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Biodiversity in Malaysia (UCM60203U3)
March 2015 Semester
Week 1 by
Chrishnaveni Subramaniam
E mail: chrishnaveni.s@taylors.edu.my
Section 1 Brainstorming & Introduction to the Module
Section 2 Definition of Biodiversity
Origin of Biodiversity
Important Reminders
Content
Brainstorming Activity
Biodiversity = “Biological Diversity”
It simply means ‘variety of life’
i.e. “Biology = study of life or living beings such as plants and animals” and “diversity = variety”
What is Biodiversity?
Flowers?
Insects?
Bacteria?
Coral reefs?
Trees?
Forests?
Pandas?
Answer: ALL THE ABOVE
So what on earth is part of Biodiversity?
The origin of the term ‘Biodiversity’ is credited to 2 papers published back in 1980 by Lovejoy (1980) and Norse and McManus (1980).
Definition & Origin of Biodiversity
The term was coined in 1980s whereby:
Lovejoy wrote about Biodiversity in the concept of biotic diversity (variety of species)
Norse and McManus wrote about Biodiversity as 2 related concepts i.e. genetic diversity (amount of genetic variability within species) and ecological diversity (number of species in a community)
Definition & Origin of Biodiversity
The contracted form ‘Biodiversity’ was apparently introduced by Walter G. Rosen in 1985 for the first planning meeting of National Forum on Biodiversity held in Washington DC in Sept 1986, the proceedings of which Wilson and Peters (1988) brought the notion of ‘Biodiversity’ to the attention of scientists worldwide
Definition & Origin of Biodiversity
Growing concern on the following aspects gave rise to the introduction of Biodiversity:
Why Biodiversity Matters?
Natural extinction
Exploitation (human activity)
Growing concern on the following aspects gave rise to the introduction of Biodiversity:
Why Biodiversity Matters? (cont’d…)
Changing Environment
Depletion of Resources vs Need for Conservation
Incomplete Human Knowledge
of Biodiversity
Have you heard of the
GREEN PEACE MOVEMENT?
How could you relate this to our lesson today on biodiversity ?
Think!
Do you know?
Note: students to reflect on the brainstorming activity conducted in the class and write a one page essay on one
of the current crisis of global biodiversity that is acted upon by the above Global Environmental Organization
Enforced on 29 Dec 1993, one of the most significant environmental treaties ever developed
3 main goals:
Conservation of Biodiversity
Sustainable use of the components of Biodiversity
Sharing the benefits arising from the alterations of genetic resources in a fair & equitable manner
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Following are the obligations of each country as party to the CBD:
Develop a national plan for biodiversity conservation
Research into what there is and what is important, in terms of conservation (incl. monitoring important species)
Establishing protected areas & guidelines
Promote sustainable development esp. protected areas
Help endangered & rare species to breed by protecting them & their habitat
Obligations under CBD
Following are the obligations of each country as party to the CBD:
Protect native species through regulating both genetically modified organisms and foreign species that could compete for similar food/resources
Promote sustainable, particularly customary use of biodiversity resources
Protect indigenous and local knowledge and communities
Engage in public education & awareness building on biodiversity
Obligations under CBD (cont’d…)
Defines Biodiversity by recognizing 3 principal components i.e. ecosystem, species and genes.
Biodiversity as variety of life
CBD’s Definition of Biodiversity
10 – 100 million on earth out of which about 1.5 million sp. have been named
Covers everything that is alive on earth from microbes to Giant river otters in the Amazon
On a finer scale, covers the genetic variation within species
How many species are there?
Ecological/ Ecosystem Diversity
Organismal/ Species Diversity
Biomes Kingdoms Bioregions Phyla Landscapes Families Ecosystems Genera Habitats Species Niche Subspecies Populations Populations Individuals Genetic Diversity Populations Individuals Chromosomes Genes Nucleotides
Composition & Levels of Biodiversity
Variety of genetic info (genes) contained in each individual plant, animal and micro-organisms
Occurs within and between populations of same species and between different species
Non-identical gene in living being of same species
Genetic variation due to complexity of and adaptability to habitats
measurable using DNA based & other techniques
Genetic Diversity
Variety of habitats, biotic communities, and ecological processes (energy flow, water & nutrient cycling, succession, competition, mutualism etc) within and between each ecosystem
Harder to measure
Ecosystem Diversity
Variety of living species
Species is a group of similar individuals that interbreed in nature and are reproductively isolated from all other such groups
Species Diversity
Malaysia is one of the world’s megadiverse countries ranked 12th in the world, according to the National Biodiversity Index
Based on 2012 statistics, approximately 60% of the country’s total land area is still forested, including permanent reserved forest (PRF), state land forests, national parks, and wildlife and bird sanctuaries.
10.6% of Malaysia’s land area has been designated as terrestrial protected areas.
Malaysia & Biodiversity
Based on the 2008 IUCN Red List, Malaysia is home to 1,141 threatened species, including plants and animals.
Malaysia & Biodiversity
Category Estimated No of Species
Vascular Plants 15 000
Mammals 306
Birds 742
Amphibians 242
Reptiles 567
Freshwater Fish >449
Marine Fish >500
Invertebrates >150 000
Assessment Type Overall Weightage
Due Date
Quizzes (4) *Individual submission
10% Weeks 2, 4, 6 , 8
Oral Presentation on a Biodiversity Topic *Group submission
10% Week 7
Field Trip & Report * Individual submission
20% Week 9
Examination Mid Semester (all MCQ) Final (all MCQ)
20% 40%
Week 5 Week 10/11
Assessments
Reminder on today’s homework
Students to reflect on the brainstorming activity conducted in the beginning of today’s class and write a one page essay on one of the current crisis of global biodiversity that is acted upon by the Greenpeace Global Environment Organization.
Submission: During next class (Week 2)
Important Reminders