Biodiversity

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Biodiversity
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What is Biodiversity?

• Biodiversity has been seen as the total (and
  irreducible) complexity of all life, including
  not only the great variety of organisms but also
  their varying behavior and interactions.

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What is Biodiversity?

• Biological diversity refers to 3 different
  things
• 1.variety of different species (species
  diversity)
• 2. Variety of ecosystems (ecological diversity)

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• 3. genetic variability among individuals within a
  species (genetic diversity)

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• Areas with higher numbers of DIFFERENT species
  are more diverse than those that have high
  numbers of the same type of species (abundance)

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• Do not confuse biodiversity with abundance!!!!!!

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Values of Biodiversity

• Food supplies (100 of protein comes from 9
  domesticated animals aquaculture)
• Genes
• Biological control agents (control of gypsy moths
  using Bacillus thuringienis)
• Natural products

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• Values of Biodiversity
• Pesticides many tropical plants produce
  chemicals that deter predators
• Medicines about 121 prescription drugs are
  produced from higher plants

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• Values of Biodiversity
• Fertilizers species of bacteria from the deep
  ocean are capable of nitrogen fixation this
  nitrogen can be used as fertilizer for crops

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• Values of Biodiversity
• Materials fibers (silkworms), coatings (waxes
  from insects), adhesives (protein from milk
  called casein), biopolymers (bacteria), oils
  (tropical plants), enzymes (vent bacteriastable
  at high temps)

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• 4. Environmental services pollination (bees,
  bats), biodegradation (microorganisms) , soil
  aeration (earthworms), fertilization (bacteria),
  CO2/O2 exchange (plants), water storage (plants)

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Applications in/out of the classroom

• Backyard ecology get outside, enumerate
  different areas around your school or take a
  field trip and compare the number of different
  organisms in various habitats have students
  investigate why certain areas are more diverse
  than others
• - use 1 x 1 meter quadrates for microhabitats

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• Biodiversity Surveys Visit a particular
  environment (beach, swamp, forest) and do a
  survey to find out about diversity in that area.
  Choose a particular group of animals or plants
  and write a report based on what you have found.
  Find out about threats to local biodiversity
  during your visit.

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• Animal Survival Report Card Examples of the
  major threats to biodiversity are habitat
  modification, pollution and poor management
  practices. Consequently many sea animals are in
  trouble. Research a sea animal, find out more
  about its
• habitat and the ecosystem it belongs to. Write
  a report card for the survival of this marine
  species.

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• Similar but Different Collect pictures of
  animals and plants and use different strategies
  to classify them into different groups based on
  similarities and differences.

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• World Ecoregions (see handout)
• http//www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/terres
  trial.html

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• Priority conservation areas
• http//www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/global
  .html

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• More than 200 priority areas have been identified
  by the WWF as the most critical regions for
  conservation
• They are some of the richest, rarest, and most
  endangered terrestrial, marine, and freshwater
  natural areas on the planet

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• See handouts (Appalachian and Mixed Mesophytic
  forests Chesapeake Bay)

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• Food in the SeaHave students investigate their
  local shops to find at least ten different items
  from the sea that are used for food or added to
  food. What other foods from the sea are eaten in
  different cultures?
• Threatened Species Investigate animals or plants
  that are rare or threatened in your state or
  region. What plans are in place to assist in
  their recovery?

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• National Park/Wildlife Refuge Map With a map of
  the U.S., mark in all the existing
  Terrestrial/Marine National Parks and Wildlife
  Refuges as well as the types of biodiversity they
  are conserving. In a different color mark in
  places where parks are proposed. In third color
  mark where you think there should be a park and
  why.

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• Amazing Life Write and design an advertisement
  to promote the amazing biodiversity of your state
  or region.
• Patterns of Diversity Identify and compare a
  range of different features of aquatic organisms
  (eg, fins, eyes, gills, tail shapes, eggs,and
  body shapes) Show in a class presentation or
  report how different features are useful in
  assisting in survival in different environments
  or conditions.

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• Local pond biodiversity (see handout)
• Backyard blitz (see handout)
• Diversity debate (see handout)
• Environment diagrams (see handout)
• Urban nature search (see handout)
• Biodiversity and the importance of endangered
  species (see handout)
• Biodiversity activities from Access Excellence
  (see handout)

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• The value of biodiversity from the San Diego Zoo
  (see handout)