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Conserving Life

Conserving Life. Biodiversity . The variety of life in an ecosystem. Biodiversity increases as you near the equator. 3 most diverse biomes:. Coral Reef Tropical Rainforest Wetlands Marsh. Why is Biodiversity important?. Beautiful and scenic Good for our health and an ecosystem’s health

althea-kelly
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Conserving Life

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  1. Conserving Life

  2. Biodiversity • The variety of life in an ecosystem.

  3. Biodiversity increases as you near the equator

  4. 3 most diverse biomes: • Coral Reef • Tropical Rainforest • Wetlands Marsh

  5. Why is Biodiversity important? • Beautiful and scenic • Good for our health and an ecosystem’s health • (diet, medicines, and disease prevention)

  6. Loss of biodiversity

  7. Extinct species • A species once present on Earth but has died out

  8. Endangered species • A species in danger of becoming extinct. http://webecoist.com/2008/11/03/strange-rare-bizarre-endangered-flowers-plants-and-trees/

  9. Threatened species • A species likely to become endangered in the near future.

  10. What causes the loss of biodiversity? “HIPPO” • Habitat Loss • Invasive Species • Poaching • Pollution • Over population by humans

  11. 1. Habitat Loss • Deforestation • Slash and burn • Makes soil more fertile for farming • Nutrient poor soil in rain forest

  12. Negative Effects of Deforestation • Loss of habitat – crowds out species • Increases levels of CO2 – contributing to global warming

  13. Encroachment • Slowly moving into a species’ habitat • Examples • Road building & farming and housing development

  14. 2. Invasive Species • Species that are introduced into an environment they are not originally from • Synonyms for exotic: alien, feral, invasive, introduced

  15. Cane Toads • Released on purpose to kill cane beetles • Skin contains deadly toxins • Practically no predators • 101 have turned into 200 million over 70 years http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090326.wcane0326/BNStory/Science/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_vs._Australia

  16. Fire Ants • Stowed away on ship to Alabama • Sting feels like burn • Kills native insects

  17. Killer Bees • More aggressive honey bees • Escaped from lab in Brazil • Kills native bee species

  18. Non-harmful invasive species • Wheat • Rice • Dogs • Cats • Horses • Pigs • Cows • Goats

  19. How do they arrive?

  20. Invasive species in FL A Burmese python attempted to eat an alligator

  21. http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/enter

  22. What’s the problem? • Crowd out native species • No predators • Decreases biodiversity

  23. 3. Poaching • Illegal hunting (killing) OR • Illegally removing a species from its habitat

  24. Poached Species • Big Cats – Fur • Elephants – Ivory • Rhinoceros – Horns • Orangutans – Pets • Macaws – Pets “In 2005 there were nearly 88,000 mammals, 1.3 million reptiles and 203 million fish imported illegally into the United States.” -Reuters

  25. Poaching http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=7513626

  26. 4. Pollution • Water Pollution • Air Pollution • Ground Pollution

  27. Water Pollution • Pesticides

  28. Pesticide Use • Pesticide= chemicals used to kill a pest (rodent, insect, fungus, etc.) • Runoff with rainwater puts it into local water systems. • Disrupts aquatic food chains

  29. DDT • Pesticide used to kill mosquitoes • Blamed for decline in bird of prey populations • Fish in polluted water eaten by birds • Travels up the food chain • Top predators (eagles, peregrine falcons) affected most

  30. These birds lay eggs with thin shells • U.S. banned DDT in 1972 • DDT still used in tropical locations to fight malaria • Some oppose ban due to DDT’s ability to fight malaria

  31. Fertilizer Use • Runoff into lakes • Causes rapid algae growth (algae bloom)

  32. Algae blocks sunlight and…. • Plants die (less oxygen) • Decomposers break down dead plants (& use up oxygen) • No oxygen available to other animals and they “suffocate”

  33. Mercury • Mercury released into the air when burned, and mixes with rainfall to get into the water. • Found in high quantities in fish • Can damage nervous and reproductive systems (Pregnant women and young kids at highest risk)

  34. Hatters used mercury to shape felt hats and often were poisoned. “Mad as a Hatter” references this.

  35. Mercury can accumulate in the food chain.

  36. Mercury is often combined with other metals for fillings (ADA says this is safe)

  37. Air Pollution • Pollutants released into air usually from burning fossil fuels

  38. Air Pollution causes… • Global warming • Ozone depletion • Acid Rain • Carbon Monoxide poisoning

  39. Ground Pollution • Soil becomes polluted when air pollutants drift to the ground or when water leaves pollutants behind as it flows through the soil.

  40. 5. Over Population of Humans

  41. Population numbers

  42. Overpopulation • As more humans are added to our planet, the demand for natural resources (for energy, food and shelter) increases and more land is cleared for development.

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