The Study of Biodiversity - 939 Words

Biodiversity – the amount of living things; animals, microorganisms and plants. It also includes the genetic information these living things contain, and the ecosystems and biomes they form. 3 ways biodiversity can be studied: - GENETIC DIVERSITY: The amount of different genetic characteristics of the species in their genetic make up. - SPEICIES DIVERSITY: the amount of species in a particular area in the world. - ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY: the amount of ecosystems in a given region or biome. - Places of biodiversity include coral, rainforests, sea grass beds, and mangroves. Australian soils – Old and fragile soils. Water requirements of native plants are adapted to this. – Australia is slowly shifting northwards. The climate will gradually change. – Bushfires. Species can affect scale and range of the bushfires. – Lowest rainfall of the 5 inhabited continents. – Few rivers and lakes. Australian biodiversity - 600,000 – 700,000 species. - Endemic species; 83% of mammals, 45% of birds, 89% of reptiles and 93% frogs. - About a minimum of 60-70 species have become extinct, since European settlement. Hotspot(s) - A region where there is at least 1500 of 800,000 or 0.5% of plant species (70% vegetation). - Hotspots have high diversity, are not found outside the area, a loss of endemic species and are also likely to be lost. Human impacts on biodiversity Unsustainable use of resources: - Agriculture (monoculture and stripping land). - Fisheries (overfishing). -Show MoreRelatedBiodiversity, Or Biological Diversity1720 Words   |  7 PagesBiodiversity, or biological diversity, is a technical term that captures diversity of the whole living world, from genes to individual species, through plant and animal communities and entire biomes (Defra, 2010). In other words, biodiversity represents genes, species, and ecosystems, which are the structural elements that are nestled within each other, and their ecological functions, in an area (Cepel, 1997; Ozcelik, 2006). Biodiversity provides the building blocks for our ecosystems to functionRead MoreEnvironmental Management Concern : New Zealand s Biodiversity Strategy Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesTopical environmental management concern New Zealand’s Biodiversity Strategy (2000) is a policy from the Department of Conservation (DOC) in which the aim of its third goal is to stop the decline of the country’s indigenous biodiversity. Goal 3 focuses on ecosystems and natural habitats in order to conserve species and biodiversity. This will be achieved by (i) restoring and maintaining a variety of ecosystems and habitats as well as (ii) restoring and maintaining sustainable populations of indigenousRead MoreOn the Brink of Extinction Essay878 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction Biodiversity is the grand diversity of all life on Earth and the interconnections that support these forms of life. This astonishing diversity supports the human existence by providing numerous priceless resources such as food, fuel, and medicine. Many of these resources can not be duplicated by the human race. For these reasons it is obvious that the environment and the biodiversity that it supports are detrimental to human survival. There is one major problem that is growingRead MoreImpact Of Biodiversity On The Environment1267 Words   |  6 PagesBackground Vast biodiversity is the key feature that makes Earth unique in comparison to other planets. 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In this field it helps in puttingRead MoreThe Importance of Biodiversity Loss1087 Words   |  4 PagesBiodiversity is defined as the variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat; typically, greater biodiversity is important and more desirable in a given habitat. Greater biological diversity promotes economic and social welfare, and improves the likelihood that future generations will survive and succeed. Our planet contains a wide variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms that have learned to survive and flourish in a number of different habitats, from the wet jungles of the AmazonRead MoreThe Human Impact On Biodiversity1650 Words   |  7 PagesUnited States and in foreign countries in the year 2016 according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The biodiversity all across the world is decreasing at a tremendous rate. Because of this, the protection of endangered species is a very important focus. In 1973 the Endangered Species Act was put into effect. Under this Act, all threatened and endangered species are protected. The biodiversity refers to the variety of species in a given ecosystem. People do not think these creatures are importantRead More Evolution of Thought Essay1086 Words   |  5 Pagesand dependent upon each other in so complex a manner, have all been produced by laws acting around us. –Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species I knew very little about and did not have much interest in evolution, systematics and biodiversity prior to the first week of this class. The knowledge I had about these topics came from introductory courses and what I was being told by my family. I soon discovered that I had a lot to learn. I was raised in the Roman CatholicRead MoreImpact Of Biodiversity On The Environment1323 Words   |  6 Pages Furthermore, it is a proven fact that biodiversity changes influence â€Å"the flow of ecosystem services†, i.e. benefits that people receive from ecosystems, including such services as provisioning, cultural, and regulating ones (Perrings 1). The most acute group of services in terms of biodiversity connection with the environment concerns regulating services, which relate to control of biological variability, presence of pathogens and pests, emergence and mitigation of environmental hazards, as wellRead MoreRelationship Between Functional Diversity And C Stocks On Different Forest Ecosystems1417 Words   |  6 Pages Relationships between functional diversity and C stocks in different forest ecosystems Recent studies focused on biodiversity have begun to include the concept of functional diversity, which measures the range, value, and distribution of functional traits of organisms in a community ecosystem (Tilman et al. 1997; Mouchet et al. 2010). It is becoming increasingly accepted that biodiversity components of plant community, i.e. the species identity, abundance and divergence of functional traits, strongly