Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
SALVADOR
FACULTY OF LAWS
SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
ENGLISH II COURSE
BIODIVERSITY
TEACHER:
ANGLICA LPEZ PORTILLO
STUDENTS:
CABRERA REYES, ALMA ALEJANDRA
CR12047 2B
OSORIO RENDEROS, KARLA CECILIA
OR12007
RIVERA ALFARO, DIANA CAROLINA
RA12041
SOLRZANO RECINOS, CARMEN DEL PILAR
SR12020
GROUP 2A
SEMESTER 2, 2015
BIODIVERSI
TY
WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?
Biodiversity is the variety of life. It can be studied on many levels. At the highest level,
you can look at all the different species on the entire Earth. On a much smaller scale, you
can study biodiversity within a pond ecosystem or a neighborhood park. Identifying and
understanding the relationships between all the lives on Earth are some of the greatest
challenges in science.
The number and variety of plants, animals and other organisms that exist is known as
biodiversity. It is an essential component of nature and it ensures the survival of human
species by providing food, fuel, shelter, medicines and other resources to mankind. The
richness of biodiversity depends on the climatic conditions and area of the region. All
species of plants taken together are known as flora and about 70,000 species of plants are
known till date. All species of animals taken together are known as fauna which includes
birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, insects, crustaceans, molluscs, etc.
Most people recognize biodiversity by species. A species is a group of living organisms
that can interbreed. Examples of species include, blue whales, white-tailed deer, white
pine trees, sunflowers and microscopic bacteria that you cannot even see with your eye.
Biodiversity includes the full range of species that live in an area.
Yet another aspect of biodiversity is the variety of ecosystems such as those that occur in
deserts, forests, wetlands, mountains, lakes, rivers, and agricultural landscapes. In each
ecosystem, living creatures, including humans, form a community, interacting with one
another and with the air, water, and soil around them.
It is the combination of life forms and their interactions with each other and with the rest of
the environment that has made Earth a uniquely habitable place for humans. Biodiversity
provides a large number of goods and services that sustain our lives.1
TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY.
Species diversity is only one part of biodiversity. To properly catalogue all the life on Earth,
we also have to recognize the genetic diversity that exists within species as well as the
diversity of entire habitats and ecosystems.
Genetic Biodiversity.
Is the variation in genes that exists within a species. A helpful way to understand genetic
diversity is to think about dogs. All dogs are part of the same species, but their genes can
dictate whether they are Chihuahua or a Great Dane.
There can be a lot of variation in genes just think about all the colors, sizes, and shapes
that make up the genetic diversity of dogs. For example, in a particularly cold winter, many
individuals of a species may die from lack of insulation, but if the population as a whole
1 About biodiversity. Definition. Checked on Monday, November 9th, 2015 of
https://www.cbd.int/2010/biodiversity/
has genetic diversity for a trait such as fat storage, then at least some members of the
population will survive and the species will not become extinct. The next year, more
offspring will have the valuable trait and the species will evolve to tolerate the cooler
environment.
At the opposite extreme, characteristics of genetically healthy populations are a high
population size that includes many individuals that are unrelated to each other. Often, the
existence of disjunct populations, those separated by some geographic barrier that only
occasionally lets migrants through, ensures that there are always unrelated individuals.
Ecological Biodiversity.
Is the diversity of ecosystems, natural communities and habitats. In essence, its the
variety of ways that species interact with each other and their environment. The forests of
Maine differ from the forests of Colorado by the types of species found in both
ecosystems, as well as the temperature and rainfall. These two seemingly similar
ecosystems have a lot of differences that make them both special. A mountain range is as
an example of ecological diversity that illustrates the evolution and patterns of biodiversity.
Taxonomic Diversity.
The next level of biodiversity, taxonomic diversity, refers to the variety of individuals at a
given hierarchical level in the scientific naming system. This could be the number of
different species, genera, families, or kingdoms. For example, a cornfield may have
hundreds of birds living in it, but they may represent only three species that are all in one
family, meaning that there is low taxonomic diversity. A similar-sized area in a nearby forest
may also have hundreds of birds living in it, but these birds may be from twenty different
species that belong to eight families and three orders, representing a higher level of
diversity. Around the world, crops and livestock typically consist of only one species.
These monocultures support a low level of biodiversity. 2
Simply for the wonder of it all. There are few things as beautiful and inspiring as the
diversity of life that exists on Earth. 3
THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
Extinction is a natural part of life on Earth. Over the history of the planet most of the
species that ever existed, evolved and then gradually went extinct. Species go extinct
because of natural shifts in the environment that take place over long periods of time, such
as ice ages.
Today, species are going extinct at an accelerated and dangerous rate, because of nonnatural environmental changes caused by human activities. Some of the activities have
direct effects on species and ecosystems, such as:
LEGAL STATUS