Loss of Biodiversity

1. Loss of Biodiversity Group members: Annabelle (leader), Ronald, Shanu, and Matthew Fun Fact: The United Nations declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity.

2. What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity is the different amount of lifeforms/species in an ecosystem or biome.     Biodiversity differs depending on region. In some areas you will find more species than others. Biodiversity is also used to judge how "healthy" an ecosystem is.     On Earth, there are billions of different species, many of which have yet to be discovered. Many of those unknown organisms thrive in places like the deep ocean floor, or perhaps tropical rain forests.

3. Problem: Loss of Biodiversity Biodiversity is rapidly decreasing. Due to harmful human activities, such as pollution and overfishing, humans often disrupt the delicate balance of an ecosystem, endangering species found in that area. More than 99.9% of species that have existed on this planet are now extinct, some more famous than others, like the dodo bird and the passenger pigeon. The Earth has suffered five major biodiversity losses, and currently biodiversity is dropping drastically despite efforts to save certain lifeforms from dying.

4. Human Influence on Biodiversity A reason why biodiversity is constantly decreasing is because of human interactions with the environment. Humans harm the habitats of certain animals, so they can no longer live there. For example:  When we cut down trees, it is taking away homes for animals that live there, like birds or squirrels. Also, when people like farmers spray chemicals on their crops to keep away pests, it gets into the soil and harms animals that do not effect the crops.  This causes more and more animals to die out, and their species eventually become extinct. When humans take away the habitats of animals, these animals must go find new homes. However, many of them cannot adapt to new living conditions which cause them to die out. The species that can survive are the only ones who stay alive, which cause less biodiversity within ecosystems.

5. Extent of Loss of Biodiversity  • Due to human activity, there have been many extinctions of species. Most of the loss is occuring underwater in coral reefs and deep in the ocean. • 90% of all large fish have disappeared from the ocean • 10- 30% of mammal,amphibian and bird species are at risk of extinction • About 12% of the world's plant species have become extremely rare • Amphibians, which are like the marker of a healthy ecosystem, are decreasing at an alarming rate • If the climate changes doesn't stop, 20% of lizard species might become extinct by 2080

7. Ways to Save Biodiversity TDWG, the Taxonomic Database Working Group (terrible but quirky name that has stuck!) With the advent of the Internet, TDWG now focuses on the development, adaption or adoption of standards that enables biodiversity data to be shared between organizations. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institution STRI aims to offer research facilities that allow staff scientists, fellows, and visiting scientists to achieve their research objectives. The 38 staff scientists reside in the tropics and are encouraged to pursue their own research priorities without geographic limitations. ETC group- dedicated to the conservation and sustainable improvement of agricultural biodiversity, and to the socially responsible development of technologies useful to rural societies. All of these groups protect and try to maintain the delicate balance of biodiversity by gathering data and encouraging "greenliness."

8. Bibliography http://tiee.ecoed.net/vol/v6/experiment/biodiversity_responses/abstract.html http://redpath-museum.mcgill.ca/Qbp/3.Conservation/impacts.htm http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-ofbiodiversity-and-extinictions

9. Questions: 1) What is biodiversity? 2) List three causes of loss of biodiversity 3) List one organization that saves biodiversity 4) What percent of plant species has become extremely rare? 5) Name two extinct species that have been destroyed due to human influence. 6) Think of one way how you can save biodiversity. 7) Name one way humans influence biodiversity. 8) If a species was dying, and you were a scientist, what would you do to save that species?