Biodiversity Resources

Miller & Spoolman, 17th Edition Chapter

4 &9
 Biological diversity/ Biodiversity- is the variation of
life forms (plant, animals and microorganisms) within a
given ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth

Ecosystem: is a community of living organisms

(plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with the
nonliving components of their environment (e.g. air,
water and mineral soil), interacting as a system

Biomes: are large regions of the world with similar

climate (weather, temperature) animals and plants.
There are five major categories of biomes on earth

Desert Biomes: Hot and Dry Deserts, Semi Arid

Deserts, Coastal Deserts and Cold Deserts.

Aquatic Biomes: Grouped into two, Freshwater Biomes

(lakes and ponds, rivers and streams, wetlands) and
Marine Biomes (oceans, coral reefs and estuaries).

Forest Biomes: There are three main biomes that make

up Forest Biomes. These are the Tropical Rainforest,
Temperate and Boreal/Taiga Forests

Grassland Biomes: two main types: the Savanna

Grasslands and the Temperate Grasslands

Tundra Biomes: two major typesThe Artic Tundra and

the Alpine Tundra- (around the North Pole)
 Tundra means a
barren land. The
ground is
permanently frozen
hence trees can't
grow there

The vegetation is
composed of dwarf
shrubs, and grasses,
mosses, and lichens.
In the winter it is cold and dark and in the summer, it is very soggy
and covered with marshes, lakes, bogs and streams that breed
thousands of insects and attract many migrating birds

Alpine tundra does not have permafrost, and alpine soils are
generally better drained than arctic soils. climate and soils at high
altitude block tree growth.
 Measurement of Biodiversity

It is measured as number of species of plants and

animals

E.g. Corn field with 2 species of beetle and tropical

rain forest 5, 000 species of trees

Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth. It is

consistently richer in the tropics and less towards
the poles
 Species
Set of individuals who can mate and produce fertile
offspring

Every organism is a member of a certain species with

certain distinctive traits. E.g. all humans-Homo sapiens
sapiens species.

8 million to 100 million species

1.9 million identified

Unidentified are mostly in rain forests and oceans

Biodiversity includes the followin
 (iv) Functional Diversity. The biological and (iii) Ecological Diversity. The
chemical processes such as energy fow variety of terrestrial and
and matter recycling needed for the survival aquatic ecosystems found
of species, communities, and ecosystems. in an area or on the earth.

Solar
Chemical
nutrients (carbon energy
Heat dioxide, oxygen,
nitrogen,
minerals)

Heat Heat

Decomposers Producers
(bacteria, fungi) (plants)

Consumers
(plant eaters,
Heat meat eaters) Heat

(ii) Genetic Diversity. The variety of (i)Species Diversity. The number and abundance of
genetic material within a species or a species present in different communities.
population. Fig. 4-2, p. 82
 Species Biodiversity

Two of the worlds 1.9 million known species; Columbia lily (left) and
the great egret (white heron) (right).

Generally, the more the diverse the habitat the greater the diversity of species one could
expect to find in an area.
Fig. 4-3, p. 82
 Genetic Diversity

Genetic diversity among

individuals in a population of a
species of Caribbean snail is
reflected in the variations in shell
color and banding patterns.

Genetic diversity can also include other variations e.g. slight

differences in chemical makeup, sensitivity to various chemicals,
and behavior

Genetic diversity within an interbreeding population increases the

chances that some species will survive during changing
environmental conditions or during the outbreak of disease.
Fig. 4-4, p. 83
Ecosystem diversity

The earths variety of deserts,

grasslands, forests, mountains,
oceans, lakes, rivers, and
wetlands is another major
component of biodiversity.

Each of these ecosystems is a

storehouse of genetic and
species diversity.
 Functional diversity
The variety of processes such as energy fow
and matter cycling that occur within
ecosystems as species interact with one another
in food chains and webs.

Fig 3-11, pg 62
Why We Care About Biodiversity?

Use Value: Usefulness in terms of

(i) economic goods and services,
(ii) ecological services, (iii)
scientific information.

Nonuse Value: (i) existence value

to know that a species exists
even if we never get to use it, (ii)
aesthetics to appreciate the
beauty of something, (iii) bequest
protect for use by future
generations.
 Economic importance of biodiversity
Biodiversity provides :-
(i)Consumptive uses-natural products such as timber, fish,
game, berries and mushrooms, firewood, and medicinal
plants

(ii) Non-consumptive uses-guiding, viewing, recreation,

education, science, and natural control of pests

(iii) Future options-products or use not realized today, but

which may become important in the future
(iv) Genetic diversity in species is important because

Most of the worlds food crops come from just a few

species and wild species serve as reservoirs of
desirable genetic traits that might be needed to
improve domestic crop species (disease- and insect-
resistance).

Many of the medicines that are used today are

derived from plants or other organisms.

Scientists continue to find new extracts from

plants and other organisms that help in the
treatment of human diseases.
 Ecological importance of biodiversity
A healthy biosphere provides many services to
humans and other organisms that live on Earth.
Green plants provide oxygen to the atmosphere and remove carbon
dioxide (Biodiversity maintains air quality).

Natural processes provide drinking water that is safe for human use
(maintains water quality).

Healthy ecosystems provide protection against floods and droughts,

generate and preserve healthy fertile top soils, detoxify and
decompose wastes, and regulate local climates.

Habitat & breeding areas for wildlife

Control populations of species that humans consider to be pests

Insects also play a major role in pollination

Importance of Insects

The monarch butterfly, like bees

and numerous other insects, feeds
on pollen in a flower, and pollinates
flowering plants that serve as food
for many plant eaters, including
humans.

The praying mantis, which is eating

a house cricket and many other
insect species help to control the
populations of most of the insect
species we classify as pests.
Fig. 4-A, p. 83
 Ethical or cultural importance of
biodiversity
Ethical values of biodiversity to be based on intangible
and cultural influenced values. These are categorized
as being:

Existence value
Option value
Bequest value
Existence value
where people conserve an element of biodiversity for its
own sake, without an intention of using it.

This could be a species or population.

Existence values include:

Aesthetic enjoyment; the natural beauty of old growth
forests, or forested landscapes teaming with wildlife

Intrinsic rights; where the mere existence of something

gives it a right to continue, and to be protected

Spiritual health; where people receive inspirational,

religious, or cultural benefit from nature. For some, this can
only be found in natural, old forest settings
 Option value conserving an element of biodiversity
for later use (i.e., setting catch limits of a specific lake
to ensure continuous opportunities for sport fishing).

Bequest value conserving biodiversity for the sake of

future generations. This is the idea of sustainable forest
development.
 Threats to Biodiversity
Some human activities destroy biodiversity in
ecosystems

Species are becoming extinct 100 to 1,000 times faster

than they were before modern humans arrived on the
earth (the background rate), and by the end of this
century, the extinction rate is expected to be 10,000
times the background rate.

Current evidence suggests that reduced biodiversity

might have serious long-term effects on the biosphere
 According to biological and fossil evidence, all species
eventually become extinct.

During most of the 3.5 billion years that life has existed
on the earth, there has been a natural, low rate of
species extinction known as the background
extinction rate.

An extinction rate is expressed as a percentage or

number of species that go extinct within a certain time
period e.g. one year

The balance between formation of new species and

extinction of existing species determines the earths
biodiversity
 The extinction of many species in a relatively short
period of geologic time is called a mass extinction.

Major climate change or large-scale catastrophes

such as volcanic eruptions can result in mas
extinction

A species is defined as extinct when the last of its

surviving member dies

Species that are heading toward biological extinction

as either endangered or threatened.
 An endangered species has so few individual
survivors that the species could soon become extinct.

A threatened species ( or vulnerable species) still

has enough remaining individuals to survive in the
short term, but because of declining numbers, it is
likely to become endangered in the near future.
Figure 9-2,
examples of
endangered
species
Assignment: Read the case study in
chapter 9: The polar beers

Polar beers are in the prone extinction,

discuss?
 Factors that Threaten
Biodiversity
The current high rate of extinction is due to the
activities of a single speciesHomo sapiens.

Since
1980, 40 species of plant and animals have
become extintic in USA alone

Humans are changing conditions on Earth faster than

new traits can evolve to cope with the new conditions.

Evolving
species might not have the natural resources
they need.
Natural resources are all materials and organisms found in
the biosphere, including minerals, fossil fuels, nuclear fuels,
plants, animals, soil, clean water, clean air, and solar
energy.
(i) Overexploitation
Overexploitation, or
excessive
use, of species that have
economic value is a factor
increasing the current rate of
extinction.

Historically,
overexploitation was
the primary cause of species
extinction.
Bison the population declined from 30
million to just over 1,000 by 1890

Passenger Pigeons (N. America, 1986)

Rhinoceros (Javan rhino was declared

extinct in Vietnam in 2011)
(ii) Habitat Loss
If a habitat is destroyed or disrupted, the native species
might have to relocate or they will die.

Destruction of habitat e.g. the clearing of tropical

rainforests, draining a wet land, has a direct impact on
global biodiversity.

Disruption of habitat - the declining population of one

species can affect an entire ecosystem.
 (iii) Fragmentation of
Habitat
The separation of an ecosystem into small pieces of land (habitat
fragmentation) through e.g.

construction of roads
Grazing

Buildings Cultivation

Draining wetlands
Dredging

Nutrient enrichment Stopping fire
Clearing
oThe smaller the parcel of land, the fewer species it can
support.

oFragmentation reduces the opportunities for individuals in

one area to reproduce with individuals from another area.
(Genetic diversity decreases over time)

oCarving the large ecosystem into small parcels increases

the number of edges (boundaries) between and within
ecosystemscreating edge effects
 Effects of fragmentation
Biotic issues
Restrict range of organisms

For migratory animals, if range is restricted, they can starve e.g. zebra ,
wildebeest by building a city

Abiotic issues
Climate change

Edge effect: different conditions along the edges of an ecosystem

e.g., pH, temp, salinity, water depth etc.

Edge effects often make some species more vulnerable to

predators and parasites.

Some species find these conditions favorable and they thrive.