4. Biodiversity

Biodiversity

• Biodiversity: Variety of species life on Earth.

• Four components of biodiversity:

1. Species Diversity

• Number and abundance of species in different ecosystems.

2. Genetic Diversity

• Variety of genetic material within a species or population.

3. Ecosystem Diversity

• Diversity of biological communities (deserts, grasslands, forests, wetlands).

4. Functional Diversity

• Variety of processes (energy flow, matter cycling) within ecosystems.

Habitat Destruction and Fragmentation (HIPPCO)

• Most important direct causes of species extinction and threats to ecosystem services.

• H: Habitat degradation and extinction

• I: Invasive species

• P: Population growth and increasing use of resources

• P: Pollution

• C: Climate change

• O: Over exploitation

Extinction, Endangered, and Threatened Species

• Extinction: All members of a species disappear from Earth.

• Species become extinct when they cannot adapt and reproduce under new environmental conditions.

• Endangered species: Species with so few individual survivors that the species could soon become extinct.

• Threatened species: Species with enough remaining individuals to survive in the short term, but declining numbers indicate it is likely to become endangered in the near future.