Biomes and Biodiversity

Analogy• Match the following to the correct description

One Teacher species

population

community

ecosystem

All Teachers

Teachers and Students

George West

• Look through the vocabulary cards on your desk.

• Take some time to sort through and match them.

habitat

• The place in which an animal lives

species

• All organisms of the same kind that adapted to a particular set of resources (called a niche) in the environment.

population

• Made up from all of the organisms in an ecosystem that belong to the same species.

ecosystem

• A smaller part of the biosphere consisting of the organisms and non-living features that interact in an area.

biome

• Large geographic areas with similar temperatures and rainfall amounts.

• Plants and animals that live in one cannot always adapt and live in another.– Example: water is a limiting factor in a desert

• Example: tundra, desert, rain forest.

Desert Scrub

Desert

Taiga

Grasslands

Tundra

Deciduous Forest

Chaparral

Savanna

Rainforest

Alpine

biotic• Organisms living or that had once lived in the

environment. • Examples: mouse, clover, dead tree, shrubs,

hawk

abiotic

• Non-living factors in the environment.• Examples: light, temp, water, wind, soil and

terrain

• The variety of organisms in an ecosystem• The more species in an area, the higher the

biodiversity and the healthier the ecosystem

biodiversity

Factors that Affect Biodiversity

• Area• Climate• Diversity of niches• Human activity

Area

• A large area will have more biodiversity than a small area– There will be more types of trees on 100 acres

than there will be on 1 acre

Climate • In general, the number of species increases

from the poles to the equator– tropical rainforests in South America and Africa

have the most diversity– The North and South Poles have the least

diversity

Niche Diversity• A niche is a particular area in an ecosystem

where an organism lives • The more niches an area has, the more

biodiversity (coral reefs are 1% of the Earth but have 20% of all species).

Human Activity• People can either help or hurt an ecosystem– Protecting an area can increase biodiversity– Deforestation, pollution and over hunting can

decrease biodiversity

Value of Biodiversity

• Protecting biodiversity is important to keep the planet healthy

• The more diverse an ecosystem is, the healthier and more stable it is.

• Two main factors that need protection are:– keystone species– gene pool diversity

Keystone Species• A species that influences the survival of many

other species in an ecosystem– If a keystone species disappears, the entire

ecosystem may change– Disrupts equilibrium• Example: earthworms are important in grassland

ecosystems. The more earthworms, the healthier the soil, the better the grass grows

Which are will have the most fertile soil?

47.8g 35.3g

52.8g 22.3g

Gene Pool Diversity

• the number of diverse traits in a species – The more traits in a species, the better chance

they have of adapting– Species that lack a diverse gene pool are less able

to adapt to changes in their environment.

Not Protecting Biodiversity

• The biggest threat to biodiversity is loss of natural habitat

• If we don’t protect biodiversity species can become– endangered– extinct

Endangered Species

• Species whose numbers are so low they are in danger of becoming extinct

Extinction of Species

• Extinction is the disappearance of all members of a species from Earth– In the last few centuries, the number of species

becoming extinct is increasing

Causes of Extinctionnatural catastrophes• earthquake• volcano• tsunami• hurricane• flood• drought

human activities• habitat destruction• poaching• pollution• exotic Species as pets

Protecting Biodiversity

• Captive Breeding– The mating of animals in zoos or wildlife parks to

increase the population

Protecting Biodiversity• Laws and Treaties– Laws can protect an entire species– The Endangered Species Act• It is illegal to sell endangered species or products

made from endangered species

– Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species• List of 700 species that cannot be traded for profit

Protecting Biodiversity

• Habitat Preservation– The most effective way to preserve biodiversity is

to protect entire habitats• National and State Parks• Game Reserves

No Diversity

Diversity

Biodiversity Demo

• How many different “species” do we have?• What would happen if a disease went through

this population and killed all of the yellow squares?– Sit down if you have a yellow square

Biodiversity Demo

• How many different “species” do we have?• What would happen if a drought went through

this population and killed all of the red squares?– Sit down if you have a red square

Biodiversity Demo

• What was different with the second demonstration?

• How did biodiversity help this population?• Would the death of part of a population effect

the food chain?

sustainability

• The capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time.

sustainability example• Two farmers try to out-produce each other by

using different planting techniques.

• Field 1 grew more until a virus killed all of crop 2. How would this virus effect the farmers?

The farmer with field 1 will lose half his crop but the farmer with field 2 will only lose 1/16.

sustainability example

• How are the farmer’s fields similar to how biodiversity allows an ecosystem to be stable?

Field 2, which has more biodiversity, is more stable and can handle the virus easier.

Ecosystems and Biodiversity

North American Prairie

• Location – middle of the US• Description – flat, grassy plains, small trees

and bushes• Soil type – deep and fertile• Precipitation – 10-30 inches per year• Temperature range – summer can be as hot as

38◦C (100 ◦F), winter can be as cold as -4◦C (-40

◦F)• Climate – hot summers and cold snowy

winters

Biodiversity

• 7000 species of plant an animal• Plant species – tall grass, mixed grass, short

grass, some trees, flowering plants• Animal species – pronghorn, mule deer, elk,

black bears, coyote, fox, badger, ferrets, rabbits, owls, eagles, hawks, grouse, ducks, song birds, insects, snakes, spiders, bison

Adaptations

• Plant species – – deep roots on the grass help them reach water.

• Animal species – – hooves on the bison help protect their feet

Interactions

• biotic– – large food web with lots of animals.– Bison distribute seed in their waste– Deep grass roots hold the soil

• abiotic– – wildfire is needed to renew the soil– Amount of rain determines grass height

• How does the North American Prairie support different organisms.

• How does biodiversity contribute to the sustainability of an ecosystem?

Biomes of the World

• Rainforest• Desert• Grassland• Deciduous Forest• Boreal Forest

• Tundra• Mountains • Ice• Freshwater• Marine