Download Chapter Ten: Biodiversity

CHAPTER TEN: BIODIVERSITY
Section One: What is biodiversity?

A World Rich in Biodiversity
 Biodiversity:
the number of different species in a given
area
 There
are only 1.7 million species known to science
 It is estimated that greater than 10 million live on earth
 Gene: a piece of DNA that codes for a specific trait that
can be inherited by an organism’s offspring
Section One: What is biodiversity?

Benefits of Biodiversity
 Every
species has an important role in the ecosystem
 When one species disappears, the food web is
disrupted
 Keystone species: a species that is critical to the
functioning of the ecosystem in which it lives
 Genetic diversity is critical for species survival
 We depend on species for medical, industrial, and
agricultural uses
Section One: What is biodiversity?

Benefits of Biodiversity
 Ethical
reasons to preserve biodiversity
 Ecotourism: a form of tourism that supports the
conversation and sustainable development of
ecologically unique areas
Section Two: Biodiversity at Risk

Current Extinctions
 Species
prone to extinction
 Endangered
species: a species that is likely to become
extinct if protective measures are not taken immediately
 Threatened species: a species that has a declining
population and that is likely to become endangered if it is
not protected
Section Two: Biodiversity at Risk

How do humans cause extinctions?
 Habitat
destruction and fragmentation
 Invasive and Exotic Species
 Exotic
species: a species that is not native to a particular
region
 Harvesting,
 Poaching:
wildlife
 Pollution
Hunting, and Poaching
illegally hunting, harvesting, fishing, and trading
Section Two: Biodiversity at Risk
Section Two: Biodiversity at Risk

Areas of Critical
Biodiversity

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Endemic Species: species
that are native to and
found only within a limited
area
Tropical Rainforests
Coral Reefs and Coastal
Ecosystems
Islands
Biodiversity hot spots: the
most threatened areas of
high species diversity on
Earth
Section Two: Biodiversity at Risk

Areas of Critical Biodiversity
 Biodiversity
 Hawaii,
hot spots in U.S.
Florida Everglades, and California Coastal Region
Section Three: The Future of
Biodiversity

Saving Species One at a Time
 Captive-Breeding
Programs
 California
Condor and Panda
 Preserving
Genetic Material
 Germ
Plasm: any form of genetic material of plants and
animal
 Zoos,
Aquariums, Parks and Gardens
Section Three: The Future of
Biodiversity

Preserving Habitats and Ecosystems
 Conservation
 Okefenokee
Strategies
Swamp
 Florida Everglades
 National Parks
Section Three: The Future of
Biodiversity

Legal Protections for
Species

U.S. Laws
Endangered Species Act:
a law designed to protect
plant and animal species
in danger of extinction
 List of endangered and
threatened species is
compiled by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service

Section Three: The Future of
Biodiversity

Legal Protection for
Species
 Habitat
conservation
plan: a plan that
attempts to protect one
or more species across
large areas of land
through trade-offs or
cooperative
agreements
Section Three: The Future of
Biodiversity

International Cooperation
 International
Union for the Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources (IUCN)
 CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species
 First
 Earth
effort to stop the ivory trade
Summit
 Biodiversity
Treaty: an international treaty signed to protect
biodiversity and ensure the sustainable and fair use of
genetic resources in all countries
Section Three: The Future of
Biodiversity

International Cooperation
 Private
Conservation Efforts
 World
Wildlife Fund
 The Nature Conservancy