Biodiversity

1. Biodiversity Ms. Petrauskas

2. The importance of Biodiversity • Biodiversity is the variety of life in a particular ecosystem; also known as biological diversity • Found by counting the number of species in a particular habitat • Species richness is the number of species in the area • * When you have species richness, you have biodiversity

3. Where to find it? • Closest to the equator is where biodiversity is greatest

4. Extinction • Refers to species that have died out and no longer can be found on earth • Natural process (wooly mammoth, dinosaurs, dodo bird): 5 in the past billion years • Asteroid or massive volcanic eruption • Humans have increased the rate of extinctions occurring: 700 in past 400 years

5. Other terms…. • Extirpated: a species that no longer exists in an area (paddlefish from all of Canada) • Endangered: a species facing imminent extirpation or extinction (barn owl in some areas) • Threatened: likely to become endangered if factors reducing survival do not change (humpback whale) • Special concern: may become threatened or endangered from a combination of factors (polar bear)

6. Biodiversity threatened • Many things are reducing biodiversity including habitat loss, deforestation, urban expansion, pollution, climate change, invasive species etc…..

7. Causes • Habitat loss and fragmentation • Urbanization • Introduction of non-native species • Pollution • Human consumption (deforestation, mining, wetland destruction and dumps)

8. 1. Habitat loss and fragmentation • Habitat loss: Conversion of natural habitats into farmland, urban areas and transportation routes (400 expansion) • Fragmentation: the division of a large habitat into smaller ones • larger animals need larger habitats to survive • Creates more exposure to pollution

9. Ecosystem Sustainability • Creating corridors between fragments • Increase proximity of fragments • Increase the size of habitats • Reduce outside influence

10. 2. Introduction of non-native species • Invasive species: a non-native species whose intentional or accidental introduction negatively impacts the natural environment • You are already well acquainted with some alien, or non-native, species like Kentucky bluegrass, periwinkle, lily of the valley, cats (Africa), potatoes(South America), corn (Mexico)and the dandelion..

11. Zebra Mussels • They are extremely harmful because they eat food that young fish eat, bottom feeders spike because of increased lake deposits, increase clarity due to filtration causes increased weed growth, light sensitive fish need new habitat • any surface, including other animals like mussels and block water pipes, sink bouys, cover boat hulls(reduce sailing capability)

12. Round Goby • Found throughout the great lakes, St. Clair river reaching densities of 100 per cubic centimetre of water. • Fast breeding and extremely aggressive • Feed on other fish eggs (reducing their ability to reproduce)

13. Asia long-horned Beetle • Attack both healthy and weakened leafy trees, dig holes into trees to lay eggs. 1 female can lay up to 32 eggs. The holes leave the trees exposed to disease. Kills the trees. • Limit habitat and food for many species and could impact forest and urban biodiversity.

14. Effect of invasive species • Ecological: competition can lead to population decline or extinction • Economical: Damage forests, lower crop yields, increased disease in livestock • Tourism: decrease wildlife viewing, fishing etc • Health: disease causing viruses like the west nile and pesticides can cause health issues

15. Controlling Invasives • Chemical: pesticides • Mechanical: kill them manually (pull weeds, discard of gobies and zebra mussels, put up barriers • Biological: introduce other species to control the invasives (challenging to get right, but effective)

16. 3. Pollution • Pollution: harmful contaminants released into the environment • VOC’s , CFC’s, methane, nitrous oxides, carbon dioxides-leads to global warming and acid rain • Acid precipitation: sulfur from burning fossil fuels • Change pH of lakes, rivers and streams killing fish and other aquatic species • Limestone helps neutralize • Damage terrestrial plants and change soil pH

17. Pollution cont. • Oil spills: oil is released into the ocean due to damaged oil tankers, faulty drilling and faulty oil lines (BP) • Skimming/vacuuming: collect floating oil • Bioremediation: use of micro-organisms to consume or breakdown the spilled oil • Burning: Burn the floating oil • Dispersal agents: break the oil down into small droplets with detergent

18. Plastics at Sea The western and Eastern Pacific garbage patches (twice the size of Texas)

19. 4. Deforestation (type of habitat loss) • Clear cutting: All • Shelterwood cutting: mature • Selective: thins out mature and young

20. Activity # 1 • Using your text come up with 2 solutions to each of the threats to biodiversity (Pages 83-105) • Invasive species • Pollution • Deforestation • Habitat loss and fragmentation

21. Activity # 2 • In groups come up with 5 questions dealing with your topic of biodiversity • Importance and distribution • Population dynamics, carrying capacity and equilibrium • Threats to biodiversity terms • Invasive species • Pollution • Deforestation • Habitat loss and fragmentation • Maintaining biodiversity