Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Biodiversity
BioD
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
Biodiversity
What does Bio mean?
Bio =
Biodiversity
What does Diversity mean?
Diversity = Variety
What is biodiversity?
OED:biodiversity Ecol.,diversityofplantand
animallife,asrepresentedbythenumberof
extantspecies
Ricklefs &Miller:Biodiversityincludesanumber
ofdifferentlevelsofvariationinthenatural
world:genetic,species,ecosystem
Begon etal. Thetermmaybeusedtodescribe
thenumberofspecies,theamountofgenetic
variationorthenumberofcommunitytypes
presentinanarea.
Butmoststudiesdofocusonspeciesdiversity
Variety of biodiversity
Variety of living things,
number of kinds
Ecological diversity
different habitats, niches,
species interactions
Species diversity
different kinds of
organisms, relationships
among species
Genetic diversity
different genes &
combinations of genes
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
Benefits of Biodiversity
Ecosystem functions
Ecosystem services
Cleaning water, habitat & breeding
areas for wildlife Ecosystem services
are defined as the processes and
conditions of natural ecosystems that
support human activity and sustain
human life
E.g., maintenance of soil fertility, climate
regulation, natural pest control, flows of
ecosystem goods such as food, timber ,
and freshwater
Aesthetic and
cultural benefits
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
Benefits of Biodiversity
New food sources
Grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
Benefits of Biodiversity
Medicines
Plants
Jellyfish & sea
anemones
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
10
FunctionalConsequencesof
Biodiversity:
Numbers and
Kinds of
Species
Organismal
traits
Ecosystem
Processes
Speciesrichness
Speciesevenness
Speciescomposition
Speciesinteraction
Temporalandspatialvariation
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
14
Concentrated in the
tropics
Panama: > 500 species of
breeding birds
Arctic: 50-100 species
Dense concentrations
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
15
Threats to biodiversity
Habitat destruction
Pollution
Global Climate Change
Exploitation
Threats to Biodiversity
Extinction and
population reductions
Hunting and
overharvesting
Tiger
Whales
Sharks
Habitat loss
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Biodiversity.ppt
17
Threats to Biodiversity
Extinction and
population reductions
Pollution
Climate change
Invasive species
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
18
Biodiversity:
Who cares?
Whichdoyoulikebetter?
Whichdoyoulikebetter?
Whichdoyoulikebetter?
Whichismorediverse?
Whichismorediverse?
Whichismorediverse?
Whichismorediverse?
Whichhasmoreculturaldiversity?
Whichhasmorebiodiversity?
Whichhasmorebiodiversity?
Protecting Biodiversity
How can we protect
biodiversity
Stop overharvesting
Sustainable yield
Hunting & fishing laws
(every state ?)
in developing nations ?
Refuges, parks,
preserves
Endangered Species Act
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
31
Protecting Biodiversity
Refuges, parks, preserves
How big should refuges be?
Where should they be?
McArthur & Wilson Theory of Island
Biogeography
colonization rate
extinction rate (local)
predicts number of species
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
32
Protecting Biodiversity
Effect of island size
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
33
Protecting Biodiversity
McArthur & Wilson
Theory of Island
Biogeography
colonization rate
extinction rate (local)
predicts number of
species
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
34
Protecting Biodiversity
Island Biogeography
Island size predicts number of species
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
35
Protecting Biodiversity
Island Biogeography
Everyplace is an island
Habitat fragmentation
Smaller fragments hold
fewer species
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
36
Protecting Biodiversity
How can we protect
biodiversity
Endangered Species Act
(1973)
http://www.fws.gov/
endangered/
Biodiversity.ppt
37
Protecting Biodiversity
Biodiversity hotspots
Protection of habitat
6Mar12
Biodiversity.ppt
38
BiodiversityalsohasutilitarianValue
UtilitarianValue=thevaluesomethinghasasa
meanstoanothersend.
Utilitarian values include:
Goods
Services
Information (Recreation, tourism)
Oxygen
Food
Clean Water
Medicine
Aesthetics
Ideas