Biology is hierarchical

Why study biodiversity, ecology, and

Kingdoms Ecosystems
conservation biology?
Phyla rs it y ”
dive Communities
Genera “Bio • What is biodiversity?

Species Populations • How do biologists organize biodiversity?

Organisms
• Why is biodiversity important?
Tissues and organs
• What is the “biodiversity crisis”?
Cells

Macromolecules (e.g. DNA, proteins) • How can we protect biodiversity?

Molecular subunits

Atoms

Earth’s biodiversity Earth’s biodiversity

Biodiversity – the diversity of life on Earth
– variety at all levels of biological organization

Components of biodiversity:
• Genetic diversity – genetic variation within populations
or species
• Species diversity – numbers of species within an area
• Diversity among higher taxa – variation between genera,
families, orders, etc.
• Ecosystem diversity – variation among ecosystems,
communities, landscapes
Are different groups of organisms equally diverse?
Are different parts of the world equally diverse

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 “an inordinate fondness
How many species are there? Actual biodiversity for beetles”

• about 1.5 million species have been named

• estimated to be between 5 and 30 million species on Earth

How is biodiversity organized? Regions and ecosystems vary in biodiversity

Variation among regions and ecosystems in
species composition and species diversity

Biodiversity hotspots – regions with very high biodiversity

• mainly in the tropics, also islands, some other areas

Diverse ecosystems – tropical rainforests, coral reefs, islands

Endemic species –found only one place in the world, often on islands

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Why is biodiversity important? What is the “biodiversity crisis”?
Humans are causing extinctions at a tremendous rate.
Economic value – resources, including food
– medicines and other helpful chemicals • ~100 times faster than expected without human activity
– genes for better crops
– “opportunity cost” • parallels or exceeds previous mass extinction events

Utilitarian value – prevent erosion

– purify water
– recycle CO2
– regulate climate
– recycle nutrients through decomposition
– collectively, “ecosystem services” current rate of extinction
is at least 100x background
Psychological value – direct or indirect enjoyment of nature

Intrinsic value – independent of humans

What if extinction > speciation?

What is the “biodiversity crisis”? What are the biggest threats to biodiversity?
Humans are causing extinctions at a tremendous rate. • habitat destruction and fragmentation
• ~100 times faster than expected without human activity
• parallels or exceeds previous mass extinction events

Why is the loss of biodiversity a crisis?

• economic value of biodiversity lost or threatened
• “ecological services” lost or threatened
• ecosystems more vulnerable to further degradation

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 What are the biggest threats to biodiversity? What are the biggest threats to biodiversity?
• habitat destruction and fragmentation • habitat destruction and fragmentation

• habitat modification • habitat modification

• introduced species

What are the biggest threats to biodiversity? What are the biggest threats to biodiversity?
• habitat destruction and fragmentation • habitat destruction and fragmentation

• habitat modification • habitat modification

• introduced species • introduced species

• overexploitation • overexploitation

What is the biggest terrestrial threat? marine?

Human population growth exacerbates all of these threats.

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 What is conservation biology? What do conservation biologists do?

• the science of protecting and restoring apply ecological and evolutionary principles :
biodiversity and ecological health
• to understand biodiversity and ecosystem functioning

• to understand threats to biodiversity and ecosystem health

• an applied science
• ultimately, to protect and restore biodiversity and ecosystem health

basic principles goals

ecology applied maintain biological diversity What makes a
evolutionary biology
to healthy ecosystem?
and ecosystem health
genetics
physiology How can we protect
and restore biodiversity
and ecosystem health?

What makes a healthy ecosystem? What makes a healthy ecosystem?

• intact structure and function • intact structure and function

Trophic levels:
–
Keystone species:
Functional groups,
e.g., pollinators:

–
+

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 What makes a healthy ecosystem? What makes a healthy ecosystem?
• intact structure and function • intact structure and function

Nutrient cycling: • resiliency of ecosystems to stress

Diversity:

Ecosystem services,
e.g., water purification:

What makes a healthy ecosystem? How do ecology and evolution inform conservation
biology?
• intact structure and function
• What is a species?
• resiliency of ecosystems to stress
• What determines whether species evolve or die?
Complexity and functional redundancy:
• Where does genetic variation come from?

• What determines whether populations grow or crash?

• How can competing species coexist?

• Why do ecosystems differ in biodiversity?

• How do communities and ecosystems “work”?

• What causes extinction?