Transcript 3 Biodiversity Intro 1

Unit One
Biological Diversity
Unit One – Biological Diversity
Topic One – Biological Diversity and Survival
Biology is the study of living things (plants and animals)
Diversity refers to the the number of differences between
objects
Therefore, Biological Diversity is the study of the differences
between all living things on the planet
-in almost all animals and plants, there is a
wide variety of differences we can see
-these differences are known as VARIATIONS
-Variations
are found in ALL groups of
living things!
What are some
variations
between students
in our class??
So what’s the point? Why is variation important?
-Biological Diversity looks at the
variation within species
(genetic diversity)….
…the variation between species….
..and the variations of ecosystems.
The greater the amount of
variations, the greater the
diversity!!
The more diversity, the greater the
chance for making new discoveries!
For example, many of our medicine comes from the
different variety of tree.
The Pacific Yew tree found in B.C. makes a cancerfighting chemical called Taxol
As animals and plants become extinct, then
the diversity of life on our planet decreases.
As rain forests get cut down, we lose species of
trees that may have medical value that may
help save lives.
Fact: In the Amazon Rain Forests, biologists have only studied
five percent of the plants that exist there for medical treatment.
Fact: Up to 70% of all the plants that have been studied in the
rainforest have cancer-fighting properties
Fact: In the last 50 years, half of the world’s rain forests have
been wiped out.
Variations For Survival
ADAPTATIONS are features that increase an
organism’s chances of surviving and
reproducing in a particular environment
Animals that live in similar environments
have similar adaptations.
What are adaptations of
animals that live in the water??
Adaptations include two things:
1. Structural Adaptations: physical features
that help an organism to survive in its
environment
a. Fins are used by marine life for mobility.
b. Fur allows animals to retain body heat
during cold conditions.
c. Animals use color to help blend into their surroundings for
protection and to hunt prey.
Munching on a plant
stem in Costa Rica's
Monteverde Cloud Forest
Reserve, this Xylophanes
caterpillar has such tiny
eyes that you would need
a hand lens to see them.
The red "eyes" and
pointed "stinger" are both
fake.
2. Behavioural Adaptation:
-how an animal acts
-can be taught how to act by their parents or they are born
with the knowledge (instinct)
a. The migration of birds and whales.
b. Birds dancing to attract a mate.
c. Humans using sounds to communicate information.
So, what’s the big deal about
diversity then?
The larger the variation between animals, the greater the
chances of organisms surviving if their environment
changes or their food source runs out.
Ex. During the ice age, animals that had more fur or could
eat a variety of food sources survived.
Organisms that are not adapted to their
environment or are weak, die off leaving the
strong or best-fitted to their environment to
survive.
Variation Within Species
-a group of organisms are classified as a SPECIES if:
1. They are similar in appearance to other of its kind.
2. They are able to mate in nature with each other and
their offspring are able to breed.
Ex. Grizzly bears are a
species because they have a
distinct look and mate with
other grizzly bears. Their
offspring can also give
birth.
While they often look the same, there is great
variety within a species.
Some are bigger than others, some are faster, some
have larger teeth, some are smarter, some are
different colors
These differences between
animals within the same
species allows for even
greater diversity and
allows individual animals
to be different.
Just because animals look similar to one another,
doesn’t mean they are part of the same species.
MULE!! Cannot have living offspring so it is not a species.
Variation Among Species
Lynx, Bobcats, and Cougars look similar but all are
difference species.
All are thought to have developed from a common ancestor
but over time, the cats evolved to fit into there own
environment and food sources.
This process of a new species being
formed after many generations is
called SPECIATION.
(SPEE – SEE – AI –SHON)
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