Biodiversity and Conservation: Understanding Threats and Importance

1. Biodiversity and Conservation Essential Questions:EQ: What types of human activities can affect the biosphere? EQ: What is the value of biodiversity? EQ: What are the current threats to biodiversity? EQ: What is the goal of conservation biology?EQ: How could a worldwide increase in temperature affect organisms? Georgia Performance Standard: Assess and explain human activities that influence and modify the environment such as global warming, population growth, pesticide use, and water & power consumption.

2. Chapter 5 Biodiversity and Conservation Section 1: Biodiversity Section2: Threats to Biodiversity Section 3: Conserving Biodiversity

3. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.1 Biodiversity What is biodiversity? • Biodiversity is the variety of life in an area that is determined by the number of different species in that area. • Biodiversity increases the stability of an ecosystem and contributes to the health of the biosphere.

4. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.1 Biodiversity • The variety of genes or inheritable characteristics that are present in a population comprises its genetic diversity. • Genetic diversity increases the chances that some species will survive during changing environmental conditions or during the outbreak of disease.

5. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.1 Biodiversity • The number of different species and the relative abundance of each species in a biological community is called species diversity.

6. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.1 Biodiversity • The variety of ecosystems that are present in the biosphere is called ecosystem diversity. • An ecosystem is made up of interacting populations and the abiotic factors that support them.

7. Biodiversity and Conservation • Wild species serve as reservoirs of desirable genetic traits that might be needed to improve domestic crop species. Chapter 5 5.1 Biodiversity The Importance of Biodiversity • Most of the world’s food crops come from just a few species. Teosinte plant Domestic corn plant

8. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.1 Biodiversity • Scientists continue to find new extracts from plants and other organisms that help in the treatment of human diseases. Madagascar periwinkle

9. Biodiversity and Conservation • Green plants provide oxygen to the atmosphere and remove carbon dioxide. Chapter 5 5.1 Biodiversity • A healthy biosphere provides many services to humans and other organisms that live on Earth. • Natural processes provide drinking water that is safe for human use.

10. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.2 Threats to Biodiversity Factors that Threaten Biodiversity • The current high rate of extinction is due to the activities of a single species—Homo sapiens. • Humans are changing conditions on Earth faster than new traits can evolve to cope with the new conditions.

11. Human activities are altering trophic structure, energy flow, chemical cycling, and natural disturbances. Humans and other species depend on these processes. Extinction occurs when a species disappears from all or part of its range. A species whose population size is declining in a way that places it in danger of extinction is called an endangered species. As the population of an endangered species declines, the species loses genetic diversity Threats to Biodiversity: Extinction & Endangered Species

12. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5

13. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.2 Threats to Biodiversity

14. When land is developed, natural habitats may be destroyed. As habitats disappear, the species that live in those habitats vanish. In addition, development often splits ecosystems into pieces, a process calledhabitat fragmentation. Habitat islands are very different from large, continuous ecosystems. The smaller the “island,” the fewer species can live there. Habitat Alteration and Fragmentation

15. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.2 Threats to Biodiversity Fragmentation of Habitat • The separation of an ecosystem into small pieces of land is called habitat fragmentation. • The smaller the parcel of land, the fewer species it can support. • Fragmentation reduces the opportunities for individuals in one area to reproduce with individuals from another area. • Carving the large ecosystem into small parcels increases the number of edges—creating edge effects.

16. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.2 Threats to Biodiversity Habitat Loss • If a habitat is destroyed or disrupted, the native species might have to relocate or they will die. Destruction of Habitat • The destruction of habitat, such as the clearing of tropical rain forests, has a direct impact on global biodiversity.

17. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.2 Threats to Biodiversity Disruption of Habitat • The declining population of one species can affect an entire ecosystem.

18. Many forms of pollution can threaten biodiversity, but one of the most serious problems occurs when toxic compounds accumulate in the tissues of organisms EX: DDT In biological magnification, concentrations of a harmful substance increase in organisms at higher trophic levels in a food chain or food web. affects the entire food web, although top-level carnivores are at highest risk. Pollution

19. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.2 Threats to Biodiversity Pollution • Pollution and atmospheric changes threaten biodiversity and global stability. • Biological magnification is the increasing concentration of toxic substances in organisms as trophic levels increase in a food chain or food web.

20. Apparently harmless plants and animals that humans transport around the world either accidentally or intentionally. Introduced into new habitats, these organisms often becomeinvasive species (exotic)that reproduce rapidly. Invasive species increase their populations because their new habitat lacks the parasites and predators that control their population “back home.” Introduced Species

21. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.2 Threats to Biodiversity Overexploitation • Overexploitation, or excessive use, of species that have economic value is a factor increasing the current rate of extinction. • Bison • Passenger pigeons • Ocelot Rhinoceros • Rhinoceros Ocelot

22. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.2 Threats to Biodiversity Acid Precipitation (Acid Rain) • Sulfur and nitrogen compounds react with water and other substances in the air to form sulfuric acid and nitric acid. • Acid precipitation removes calcium, potassium, and other nutrients from the soil, depriving plants of these nutrients. Assessing Water Quality

23. The Formation of Acid Rain Section 6-2 Chemical Transformation Nitric acid Sulfuric acid Condensation Emissions to Atmosphere Nitrogen oxides Sulfur dioxide Dry Fallout Precipitation Acid rain, fog, snow, and mist particulates, gases Industry Transportation Ore smelting Power generation

24. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.2 Threats to Biodiversity Eutrophication • Eutrophication occurs when substances rich in nitrogen and phosphorus flow into waterways, causing extensive algae growth. • The algae use up the oxygen supply during their rapid growth and after their deaths during the decaying process. • Other organisms in the water suffocate.

25. Nonnative species that are either intentionally or unintentionally transported to a new habitat are known as introduced species. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.2 Threats to Biodiversity Introduced Species • Introduced species often reproduce in large numbers because of a lack of predators, and become invasive species in their new habitat.

26. Natural resources are materials that are supplied by nature. A renewable resource is one that is replaceable. A nonrenewable resource is one that cannot be replenished by natural processes. Once a nonrenewable resource is used up, it is gone forever. Examine the list of natural resources shown below. Then, classify each natural resource as either renewable or nonrenewable. a. Wood b. Fossil fuels c. Aluminum d. Wool e. Gold Describe the impact that the loss of nonrenewable resources would have on the environment. Checkpoint!

27. Humans take part in local and global food webs and chemical cycles within the biosphere. Human activities can change the flow of energy in an ecosystem and reduce the ability of ecosystems to recycle nutrients.   Hunting and gathering Agriculture Industry Urban development. Human Activity:EQ:What types of human activities can affect the biosphere?

28. Industrial growth Urban development Hunting and gathering Agriculture Green revolution Extinctions of large animals Increased pollution High standard of living Monoculture use Food supply Pesticide use Section 6-1 Human Activities that have changed the biosphere include may have once caused often relies on the methods of the have resulted in which increased Go to Section:

29. Environmental Benefit: Dependable supply of food Increase in nutrition (Green Revolution) Domestication of animals Environmental Cost: Pesticides and fertilizers that contaminate water and soil, thus harming ecosystems and changing biomes forever. Overgrazing, erosion, deplete water and energy supply Hunting, Gathering & Agriculture

30. The Industrial Revolution Large-scale agriculture Growth of cities Higher standard of living Depleted fossil fuels Pollute air, water, and soil Farmland and natural habitats are consumed Plant and animal populations become depleted Industrial Growth & Urban Development

31. Conservation biology is a goal-oriented science that seeks to counter the biodiversity crisis. What is the goal of conservation biology?

32. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.3 Conserving Biodiversity • Sustainable use means using resources at a rate in which they can be replaced or recycled while preserving the long-term environmental health of the biosphere.

33. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.3 Conserving Biodiversity Protecting Biodiversity • Currently, about seven percent of the world’s land is set aside as some type of reserve. • The United Nations supports a system of Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage sites.

34. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.3 Conserving Biodiversity Natural Resources • The consumption rate of natural resources is not evenly distributed.

35. PlowingSoil erosion: wearing away of surface soil by water and wind Farming, overgrazing, and drought Desertification Sustainable Use: contour plowing leaving the stems and roots of the previous year’s crop in place to help hold the soil planting a field with rye rather than leaving it unprotected from erosion Land Resources

36. Temperate forests of the northeastern United States can be considered renewable Old-growth forests in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest are considered nonrenewable Takes a long time to grow back Contains a rich variety of species Deforestation erosion, grazing or plowing  permanent changes to local soils and microclimates that prevent the regrowth of trees Forest Resources

37. Sustainable Use: mature trees can be harvested selectively to promote the growth of younger trees and preserve the forest ecosystem Foresters plant, manage, harvest, and replant tree farms in places where forests have already been cut. Tree farms can now be planted and harvested efficiently, making them fully renewable resources. Tree geneticists are also breeding new, faster-growing tree varieties that produce high-quality wood. Forest Resources

38. Ocean Resources: Overfishing Fish populations declined Sustainable Use: limit the catch Aquaculture (farming of aquatic organisms) + produce animal protein. - can pollute water with fish wastes and can damage local aquatic ecosystems Ocean Resources:

39. Air Resources: Burning of fossil fuels pollute the air and cause smog Combustion processes release acidic gas  acid rain kill plants and standing water ecosystems Sustainable Use: Automobile emission standards Clean Air Regulations on industries Air Resources:

40. Renewable Resource Total supply of fresh water is limited Oil spills Sewage  overgrowth of algae and bacteria; disease Sustainable Use: Wetlands purifying water that passes through them. Water treatment plants Water Resources:

41. Sustainable Agriculture Biological Pest Control The use of predators and parasites to control destructive insects minimizes pesticide use as well as crop damage Cover Crops Legumes, grasses, and other cover crops recycle soil nutrients, reduce fertilizer need, and prevent weed growth. Controlled Grazing By managing graze periods and herd densities, farmers can improve nutrient cycling, increase the effectiveness of precipitation, and increase the carrying capacity of pastures. Crop Rotation Different crops use and replenish different nutrients. By rotating crops, the loss of important plant nutrients is decreased. Contour Plowing Contour plowing reduces soil erosion from land runoff. On hilly areas, plowing is done across the hill rather than straight up and down.

42. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.3 Conserving Biodiversity • Resources that are replaced by natural processes faster than they are consumed are called renewable resources. • Resources that are found on Earth in limited amounts or those that are replaced by natural processes over extremely long periods of time are called nonrenewable resources.

43. Renewable resources can regenerate and are therefore replaceable. not necessarily unlimited Ex: trees, freshwater (can be limited by drought and overuse) Nonrenewable resources cannot be replenished by natural processes. fossil fuels Coal Oil Natural gas Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources 

44. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5

45. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.3 Conserving Biodiversity Restoring Ecosystems • The larger the affected area, the longer it takes for the biological community to recover.

46. The use of living organisms, such as prokaryotes, fungi, or Biodiversity and Conservation plants, to detoxify a polluted area is called bioremediation. Chapter 5 5.3 Conserving Biodiversity Bioremediation

47. Biodiversity and Conservation Chapter 5 5.3 Conserving Biodiversity Biological Augmentation • Adding natural predators to a degraded ecosystem is called biological augmentation. Ladybugs help control aphid populations. Photo courtesy of Nature’s Control

48. 1. List three ways in which other organisms have proved to be a benefit to humans. 2. Compare biodiversity with other natural resources, such as wood and fossil fuels. Do you think biodiversity is a renewable or a nonrenewable resource? Explain your answer. 3. What can be done to preserve the biodiversity of organisms? Checkpoint!!