Lesson 4 - conservation of biodiversity

What are the three components of biodiversity?

What are the three components of biodiversity?

• genetic diversity

• species diversity

• ecosystem diversity

What can cause fluctuations in populations with low genetic diversity?

climate change, disease or habitat fragmentations 

why is genetic diversity important?

The more genetically diverse a population, the more ways it has to adapt.

what happens to genetic diversity in small populations?

inbreeding will lead to genetic uniformity.

what is species diversity?

The variety of species seen in a particular habitat.

what is species richness?

the number of different species in an area.

what is species evenness?

the relative abundance of different species in a given area.

which one has higher species richness an why?

sample A because there is three different types of species while B only has 2.

what is ecosystem biodiversity?

the variety of ecosystems found in a given geographical area.

why does the rainforest have high ecosystem biodiversity?

• the canopy, formed of overlapping branches and leaves of tall trees

• the understory that lies several metres below the canopy

• the forest floor

why is it important to maintain biodiversity for humans?

provides food, medicine, pollinators, trees and mangroves prevent flooding

What is anthropogenic species extinction caused by?

• overexploitation - overhunting/harvesting

• habitat loss due to human activity

• introduction of invasive species

• habitat degradation from pollution

• climate change

Give two cases of anthropogenic species extinction

• the moas

• the tasmanian wolf

What caused the moas to become extinct?

hunted by Polynesians in the 13th century

What caused the tasmanian wolves to become extinct?

hunted down by European settlers in early 1900s. seen as pests and ate sheeps

what are the causes of coral reefs dying?

• pollution

• fishing activities

• coastal development

• unsustainable tourism (divers)

• climate change

How do we improve the quality of life of the people in developing countries while maintaining ecosystems?

• eco tourism: money goes back to local community

• international aid

• eco-friendly infrastructure

what are some different methods for conservation of biodiversity?

• In situ conservation

• Ex situ conservation

• Captive breeding

• Rewilding

• Recovering and reclaiming degraded ecosystems

What is in situ conservation?

conservation of species in their natural habitats like national parks.

What is ex situ conservation?

conserving biological diversity outside of the natural habitat like captive breeding

What is captive breeding?

a specific form of ex situ conservation where individuals of a species are bred and raised in controlled environments, such as zoos or breeding centers.

What is the rewilding method?

aims to restore ecosystems to a more natural state by reintroducing native species and restoring ecological processes like keystone species.

what is the recovering and reclaiming degraded ecosystems method?

restoring ecosystems that have been degraded or damaged by human activities like reforestation

what are edge species?

Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species