BIODIVERSITY
WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a given area. We measure biodiversity by the number of species present - the lower the amount of species, the lower the amount of biodiversity. Also, the warmer the climate, the more biodiversity you will find. It is the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat, a high level of which is usually considered to be important and desirable.
IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY:
Biodiversity adds to the beauty of nature. Life depends on life, and breaking any one part of the food chain can have devasting effects on the community.
IMPORTANCE TO PEOPLE:
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oxygen is supplied
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CO2 is removed
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it produces a variety in your diet
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cloth production
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Biodiversity brings stability to an ecosystem.
ISLAND BIODIVERSITY:
If all abiotic factors are the same, then the larger islands will contain a greater amount of biodiversity.
When a smaller island is in a warmer climate than a larger island, the smaller island will most likely have a greater biodiversity.
TREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
Changes to habitats can threaten organisms with extinction. These changes are the causes of threats to biodiversity.
EXAMPLES:
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habitat loss
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habitat fragmentation
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habitat degregation
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introduction of exotic species
ENDANGERED ANIMALS
CLASSES OF ENDANGERED ANIMALS:
CRITICALLY ENDANGERED - an animal with a 50% chance of extiction within the next 10 years
ENDANGERED - an animal with a 20% chance of extiction in 20 years
VULNERABLE - an animal with a 10% chance of extiction within the next 100 years
NEAR THREATENED / LESSER CONCERNED
EXTINCT - an animal with no sightings of its specie in the last 50 years
LOCALLY EXTINCT - gone from some habitats although are still alive in others
WHAT ARE THREE REASONS WHY BIODIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT:
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Biodiversity can boost an eco system, making all species, no matter how big or how small they are, an equal and very important role to play within their natural habitat.
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Biodiversity can also supply large amounts of oxygen and at the same time can remove carbon dioxide.
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A large amount of plant species can mean a greater variety of animals and crops.
WHAT DOES THREATENED AND ENDANGERED MEAN?
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THREATENED - when an animal is threatened, it means that its numbers have have decreased, although are not yet at the loss rate of 20%. When they reach this rate, it will mean they are endangered.
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ENDANGERED - endangered species have been specsifically catagorised into a group of special and protected animals that are under the threat of becoming extinct. Endangered means that the species number have seveerly decreased and if the circumstances remain the same, the species will be extinct (dead) in just a number of years.
HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM EXTINCT?
Extinct species are animals that are no longer living and will never again come back to life. Every single animal of the species have died.
HOW DO WE PROTECT BIODIVERSITY? NAME AND EXPLAIN ALL OF THE STRATAGIES:
We need biodiversity to be able to survive on earth, we use its valuable ecosystems, oxygen, food, clean water and much more in our everyday lives. Today, due to human civilization, the amount of biodiversity within our world is decreasing at a rapid rate. And with the human population only increasing, the circumstances for biodiversity are not getting any better.
One thing that we as humans can do is try to caucious about about what we consume and also the amount of what we consume (products that do not harm the environment are ideal). We also need to average our purchasing powers.
WHAT EXAMPLES OF ENDANGERED SPECIES WERE SHOWN IN THE VIDEO?
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Californian Condor
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Przewalski's Horse
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American Alligator
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Homerus Swallowtail Butterfly
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Scimitar-horned Oryx
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Tibetan Yak
WHAT IS BEING DONE TO HELP PROTCT THESE SPECIES FROM EXTINCTION?
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Preserving habitats - setting up nature preserves
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Setting up habitat corridoors
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Reintroduction programs
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Animal rights - protests
