Enquiry Question 1 Defining Biodiversity What is the

Enquiry Question 1 Defining Biodiversity What is the nature and value of biodiversity? Next 2 lessons – Factors & Hotspots Key Questions: • What is the global distribution of biodiversity? • What are the factors that influence biodiversity? • Which scales do these factors operate under and which are the most important? • What is a biodiversity hotspot and why are they there?

Biodiversity Maps from Memory! Describe the pattern of biodiversity for 4 marks Think at different scales: Is it even? Which latitudes/compass directions/continents/ countries are high or low?

Peer Mark – Out of 4 and add a target! • • 1 mark for saying if it is even or uneven 1 mark for using accurate compass points 1 mark for using accurate latitudes 1 mark for naming correct countries/continents as examples Biodiversity is strongly linked with latitude. The closer to the tropics generally the more biodiversity. Why? What sort of countries are these? Why is this a problem? What do these countries lack?

What’s a biome? • Look at the map on page 101 in the Oxford Text book and compare to this one • Which have the highest biodiversity on average? • Which have the lowest?

FACTORS AFFECTING BIODIVERSITY Which reasons might explain this global distribution?

What’s this video to do with today’s lesson?

Key Concept: Endemism vs. Cosmopolitan Distribution is the ecological state of being found almost anywhere around the world. Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a particular location, such as a specific island, habitat type or nation. To be endemic to a place or area means that it is found only in that part of the world and nowhere else. For example, all species of Over to you…. . lemur are endemic to the island of Define ‘endemic’ and ‘cosmopolitan’ Madagascar and 90% of plants are endemic then list 5 species’ examples of each type to Hawaii.

A comparison… Tropical rainforests to the tundra! • P 95 – Tundra; P 108 – TRF • Draw a table to compare the following: Tundra Tropical Rainforests Location Biodiversity level Climate Vegetation Soils • Highlight all the key terms you use in one colour and facts/statistics in another • Make sure you write parallels together in one line for easier comparison – add explanation for why that fact makes it have high or low biodiversity

Key Concept: Biodiversity Hotspot An area containing a high concentration of biodiversity. A large percentage of these species are endemic. Most remarkable places on earth and most threatened. They cover less than 2% of earth’s surface yet contain 44% of plant species. Now using the atlas label the 25 hotspots with their place names!

Answers!

3 types of biodiversity hotspot Continental hotspots…richest in terms of biodiversity Add 3 examples of each from your map! Why would these places be biodiverse? Large island hotspots…these are home to diverse and distinctive species which can include relict fauna Small island hotspots…Often low in species number, but have a high proportion of endemics. Susceptible to extinction with small numbers.

Key Concept: Pivotal Areas with high concentrations of hotspots. They are regarded as important for their sheer variety of species. Give an example of a part of the world that’s the largest pivotal area