Biodiversity
• Biodiversity is the number of different species
in a given area.
– Tropical Rainforests have the most
– Tundra’s have the lowest
• Why do you think that the Rainforest has the
highest and Tundra’s have the lowest?
• Organisms have very complex relationships
with one another and with their ecosystem.
– Organisms are hard to study BUT its important to
understand and preserve the biodiversity that we
currently have for our own survival.
• Any Idea WHY the biodiversity of the world is
sooooo important to our own survival?
• We have No idea how many species actually
exist in the world.
– We know of about 1.7 million, mostly insects
– We think that there might be 10+ million!
INSERT DIAGRAM PG 259
4 new species of Jewel Beetles found
in South-eastern Asia July 7, 2011.
• The team found 13 species
of fanged frog on the
island, nine of which hadn't
previously been described.
The species differ in body
size, amount of webbing in
their feet, and even how
they raise their young -- all
in accordance with the
demands of their distinct
ecological niches.
July 27, 2011
• In January of 2009
scientists announced
the discovery of a pink
Iguana on the
Galapagos Islands…
In early September a team of Scientists
found more than 40 previously
unidentified species in a crater of Mount
Bosavi in Papua New Guinea
Location…
A jungle habitat that has never before been
recorded by science, evolved in isolation
since the volcanoes last eruption 200,000
years ago.
A world streaming with life,
completely unafraid of humans
16 species of frogs, including a fanged
variety, 3 new fish, a new bat, insects and
mammals alike were all discovered.
• They might have
even found the
worlds largest
rat…called a Bosavi
wooly rat.
Biodiversity determines Stability
• Biodiversity can affect the stability of both
ecosystems and populations.
– We depend on healthy ecosystems to keep
everything in balance and each species plays an
important role in an ecosystem.
– If we remove a species from a food web…how
does that affect other species?
Keystone species- a species that is critical to the
balance of an ecosystem.
FIGURE 3 page 260
• Wolves main food sources are
elk, moose, deer and bison.
Once people began colonizing
the west their food sources
started to dwindle.
• The wolves realized how easy
the cows, sheep and horses
were to catch as opposed to the
dwindling populations of elk,
deer and moose so they started
to eat them.
• Obviously this led to the farmers
losing money and food, which
did not make them happy.
• Farmers began to hunt the
wolves.
In 1906 the US Government began a campaign
to eradicate the grey wolves.
• Due to the disappearance of the grey wolves from
Yellowstone the entire ecosystem was affected.
• Elk which are the primary prey of the wolves
overpopulated because they had no predators.
• This overpopulation led to a major decrease in the amount
of plants in Yellowstone because the elk are herbivores.
• The lose of the wolves led to a decrease in the biodiversity
of Yellowstone. The more diverse an ecosystem the more
stable it is.
• After the reintroduction of the wolves, the rangers at
Yellowstone observed more vegetation in the open fields.
Thus increasing the biodiversity.
Human Uses for Biodiversity
•
•
•
•
1. Food sources
2. Clothing
3. Shelter
4. Medicine
Losing biodiversity means losing possible
sources of cures for diseases!
Food Sources
• Table 2 on page 262 on origins of foods.
• The foods we eat were originally wild.
Humans have domesticated them over time.
– Wheat, rye, and other plants with large seeds or
fruits
• Animals we raise for food have also been
domesticated.
– Pigs, sheep, dogs, cattle, etc.
• Today we are able to increase our biodiversity
of plants more quickly by genetically
modifying them.
• This helps to create plants that are disease
resistant, pest resistant, and are able to
produce more food than what they were
previously capable of doing!
What exactly are
Genetically Modified
(GM) Foods?
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.gen.breeding/
GM foods are:
• When one gene, that controls
particular characteristics (such as
a drought resistant plants) is
transferred directly into the cells
of another plant or animal cell.
What is the purpose of
GM foods?
To create a food able to survive
being sprayed with harmful
chemicals like pesticides and
herbicides, to make food fresher,
kill pests, produces more of the
crop in the same amount of
space.
Where did the idea of genetically
modified foods come from?
History:
• Farmers have been selectively breeding plants
and animals to help improve their crops and
livestock for hundreds of years (domesticating
plants and animals).
• Then we discovered that the genetic code of
organisms could be altered for different
characteristics in ways we never dreamed
about before.
Positives of Genetically Modified
• Better quality and taste
• Reduced time to maturity
• Possibility for increased nutrients
• Improved resistance to disease and pests
• Increased productivity and hardiness
• Potential for conserving soil, water and energy
due to modifications
• Possible solution to world hunger
CREATE YOUR OWN
GENETICALLY
MODIFIED FOOD
Question of the Day:
Is it better to eat something
that has been genetically
modified or something that
has been grown organically?
**What do you think?**
What are organic foods?
Foods that have been grown
without the use of synthetic
fertilizers or pesticides, only
natural. They do not allow
genetic engineering of plants.
Negatives of G. M. Foods
• Allergy reactions can occur and other health risks
• Effects economy of poorer countries because they
have to rely on other countries for supplies.
• Can possibly cause harm to other organisms that
were not genetically modified.
• “terminator seeds” cause farmers to have to buy new
seeds every year. This becomes costly.
Negatives Cont.
• Farmers are forced to buy pesticides from seed manufacturers
in order to ensure that they will work on the seeds that they
have purchased.
• Potential to decrease the effectiveness of antibiotics due to
putting antibiotic resistant genes into organisms.
• Possibility of domination of world food production by a few
companies (monopoly)
• Reduced effectiveness of pesticides because bugs become use
to the G.M.
• Genetically modified seeds/plants can get into natural
habitats and devastate/destroy the environment.
Positives of Organics
• More natural nutrients in organics
• Very minimal to no pesticide residue in foods
• Kinder to the environment
• Supports local farmers
Negatives of organics
• Not always the biggest or hardiest or nicest
looking foods
• Not as much potential for increasing nutrition
within the foods.
• Rely more on mother nature for good quality
crops.
• Bugs could become more of a problem
• Take longer to grow
TIME TO CHOOSE
Organic or Genetically Modified???
ADVERTISE ADVERTISE
ADVERTISE!
Human Uses for Biodiversity
•
•
•
•
1. Food sources
2. Clothing
3. Shelter
4. Medicine
Losing biodiversity means losing possible
sources of cures for diseases!
Brainstorm
• With the person sitting next to you:
– How is biodiversity important to clothing? Can you
name several pieces of clothing that rely on
animals or plants? Or did rely on animals or
plants in the past?
– How is biodiversity important to shelter? Can you
think of any types of shelters or pieces of shelters
that rely on plants or animals?
Clothing
Shelter
Medicine
• ¼ of drugs used in the United States come
from plants.
– Almost all antibiotics come from chemicals found
in fungi
Ginkgo Biloba
•
•
•
•
Native to China
Oldest tree species living on earth
Often referred to as the living fossil
Alternative medicine for Heart Disease,
Kidney disorders, alzheimers, asthma
• It also helps improve vision and memory
Red Clover
• Found Everywhere…including the artic circle in the
mountains! But native to Europe, Asia, and Africa.
• Edible and medicinal
• Leaves and flowers are harvested and added to
salads and soups
• Anticancer ability, asthma, bronchitis, sedative,
eczema, whooping and dry coughs, and burns
• May be able to work as an anti-diabetic and antiAIDS in the future
Wild Carrot or Queen Anne’s Lace
• Uses: root is edible raw or
cooked, flower clusters can
be French fried for a carrot
flavor, seed is often used as
seasoning in stews and
soups.
• Helps with depression,
diabetics, stress, flusymptoms, Alzheimer's,
leukemia, HIV, migraine
headaches, obesity,
sweetener, anxiety,
digestive disorders, kidney
and bladder diseases
• Fresh juice is applied externally to fight bacteria
and help heal wounds.
• Antibacterial agent
• Originated back thirty million years ago in Eurasia!
• Wax in the sap can be used to remove corns and
warts.
• Helps treat gall bladders, kidney and urinary
disorders, gallstones, high blood pressure and weak
hearts, acne.
• Infusion of the roots encourages elimination of
toxins in the body
• roasted, ground root are sometimes used as a
caffeine free coffee substitute
• Once a popular salad green in these regions,
dandelion leaves are becoming popular in salad
dishes
• The flowers can also be fermented to make wine
• If you place them in a paper bag with unripe fruit
the fruit will ripen more quickly.
• Dandelions are EVERYWHERE…but originated in
Europe.
Dandelion
Biodiversity should be preserved for
ethical reasons…
• Species and ecosystems have a right to exist
regardless of its value.
• Each organism on Earth is a gift with a higher
purpose.
• Should exist for personal enjoyment
– National Parks
– Ecotourism – a form of tourism that supports the
conservation and sustainable development of
unique areas.