23-3 The Importance of Biodiversity

1
23-3 The Importance of Biodiversity

• Provides new genetic material for the improvement
  of farm plants.
• Provides a source of natural chemicals used in
  the development of medicines.

2
Loss of Biodiversity

• Humans benefit directly from high biodiversity.
• The loss of biodiversity threatens the health of
  the global ecosystem and therefore indirectly
  threatens human health.

3
Crop Genetics

• Provides new genetic material for farm plants.

4
Crop Genetics

• Genetic material from wild crop ancestors is
  used to develop strains of crops that are
  resistant to diseases and pests, and which may be
  more suited to certain climatic conditions such
  as drought, heat, humidity and so on.

5
Crop Genetics

• Some groups are collecting and storing the
  genetic material for future use.

6
Rain Forests Medicines

• Many medicines come from the rain forests plants.
• More than 25 of medicines come from plants and
  plant substances.

7
Rain Forests Medicines

• As rain forests are destroyed, plants and
  their applications to the development of new
  medicines may be lost.
• When land is clear-cut, the soil becomes
  nutrient poor.

8
Rain Forests Medicines

• The Pacific Yew (tree) produces a substance to
  fight cancer.
• Foxglove (plant) produces a substance called
  digitalis which is a heart medication.

9
Wilderness Areas

• A wilderness area is an area where the ecosystem
  is relatively undisturbed by the activities of
  humans.
• These are areas that are havens for some
  organisms that may no longer exist anywhere else.
• They also serve as places for recreation for
  people and are vital to emotional health.

10
Mass Extinctions vs. Natural Extinction

• Mass extinctions involve the disappearance of
  entire ecosystems, both species and niches are
  disappearing. This is todays pattern of
  extinction.
• Natural extinction sees the individual species
  disappearing.