Biodiversity Biodiversity Biodiversity is the variety and number

Biodiversity

Biodiversity ○ Biodiversity is the variety and number of species in a specific area. ○ Biodiversity increases closer to the equator and in mountainous areas

Importance of Biodiversity ○ ○ ○ Plants and algae produce oxygen and remove CO 2 Humans depend on other organisms for food Drugs in health are often formed from organic compounds

Exotic Species ○ An exotic species is a species that is not native to a particular region ○ Can threaten native species→ Native species don’t have defenses against exotic species

Value Of Biodiversity ○ If a species is removed from an ecosystem it can have a drastic effect on the entire ecosystem ○ Species is removed from food chain → All other species suffer

Extinction ○ Extinction is the disappearance of a species ○ Earth loses 1 species per year per million species due to human activity ○ 40% of all prescription drugs are made from some sort of living thing → Humans will be affected if they go extinct

Ethical Reasons ○ Many people believe that humans should be responsible for preserving biodiversity for ethical reasons ○ Species and ecosystems have a right to exist and are valuable to nature ○ If we lose biodiversity then we lose fascination and a reason to study the environment

Human Mitigation ○ ○ 1973 -U. S. Endangered Species Act The US has established natural preserves and parks ○ Yellow Stone National Park ○ Big Cypress National Preserve ○ Crater Lake National Park