By: Katen Chohan

What is Biodiversity?

• Biodiversity can be commonly be defined as the variety of different species on the Earth or in a specific habitat.

• includes a variety of living organisms, the genetic differences among them, the ecosystems in which they occur in, and the ecological and evolutionary process that keep them working

Different Types of Biodiversity

There are 3 different types of biodiversity:

• Genetic Diversity

• Species Diversity

• Ecosystem Diversity

Genetic Diversity

• Genetic diversity can be defined as the genetic changes that occur within a species

• In genetic diversity, each member of species differs widely from each individual in its genetic makeupThis is due to the large number of combinations possible in the genes that give every individual specific characteristics

• Ex. Humans are the same species, but each of us has individual genes from one another that give us different charasteristics

• This can also lead to the extinction of a species

Species Diversity

• Species Diversity can be defined as the variety of species in a community

• It can be seen as the number of species of plants and animals that are present in a region

Number of Species

• There are approximately 1.7 million species of plants, animals, fungi, microbes and other life forms on Earth that have been identified and named by biologists

• However, the total number of species on Earth is estimated the be about 10 million to 100 million species

Ecosystem Diversity

• Ecosystem diversity can be defined as the organization of species in an area into distinctive plant and animal communities

• They can be described for a specific geological region and can have distinct ecosystems such as landscapes, grasslands, forests, mountains etc. and aquatic ecosystems as well

• They are referred to as “natural” when it is undisturbed by human activates and referred to as “modified” when it is modified to other types of uses, such as farmlands or urban areas.

Problems with Biodiversity

Many problems with biodiversity have arisen. The major problems that take a big affect to the Earth are:

• Rapid Extinction of Species

• Human Actions

• Global Warming

Extinction

• The number of species becoming extinct is on a rapid increase

• Biologists have classified 8000 species as endangered

• But the true number of species nearing extinction may be even higher

• It is estimated that 70 000 species become extinct every year, which is about 200 species a day

• Many argue that the world could lose 50% of its species population over the next century

Human Actions

• Humans are a big contributor to the loss of biodiversity

• They come to an environment and make it suitable for ourselves to live in

• This change of the environment comes at a price to planet in that every time we colonize a region, we bring about the extinction of a large amount of species

• We destroy habitats and bring about destruction for biodiversity

Global Warming

• Global Warming is also a serious threat to the biodiversity

• It represents a worsening threat to the world's wildlife and natural habitat

• Climate changes may lead to the disappearance of distinct areas of important wildlife habitat, in which many species will not be able to adapt fast enough to survive

Continued

• A doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has the potential to eventually destroy at least one third of the world’s existing habitats

• Unfortunately, some scientists believe that the future outlook of global gas emissions suggest that the carbon dioxide levels may triple during the 21st century 

Outcome of 21st Century

• Urgent action must be done to help improve the biodiversity at its current level

• If we do not, the Earth will slowly lose many species that we may never see again

• The rate of change of nature will be so catastrophic that it will bring about irreversible effects to the biodiversity

Resources

William, D. (2002). Biodiversity Current Contriversies. San Diego: Greenhaven Press Inc. Movacek, M. J. (2001). The Biodiversity Crisis. New York: American Museum of Natural

History.

BIODIVERSITY [Different Types of Biodiversity]. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 1999, from <http://envis.maharashtra.gov.in/envis_data/newsletter/july/bio1.html>

 Medland, V. (n.d.). Biodiversity. In Encyclopedia of World Environmental History (Vols.

Vol. 1, pp. p125-131). Retrieved May 10, 2009, from Science Reference Center database (20305993): http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/ detail?vid=1&hid=9&sid=6c7cab02-1276-4d1f-8a86-38e29c1314aa%40SRCSM1&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d% 3d#db=sch&AN=20305993#db=sch&AN=20305993   

Duffy, E. J. (n.d.). Biodiversity [Biodiversity]. Retrieved October 30, 200, from http://www.eoearth.org/article/Biodiversity