Biodiversity!
How many species are there in
the world?
How many species are there in the
world?
• About 1.4 million species have been found
and described by humans
• May be as many as 10 million species
• New species being discovered all the time
What is Biodiversity?
• Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth
– Can be species diversity
– Genetic diversity
– Ecosystem diversity
• We’ll focus on species diversity – the number
of species in a specific area
What groups do you think have
the most species?
Plants, Mammals, Birds, Amphibians,
Insects, Bacteria, Fish?
Diversity by Groups
In what habitats do you think
biodiversity is highest? Lowest?
Global Amphibian Diversity
Mammal Diversity
In what habitats do you think
biodiversity is highest? Lowest?
• Highest diversity is found in tropical regions
near the Equator
• We live in a biodiversity hotspot – the
California Floristic Province
– Many unique plants and animals found here
– Also an area that is very threatened
How do you measure biodiversity?
• Look for, identify, and count number of species
• Can also trap species
• Might be interested in:
– Endemic species: species that only occur in that area
– Native species: species that are originally from that
specific area
– Non-native species: species that have been moved
around by humans
Emerson Bioblitz!
• We’re going to measure biodiversity at
Emerson
• How many animal species are at EMS?
• What are the most diverse groups?
Emerson Bioblitz!
• Split into groups of 5
• Count number of animal species
• Use field guide to identify species
• Record data
Emerson Bioblitz!
• Find plant-animal interaction
• What kinds of interactions?
• Draw a picture of the plant, answer questions
about the plant
• We’ll try to identify the plant tomorrow
• Tomorrow: make posters showcasing the
biodiversity of Emerson Middle School
Credits
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Slide 1: http://www-images.warwick.ac.uk/about/environment/faqs/biodiversity.jpg and
http://news.softpedia.com/images/news2/Why-Is-Biodiversity-Essential-for-Human-Life-4.jpg
Slide 2: : http://www-images.warwick.ac.uk/about/environment/faqs/biodiversity.jpg
Slide 3: http://i1.treknature.com/photos/9272/200th_with_biodiversity.jpg
Slide 6: http://pulse.pharmacy.arizona.edu/10th_grade/disease_epidemics/science/images/Insect-diversity.gif
Slide 7: http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/images/nature_conservation/marine_habitat.jpg and
http://www.casarioblanco.com/rainforest.html and http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/mcmanamon/wpcontent/uploads/2008/06/arctic.jpg
Slide 8: http://www.environorth.org.au/wa/or/images/Amphibian_Diversity.jpg
Slide 9: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/45079000/gif/_45079056_ee75956b-535c-4afc-bd27-31daf1442737.gif
Slide 12: http://www.fairburnschool.org/announcements/assets/EmersonUni.jpg and
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Emerson_Middle_School.jpg