Levels of Biodiversity MP 6 3 Biodiversity Short

Levels of Biodiversity MP 6. 3

Biodiversity • Short for biological diversity • Biodiversity – how different life forms are from one another in a given ecosystem, biome or even the entire planet

Levels of Biodiversity MP 6. 3

Loss of Genetic Diversity • Genetic Variation – how different one animal’s gene are from another within the same species. • Erosion of genetic diversity is detrimental to the overall ability of a population to adapt to changes in environment. • Ex: Leopard populations went through a bottlenecking event that drastically reduced their numbers, now they all are closely related and have little genetic diversity.

Loss of Species Diversity • Loss of varieties of species within an ecosystem or biome. • Endangered Species Act (ESA) is designed to deal with this problem by protecting endangered and threatened species. • Controversial because of which species to protect and how to protect them, infringes on property rights. • Ex: Migratory Songbirds in Eastern US have lost 50% of their species

Loss of Ecosystem Diversity • Loss of the variety and quality of ecosystems in the biosphere (liveable part of earth) • Results in the elimination of entire communities that cannot live in other types of ecosystems. • Ex: Loss of Amazon Rainforests or grasslands of North America

• • Ecosystem/Species Benefits for Humans Purification of air and water Generation and preservation of fertile soils Detoxification and decomposition of waste Pollination of crops and natural vegetation Moderation of weather Nutrient cycling … and thousands more examples