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Chapter 5 Biodiversity and Conservation What is biodiversity? • The variety of species in an area • The more species the more biodiversity Where is biodiversity found? • Biodiversity increases as you move toward the equator why? • More rain and warm temperature • Tropical rainforest has the most biodiversity • Tropical areas contain over half of all land species Why is biodiversity important? • 1. Organisms are interdependent (depend on each other to survive) • A loss of a species will affect other species – (ex. Food chain) • 2. It brings stability to the area-removal of a species affects the stability of others • 3. provides resources to man such as food and medicine – (more plants mean more food) What happens with loss of biodiversity? • Extinction- the disappearance of a species when its members die (reproduction stops) • Endangered species-when population numbers become so low that extinction is possible • Threatened species- a population that is likely to become endangered Explain how each of the following can reduce biodiversity • • • • A. habitat loss B. habitat fragmentation C. acid rain D. introduction of exotic species • Info. starts on p. 116 • Leave this in notebook when complete What decreases biodiversity? • Main cause--Human population growth • (man’s activities are destroying the environment) Man’s Threats to biodiversity: • 1. habitat loss – Land is cleared for agriculture, timber and housing. – Plants and animals lose a place to thrive Other factors by man: • 2. habitat fragmentationseparation of wilderness areas from other wilderness areas • Often due to the developments in cities • Increases extinction, invasion by exotic species, fires, and it changes climates Other factors of man: • 3. edge effect-when habitats meet other habitats, there are different conditions along the boundaries • Species from different ecosystems come in contact often bringing in more predators to affect populations Other factors by man • 4. habitat degradation- damage to habitats by pollution • 3 types of pollution: water, land and air • ex. Burning fossil fuels cause acid rain Other factors by man • 5. Exotic species-introduction on nonnative species into an area • Ex. kudzu, Zebra mussels in Great lakes • Due to them being new, they have no predators or competition allowing them to grow fast and take over Why is it important to conserve resources? • Natural resource- parts of the environment that are useful or necessary to living things • Ex. Sunlight, water, air, food, trees • Must take steps to keep resources available to living things in order to survive How do we conserve biodiversity? • Protect it how? (examples) • 1.legal protection of species (ex. Endangered species act) • 2. preserve habitats (ex. Create natural preserves and parks) • 3. creating habitat corridors- strips of land where animals can migrate (ex. Wetlands for birds) • 4. reintroduction programs- release organims into areas where the species once lived (ex. Bald eagle)