Transcript Why Protect Biodiversity?

Please pass back the new objective
sheet and read the board!
Please get out paper for notes.
Dig it!
ARE THESE WORTH PROTECTING?
WHY SHOULD WE PROTECT BIODIVERSITY?
THREE TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY
Ecosystem
biodiversity
Species biodiversity
Genetic biodiversity
ECOSYSTEM BIODIVERSITY:
DIFFERENT TYPES OF EACH BIOME
KIND OF GRASSLAND!
– THERE’S NOT JUST ONE
GREAT PLAINS
ECOSYSTEM BIODIVERSITY:
TEMPERATE RAINFOREST AND TROPICAL RAINFOREST
CONIFEROUS FORESTS AND TEXAS
DECIDUOUS FORESTS
GENETIC BIODIVERSITY: THE GENE POOL
(TOTAL DNA) OF A SPECIES
If a species is too
inbred, they could be
more vulnerable to
disease.
 They might not be
able to handle
changes in their
environment well.

GENETIC BIODIVERSITY
SPECIES DIVERSITY
5 REASONS TO PROTECT BIODIVERSITY
1. Medicinal
 2. Agricultural
 3. Commercial
 4. Ecological
 5. Ethical/Aesthetic

REASON #1:MEDICINAL
Rosy Periwinkle: Hodgkin’s
disease and lymphocytic
leukemia
40% of modern
medicines come from
plants/animals/fungi
 95% of known plant
species have never
been tested for
medicinal value

PACIFIC YEW – TAXOL CANCER MEDICINE
THE NEEM TREE FROM INDIA
Historically
used to clean
teeth, skin
disorders,
insect
repellent.
What
chemical
does it
contain?
Could it be
used at a
commercial
level to help
more people?
REASON #2: COMMERCIAL
Harvesting: Shrimp
industry
harvesting: Recreational
hunting
COMMERCIAL: ECOTOURISM
Visiting Nature
Preserves
Whale Watching
ECOTOURISM
Austin’s bat colony
Snorkling
ECOTOURISM
Mountain biking
Whitewater Rafting
BIOMIMICRY -
ENGINEERING DESIGNS
BASED ON NATURAL SYSTEMS
BIOMIMICRY – BULLET TRAIN INSPIRED BY
KINGFISHER’S BILL
BIOMIMICRY – ENGINEERING DESIGNS
BASED ON NATURAL SYSTEMS
Whale fins – better wind
turbines
Underwater plants –
floating energy harvesters
REASON #3: AGRICULTURAL
 Of
80,000 known
edible plants on
the planet, we
depend on 20
species to provide
90% of global food
supply.
 Corn, rice, soy
and wheat are
50% alone!
RELYING TOO HEAVILY ON LIMITED
VARIETY CAN BE DANGEROUS
1841-1851
LOSS OF DIVERSITY IN AGRICULTURE
Apples – 14,000 apple cultivars in N. America
have been reduced to 11 which supply 90% of our
supply
 Coffee – 28% decline in Latin American
production as climate change has brought new
rainfall and pest patterns

NEW OPTIONS?
Winged Bean of New
Guinea
Katemfe berry
CARRY AUROCH GENES WILL BE BRED
TO LOOK AND ACT LIKE EXTINCT
AUROCH. THESE WILL BE ABLE TO
BROWSE ON BEECH TREES WHICH ARE
CHOKING
EUROPE’S WOODS
POLLINATORS
REASON #4: ECOLOGICAL
Food webs
Food webs
 Symbiotic
relationships
 Indicator species
 US Fish and Wildlife
Service estimates that
losing one plant can
trigger the loss of 30
other species

Simba says it’s all
connected!
ECOLOGICAL
Ecosystem services!
 Air purification
 Water filtration
 Climate control
(absorbing CO2)
 Gene bank
 Soil building

REASON #5:
AESTHETICS/RECREATION/SPIRITUAL/MORAL
We are ONE species
1.5 million KNOWN
species
 More are discovered
every year

Biodiversity enriches our
lives!
“ENDANGERED MEANS THERE’S STILL
TIME!”
 Threatened
 Endangered
 Extinct
SO DID WE MEET OUR OBJECTIVES TODAY?
3 types of biodiversity
 5 reasons to protect
species
 Threatened
 Endangered
 Extinct

HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEKEND

Endangered species index card!