Biodiversity

What is Biodiversity?
● the variation of life forms within a given
ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth
● often used as a measure of the health of
biological systems
● 2010 has been declared as the International
Year of Biodiversity
 Kinds of Biodiversity
● Genetic diversity
– level of biodiversity that refers to the total number of
genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a
species
– Measures of the variety of the different versions of
the same genes within individual species
– diversity within a species is necessary to maintain
diversity among species, and vice versa
● Species diversity
– an index that incorporates the number of species in
an area and also their relative abundance
● Humans have a huge effect on species
diversity; the main reasons are
– Destruction, modification and fragmentation of
habitat
– Introduction of exotic species
– Overharvesting
– Global climate change
Species
● a taxonomic rank (the
basic rank of
biological
classification)
● unit at that rank (in
which case the plural
is "species". This is
sometimes
abbreviated: "spec."
or "sp." singular, or
"spp." plural).
● The number of known
species on Earth is
about 2.1 million,
most of which are
insects
Benefits from Biodiversity
● Food
– Many wild plant
species contribute
much to our food
supply or genetic
materials to improve
domestic crops
– Norman Meyers
estimated around
80,000 edible wild
plant species that can
be utilized by humans
● Drugs and medicines
– $30 million worth of
pharmaceutical
products are derived
from Third World
plants and animals
per year
– In Feb 2000, some
foreigners are caught
smuggling medical
plants from the
Philippines
– Vinblastine and
Vincristine
● Derived from
Madagascar periwinkle
● Known to inhibit the
growth of cancer cells
and very effective in
treating certain kinds
of cancer
● Penicillin
– he first drugs that
were effective against
many previously
serious diseases such
as syphilis and
Staphylococcus
infections
– Derived from
Penicillium fungi
● Ecological benefits
– Diverse plant
communities
withstand
environmental stress
better and recover
more quickly than
those with fewer
species
– The total value of
ecological services is
at least $33 trillion per
year (soil formation,
waste disposal, etc.)
– 95% potential pests
and disease-carrying
organisms in the
world are controlled
by other species that
prey upon them or
compete upon them in
some way
● Aesthetic and cultural
benefits
– The US Fish and
Wildlife service
estimates that
Americans spend
$104 billion every
year on wildlife related
recreation
– Ecotourism
 Causes of Extinction of Species
● Natural Causes
– When extinction takes
place when
environmental
conditions change
very rapidly
– Many ecologist worry
about greenhouse
gases which may
cause mass extinction
Anthropogenic activities
● Man's activities which
are unplanned and
can cause so much
damage to the
environment both
living and nonliving
– Habitat Destruction
● Destruction of forests,
wetlands, and other
biologically rich
ecosystem around the
world threatens to
eliminate millions of
species
● Overharvesting
– refers to harvesting a
renewable resource to
the point of
diminishing returns. If
sustained, it can lead
to the destruction of
the resource.
– Last American
Passenger Pegion
died in 1914 in
Cincinnati zoo
● Expansion of
agricultural,
aquacultural, and
urban areas
● Introduction of exotic
species
– Exotics are organisms
introduced into
habitats where they
are not native
– May lead to
elimination of
indigenous species
– Golden snails from
Argentina
● Diseases
– Disease-causing
organisms or
pathogens may also
be considered as
predators.
– In 1904, a shipment of
nursery stock of
chestnut trees brought
Fungal Blight to US
which causes
disappearance of
native American
chestnuts
● Pollution
– Pesticide-linked
decline of fish-eating
birds and falcons was
well documented in
1970
– Death of thousand of
seals are linked to
DDT, PCS, and
dioxins couple with
several oil spills
Endangered animals in the
Philippines
● Tarsier
– The Philippine Tarsier
Foundation has
developed a large
semi-wild enclosure
that uses lights to
attract the nocturnal
insects that make up
the tarsier's diet
● Philippine Spotted
Deer
– a nocturnal and
endangered species
of deer located
primarily in the
rainforests of the
Visayan islands of
Panay and Negros
though it once roamed
other islands such as
Cebu, Guimaras,
Leyte, Masbate, and
Samar
● Philippine Deer
– one of three species
of deer that is native
to the forests of much
of the Philippines
● Philippine Crocodile
– Conservation
methods are being
taken by the
Dutch/Filipino
Mabuwaya
foundation,[4] the
Crocodile
Conservation Society
and the Zoological
Institute of
HerpaWorld in
Mindoro.
● Fan Palms
● Philippine camia
● Waling-waling
● Philippine Eagle
– among the tallest,
rarest, largest, and
most powerful birds in
the world
– The 2008 IUCN Red
List listed this species
as critically
endangered