Name:______________________________

BIODIVERSITYImportance of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is _________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Species Richness is _____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Where do you find it?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Biodiversity Threatned

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

Extinction-____________________________________________________________________________

• 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

• Extirpated: ____________________________________________________________________

• 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)

Name:______________________________

• Special concern: ________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Causes for Loss of Diversity

• Habitat loss and fragmentation

– Urbanization

• Introduction of non-native species

• Pollution

• Human consumption (deforestation, mining, wetland destruction and dumps)

1. Habitat Loss and Fragmentation

• Habitat loss: Conversion of natural habitats into farmland, urban areas and transportation routes (400 expansion)

• Fragmentation: _______________________________________________________________

– larger animals need larger habitats to survive

– Creates more exposure to pollution

Prevention/Sustainability

• ________________________________________________________________________

• Increase proximity of fragments

• _________________________________________________________________________

• Reduce outside influence

2. Introduction of non-native specieso Invasive species: ________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________o 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..

Name:______________________________

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

• _____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Round Goby

• Found throughout the great lakes, St. Clair river reaching densities of 100 per cubic centimetre of water.

• ____________________________________________________________________________

• Feed on other fish eggs (reducing their ability to reproduce)

Asian 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.

• ______________________________________________________________________________

Effects of Invasive Species

• Ecological:

• Economical: Damage forests, lower crop yields, increased disease in livestock

• Tourism:

• Health: disease causing viruses like the west nile and pesticides can cause health issues

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)

3. Pollution Pollution: ______________________________________________________________________ VOC’s , CFC’s, methane, nitrous oxides, carbon dioxides-leads to global warming and acid rain

Name:______________________________

Acid precipitation: sulfur from burning fossil fuelso Change pH of lakes, rivers and streams killing fish and other aquatic specieso Limestone helps neutralizeo Damage terrestrial plants and change soil pH

Oil spills: oil is released into the ocean due to damaged oil tankers, faulty drilling and faulty oil lines (BP)

o Skimming/vacuuming: collect floating oil

o Bioremediation: __________________________________________________________

o Burning: Burn the floating oil

o Dispersal agents: break the oil down into small droplets with detergent

Plastics at sea

o The western and Eastern Pacific garbage patches (twice the size of Texas)

4. Deforestation

• Clear cutting: ____________________

• Shelterwood cutting: ____________________

• Selective: _____________________________________________

Activity: