population of organism, the more likely it is to be a rich ecosystem
- It is at highest in tropical regions.
Biological diversity or biodiversity involves three concepts:
Habitat Diversity Species Diversity Genetic Diversity HABITAT DIVERSITY • refers to the diversity of habitats in a given unit of area.
• refers to the range of habitats
present in a region. SPECIES DIVERSITY • refers to the total number or relative abundance of species.
• Species diversity is the number of
different species that are represented in a given community (a dataset). GENETIC DIVERSITY • refers to the total number of genetic characteristics of a specific species, subspecies, or group of species.
• Genetic diversity enables
populations to adapt to changing environments. A physically diverse habitat in which a number of organisms are able to adapt and survive. Moderate or little disruption, such as natural or anthropogenic disasters. High diversity in one trophic level that increases the diversity of the other levels. An environment highly modified by life processes. Processes that lead to evolution. Environmental stressors that limit the number of organisms able to adapt. Extreme environmental disturbance. Severe limitation in the supply of food, water and habitat due to increasing population. Recent introduction of alien species without unknown predators in that area. Geographical Isolation. WHY IS BIODIVERSITY IMPORTANT? Economic — biodiversity provides humans with raw materials for consumption and production. Ecological life support—biodiversity provides functioning ecosystems that supply oxygen, clean air and water, pollination of plants, pest control, wastewater treatment and many ecosystem services. Recreation—Our tourism industry also depends on biodiversity. WHY IS BIODIVERSITY IMPORTANT? Cultural—is closely connected to biodiversity through the expression of identity, through spirituality and through aesthetic appreciation. Scientific—biodiversity represents a wealth of systematic ecological data that help us to understand the natural world and its origins. BIODIVERSITY CRISIS refers to the rapid loss of species and the rapid degradation of ecosystems.
Extinction is the termination of an organism or of a group
of organisms (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species
Two types of Extinction:
• Mass Extinction • Background Extinction WAYS ON HOW TO PROTECT BIODIVERSITY? #1 Nature Preserves Nature preserves are a form of government regulation and are often known as National Parks. They protect a region and the organisms that live there from certain forms of development and provide access for people to visit them. #2 Habitat Restoration After an area is damaged by human impacts we can try to return it to its natural state. This means bringing back the plants and animals that are naturally found there #3 Captive breeding Captive breeding is when animals in captivity (often at zoos) are bred. On the positive side, it provides the opportunity to increase the population of the species, so they can be reintroduced into the wild.