GROUP A

1. What is the correlation between chemistry and biodiversity?

2.
The Value of Biodiversity: Life and Death Decisions
Directions:
You have $3 million to put toward the conservation of species and their habitats. As a point of
reference, $9.7 million was spent on the conservation plan for the endangered northern spotted
owl. The price of undisturbed rain forest habitat in South America is $35 per acre through the
Adopt-an-Acre program sponsored by The Nature Conservancy.
Decide which species (up to ten) will benefit from your investments. List them in order from
highest amount to lowest. The name of the species is up to you.
Decide how the money will be spent. Will it go to buying up native habitat and turning it into a
preserve? Will the remaining individuals be collected from the wild and put in a zoo or botanic
garden for captive breeding? Will the money go towards collecting fungal specimens from all
around the world to be used in cancer research? Do you have other ideas about how the money
could be used to preserve biodiversity? Write a justification for each expense. Why would you
spend money on that particular species?

No Species Amount of money to be How will the Why did you

spent on this species money be be spent? spend money on
this species?

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
GROUP B
1. As chemistry scientists, what do you think you can do to conserve the biodiversity? Or
what is your breakthrough you plan to do?

2. Find out what criteria a geographic area must meet in order to be considered a
biodiversity hotspot? Look at the map below and search information on internet to find a
hotspot on your continent. From your research please find

1. Tropical 2. Sundaland 3. Mediterranean 4. Madagascar & Indian 5. Indo-Burma

Andes
6. Caribbean 7. Atlantic Forest Basin
8. Philippines Ocean
9. CapeIslands
Floristic Province 10.
11. Brazilian Region
12. Southwest 13. Mountains 14. Polynesia/Micronesia Mesoamerica
15. New
Australia of South- Caledonia
16. Choc- 17. Guinean Central
18. China
Western 19. California Floristic 20. Succulent
Darin- Forests of Ghats & Sri Province Karoo
Western
21. New 22. Central Chile 23. Caucasus 24. Wallacea 25. Eastern Arc
Zealand Mtns
& Coastal
include information about how this hotspot meets the criteria
location of the hotspot and type of ecosystems found there
a description of at least one endemic plant species and one animal species found there
a general description of its socio-economic conditions
human induced and/or natural reasons why species biodiversity is decreasing in that
region
describe what is being done to protect this particular area