Lesson 1 - Intro to Biodiversity

Question 1

What does Biodiversity mean?

Answer 1

• The variety of life on Earth
• The essential interdependence of all living things
• Scientists have identified more than 2 million species.
• However, tens of millions remain unknown
• The tremendous variety of life on Earth is made possible by complex interactions among all living things, including microscopic species like algae and mites.

Question 2

What are the 3 components of Biodiversity?

Answer 2

• Diversity of Genes
• Diversity of Species
• Ecosystem Diversity (Structural Diversity)

Question 3

What do we get from Biodiversity?

Answer 3

• Oxygen
• Food
• Clean Water
• Medicine (More than 20,000 species have been used for medicinal purposes)
• Aesthetics
• Ideas

Question 4

Should we be concerned about biodiversity?

Answer 4

• The Earth is losing species at an alarming rate
• Some scientists estimate that as many as 3 species per hour are going extinct, and 20,000 extinctions occur each year.
• When species of plants and animals go extinct, many other species are affected.

Question 5

What are Keystone Species?

Answer 5

• Keystone Species are species that have a large impact on an ecosystem.
• What would happen if we used broad-spectrum pesticides on our crops?
• We would get rid of the pests but also wipe out the other organisms that live in that ecosystem.

Scenario…
In Sichuan, China, they controlled pests by spraying pesticides on their crops. Unfortunately, due to the application of the chemicals, beneficial insects, including honeybees, were also killed.

As the honeybee population disappeared, humans took over the task of pollinating trees.

Problem:
* Pollination by hand takes longer, costs more, and is much less effective than pollination by honeybees.
* If that happened in Canada, it would cost us $20 billion, and only some would be successfully pollinated!

Question 6

What are Species Interactions?

Answer 6

• The interdependence of one species on another goes far beyond simple food chains.
• Species support each other, and they also contribute to the stability and productivity of our ecosystems.

Example…
Food Supply: Complex relationships exist between species and their food. e.g, Boneworms feed exclusively on the bones of dead whales that sink to the bottom of the ocean