Biodiversity: Who cares?

1
Biodiversity Who cares?
2
Which do you like better?
A
B
3
Which do you like better?
A
B
4
What do you think biodiversity means?
5
Biodiversity
What does Bio mean?
Life
Bio
6
Biodiversity
What does Diversity mean?
Diversity Variety
7

• Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth and
  the essential interdependence of all living
  things

• Scientists have identified more than 2 million
  species. Tens of millions -- remain unknown
• The tremendous variety of life on Earth is made
  possible by complex interactions among all living
  things including microscopic species like algae
  and mites.

8
There are 3 components of biodiversity

1. Diversity of genesChihuahuas, beagles, and
   rottweilers are all dogsbut they're not the same
   because their genes are different.

Beagle
Chihuahua
Rottweilers
9
There are 3 components of biodiversity
Diversity of speciesFor example, monkeys,
dragonflies, and meadow beauties are all
different species.
Golden Skimmer
Meadow Beauty
Saki Monkey
10
There are 3 components of biodiversity
Variety of ecosystemsPrairies, Ponds, and
tropical rain forests are all ecosystems. Each
one is different, with its own set of species
living in it.
Paines Prairie
Florida Sand hill Pond
Hoh Rain Forest
11
Which has more biodiversity?
A
B
12
Which has more biodiversity?
A
B
13
Biodiversity has Intrinsic Value
Intrinsic Value Something that has value
in and of itself
14
Why Biodiversity is Important

• Protects the Atmosphere
• Greenhouse effect and amounts of O2 and CO2 in
  the atmosphere are regulated by the diversity of
  plant life.
• Agricultural Production
• Need the many different species of insects and
  birds to pollinate crops.

15
Why Biodiversity is Important

• Stable Ecosystems
• Life processes on earth are intricately
  connected damage to one could mean damage to
  another. Some species are codependent on each
  other.
• Ex. 20 different species of fig trees in Panama
  have a different wasp to pollinate each one.

16
What do we get from biodiversity?

• Oxygen
• Food
• Clean Water
• Medicine
• Aesthetics
• Ideas

17
Should we be concerned about biodiversity?

• What we know The Earth is losing species at an
  alarming rate
• Some scientists estimate that as many as 3
  species per hour are going extinct and 20,000
  extinctions occur each year.
• when species of plants and animals go extinct,
  many other species are affected.

18
How Biodiversity is Lost

• Destruction of Ecosystems
• Deforestation
• -loss in living space and culture for certain
  aboriginal groups
• -increase global warming
• -flooding, landslides, soil erosion, wildfires
• Desertification
• over-cultivation, overgrazing, deforestation,
  and inappropriate irrigation techniques

19
How Biodiversity is Lost

• Introduction of New Species
• Ex. 1960s elm trees rapidly died in North
  America as a result of a fungus disease that was
  brought here by beetles on a load of European
  lumber.

20
Other Threats to Biodiversity

• Habitat destruction
• Pollution
• Species Introductions
• Global Climate Change
• Exploitation