SCIENCE
8
Chapter 12
Biodiversity
Lesson 12.1
Levels of Biodiversity
Biodiversity
What does “Bios” mean?
Greek word
Bios =
Biodiversity
What does “Diversitas” mean?
Latin word
Diversitas = Variety
Biodiversity is the variety of life on
Earth and the essential
interdependence of all living things
PLANET EARTH
I E S
SP EC
• Species
• a set of individuals having the same
distinct characteristics and able to
mate and produce fertile offspring
Taxonomist have formally named and classified
as closed to about 2 million species
There is an idea that there were 8.7 million of organism
that might exist on earth, which give us a good grasp of
how rich nature in terms of species diversity.
Experts believed that the deep oceans can even host
about 10 million new species or more.
• The major concern that we face today is that we
really cannot have the totality of the species on
the planet as most of them will become extinct
before they will be discovered due to the fact that
their habitats are destroy every single day.
• Diverse organisms in a certain regions increases
the stability of an ecosystem and the overall
health of the biosphere.
Components of
Biodiversity
Ecosystem Diversity
Genetic Diversity Species Diversity
Refers to the
measure of number Refers to the sum Refers to the
of different kinds of total of genetic measure of the
ecosystem in an information contained number of different
in the genes of species in an area.
area.
organisms.
Genetic Diversity
Organisms in the ecosystem not only differs from
each other but also differ within the members of
their kind.
A healthy population of organisms
possess a diversity of traits.
Genetic Diversity
Traits such as differences in colors, size,
ability to run from fast from predators, or
ability to fight off diseases which are
determined by genes.
What are genes?
It is the segments of hereditary
material responsible for a particular
trait which are inherited by the
organisms from their parents.
o w!
NK n
THI
What might happen if the members of
organisms are lacking a diverse set of
genes?
A populations of organisms usually shares
common genes that’s why they look
similar to each other.
Example
Chihuahuas, beagles, and rottweilers are all the same
species —but they're not the same because there is
variety in their genes.
Chihuahua Beagle Rottweilers
Species
Diversity
Species diversity among the
wild cat
Species Species
richness VS evenness
The number of The abundance
different kind of of the individual
species in a members within
particular area. a particular
species.
Example
Endangered Species
Ecosystem Diversity
• “ A self-contained community of microorganisms,
animals and plants, that interact with each other
and with their physical environment.”
Climate and amount of sunlight provide unique
environmental factors that can house different
organisms adaptable to the said habitat.
Within an ecosystem there can be
many HABITATS
• This is the physical and chemical description
of where a creature lives...
HABITATS might describe:
• The NAME of the place where the creature lives.
• eg Arctic Canada is the habitat of the polar bear Ursa maritima.
Ecosystem
Diversity
Terrestrial Aquatic ecosystem
ecosystems Biomes
Tropical rainforest Coral reefs
grasslands Mangrove forest
Red Throated Loon
Lynx
• Also known as “Coniferous forests.” Taiga regions have cold,
long, snowy winters, and warm, humid summers; well-defined
seasons
Hemlock Larch Needles Lichen growing on a
tree
Temperate Forest
Raccoon • Temperate forests go through four
distinct seasons.
Leaves change color in autumn, fall
off in the winter, and grow back in the
spring. This adaptation allows plants
to survive the cold winters.
White Tailed
Deer
Sidewinder
Extremely hot and dry
(less than 10 inches of rain a
year). Some deserts can be
cold at night.
Gila Monster
American Bison
Grasslands are big open spaces. Zebra
There are not many bushes in the
grassland. Trees are found only by
rivers and streams.
Green Winged Macaw Jungle Python
Two types of
rainforests, tropical and
temperate. Several varieties
of exotic plants and animals.
Lush greens and vibrant
colors.
EXIT
Tundra
Polar Bear Artic Fox
Description: Coldest biome and also covers 1/5 of the
Earth’s surface.
SCIENCE
8
Lesson 12.2
Importance of
Biodiversity
The diversity of life enriches the
quality of our lives in ways that
are not easy to quantify.
Biodiversity is intrinsically
valuable and is important for our
emotional, psychological, and
spiritual well-being. Some
consider that it is an important
human responsibility to be
stewards for the rest of the
world’s living organisms.
Diversity breeds diversity. Having a
diverse array of living organisms
allows other organisms to take
advantage of the resources provided.
For example, trees provide habitat and
nutrients for birds, insects, other
plants and animals, fungi, and
microbes
Economic Value – provide us our basic necessities
Humans have always depended on the Earth’s
biodiversity for food, shelter, and health.
Biological resources that provide goods for
human use include:
• food—species that are hunted, fished, and
gathered, as well as those cultivated for
agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture;
• shelter and warmth—timber and other
forest products and fibers such as wool and
cotton;
• medicines—both traditional medicines
and those synthesized from biological
resources and processes
Ecological Value – all of us perform a specific role
in the environment and depend on each other for
survival
• Keystone species
• Influence the survival of other species by controlling
their populations
• Example:
• Biological pests: Ladybugs and spiders
Aesthetic value
• The innate beauty of a
certain environment invite
us to preserve its current
state for future generations.
Stewards of Nature
SCIENCE
8
Lesson 12.3
Threats to Biodiversity
Biodiversity is a fragile thing,
susceptible to all sorts of
threats. Even as it supports all
life on earth it is constantly
facing threats and damage
that is almost impossible for
our multiple ecosystems to
recover from.
Natural Factors that Threatened
Biodiversity
Extinction is a natural and common event in the long
biological evolution.
1.Geological phenomenon – causes the continuous
changes on earth.
The massive extinctions of organisms in the past
provided pieces of evidence that the planet
experienced alternating episodes of global cooling
and global warming
2. Asteroid
collisions
3. Natural events such as earthquakes or
volcanic eruptions
A species inherent characteristics 4. Diseases and
and way of life can also be prone epidemics
or vulnerable to extinction.
Inherent characteristics of some species
that make them vulnerable to extinction
characteristics Examples
Low reproductive rate Blue whales, giant pandas,
rhinoceros
Specialized niche Blue whales, giant pandas
Narrow distribution Elephant seal, desert pupfish
Feeds at high tropical level Bengal tiger, bald eagle, grizzly
bear
Fixed migratory patterns Blue whale, whopping crane, sea
turtle
Rare African violet, some orchids
Commercially valuable Snow leopards, tiger, elephant,
rhinoceros, more plants and birds
Large territories California condor, grizzly bear,
Human Factors that
Endanger Biodiversity
• Top Six Reasons for losing biodiversity
H - Habitat Destruction
Degradation and Fragmentation
I - Invasive (nonnative) species
P - Population using too many resources
P - Pollution
C - Climate change
O - Overexploitation
Human Destruction
- the primary cause of biodiversity
loss
-Clearing the forest to expand residential areas,
convert it for cattle grazing, or harvest the
trees for lumber.
-- Grasslands can also be turned to farm lands.
-Wetlands are also drained to pave the way for
the construction of subdivisions.
Habitat fragmentation – occurs when humans
break larger habitats into smaller, isolated,
scattered places.
Squirrel Monkey
Tamandua
Exotic species
-also known as non – native species
-can threatened biodiversity
-alien species that can either be
deliberately or accidentally introduced in
the new area
White Lion
Pollutions
-the addition of harmful substances into the
biosphere and can danger certain species
-they can affect animals that consume
contaminated air or water
-they can cause birth defects in offspring
Pollutants absorbed by plants can spread through
the entire food chain, as in the case with the use of
pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers.
Example: DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)
dieldrin
Biological magnification or biomagnification
the process wherein the molecules could
pass through the tropic level in the food chain in
increasing concentrations.
Oil spill in Alaska
- In 1989, the Exxon Valdez tanker of Alaska
leaked and heavily polluted 1600 km of
coastline and killed thousand of marine
animals. Its damage to wildlife was
extensive.
Industrial toxins can also harm biodiversity
Firefighters in Basel, Switzerland
accidentally washed away 27000kg (30tons) of
mercury and pesticides when they were putting
out a warehouse fire into Rhine River
Connection of coal – burning power and
formation of acid rain
Acid rain forms when coal – burning
power plants release smoke with high
concentration of sulfur
- Acid rain destroys forest and modify
the pH bodies of water, killing aquatic
organisms.
Our industries rely heavily on fossil
fuels.
Burning of fuels forms carbon dioxide, which
is a greenhouse gases that trap heat for the
planet.
Stratostopheric ozone depletion accelerates global
warming
Major root cause: CFCs (chloroflurocarbons)
-used as coolants in refrigerators and
airconditioners, aerosol propellant in spray cans and
forming agentsin the production of plastic – foam
cups and containers
Many people engage with illegal activities known as poaching.
-Hunters kill animals for their skin, teeth, meat, fur, skin, horns,
or claws, which later on will be sold to make raw materials for
medicine, belt, shoes, bags or jewelry.
- Also, hunter snatch animals – tropical fish , parrots and
reptiles – in their habitats and sell them as exotic pets.
Commercial extinction
The overharvesting of
aquatic resources that can
happen if we consume
them faster they can
reproduce
