Biodiversity is the number of different species
in a given area.
• The number of species know to science is 1.9
million species - mostly being insects
– However the actual number of species on earth is
unknown
– Unknown species can live anywhere and new
species are found regularly
Just this week a new species was
discovered
• The orchid mantis
Different levels of biodiversity
• Biodiversity can be described in three (3)
levels
– Species diversity – the number of species in a
given area
– Ecosystem diversity – Variety of habitats in a given
area
– Genetic diversity – different genes in a given
population
• Gene is a piece of DNA that codes for a specific trait
Benefits of biodiversity
• The more species there are in an ecosystem
the more balanced that ecosystem is
• High genetic diversity helps with populations
to adapt and survive diseases
• Biodiversity helps with medicines as well
– Out of the 150 prescription drugs in the united
states 74 percent of those come from plants
Keystone species
• Some species are so clearly critical to an
ecosystem these species are called keystone
species.
• Sea otters off the coast of California
Sea otters keystone species
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DIVuTrG
3N4
Biodiversity and recreation
• Ecotourism
• People like to camp, photograph wildflowers,
and watch wildlife
• If our ecosystems become less diverse we will
not be able to do these things on a regular
basis
Preserving Habitats and Ecosystems
• Most scientists now give priority to protecting
entire ecosystems rather than individual
species.
• To preserve biodiversity worldwide
conversationalists focus on biodiversity
hotspots
• All scientist agree we are still learning and still
more studies need to be completed to make
informed decisions on preserving biodiversity
Your task
• A hotel development company has just came to a
beautiful ecosystem, the tropical rainforest. They
want to build a large resort there.
• You are a conservation scientist and need to fight
to keep this hotel out of your ecosystem. You
need to support your point with
– 5 reasons reflecting your knowledge of what a healthy
ecosystem looks like.
– And state what will happen if you build in this part of
the ecosystem, what might be affected
– Also include an alternative to their plan to build.