Tuesday May 12, 2015

LT: I can explain why biodiversity is important.

Notes: What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity= # of species (richness)/ # of individuals (abundance)

Species Richness=# of species (fox, moose, robin)=3

Species Abundance=# of individuals of each type of species (2 fox, 1 moose, 5 robins)=8

Biological diversity: the variety, of plants and animals and other living things in a SPECIFIC area or region.

*For instance, the species that inhabit Los Angeles are different from those in San Francisco, and desert plants and animals have different characteristics and needs than those in the mountains, even though some of the same species can be found in all of those areas.

Biodiversity also means the number, or abundance of different species living within a particular region.

In practice, "biodiversity" suggests sustaining the diversity of species in each ecosystem as we plan human activities that affect the use of the land and natural resources.

Why is biodiversity important?
Everything that lives in an ecosystem is part of the web of life, including humans. Each species of vegetation and each creature has a place on the earth and plays a vital role in the circle of life. Plant, animal, and insect species interact and depend upon one another for what each offers, such as food, shelter, oxygen, and soil enrichment. 

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Biodiversity Calculations

 

 

Name _____________________________________ Date ___________________ Class Period: _________________

LT: I can explain why biodiversity is important

Biodiversity Definition: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Part 1: Why is Biodiversity Important?

Habitats that have a greater variety of different species of plants and animals have a greater biodiversity. These habitats are also healthier and more stable. One reason diverse communities have greater levels of health is that organisms of the same species tend to be more spread out. This reduces the ability of a disease to spread throughout a habitat. Additionally, if a certain type of species of tree or plant does become infected, the other species will remain and continue to provide the habitat components for the organisms in that area.

In an area consisting of monoculture, an area with only one type of plant species growing, the plants are more susceptible to disease and other stresses because they are all the same and less spread out (no other types of plants between them). As a result, [the entire habitat can be dramatically altered when impacted by disease or other stresses]. Human-made monocultures (crops, etc.) are created to make harvesting easier. However, they typically require larger amounts of pesticides and herbicides (to prevent diseases and/or “weeds”) and larger amounts of energy and labor to maintain before harvesting.

Based on the reading, what are two reasons biodiversity is important?

1.

2.

Part 2:  BIODIVERSITY CALCULATIONS

How do I calculate the biodiversity in an area?

Biodiversity= # of species (richness)/ # of individuals (abundance)

Species Richness=# of species (fox, moose, robin)=3

Species Abundance=# of individuals of each type of species (2 fox, 1 moose, 5 robins)=8

EXAMPLE

# of species (fox, mouse, rabbit, elk, bald eagle)	5
# of individuals --1 fox --5 mice --2 rabbit --1 elk --1 bald eagle	10

Biodiversity=5 species/10 individuals= 0.5

Let’s look at the table below and figure out the Species Richness and Species Abundance for Field A and Field B.

Practice Together:

	Field A	Field B
Animal Species Richness	Mice, hare, bees, ants, beetles, voles	Beetle
Animal Species Abundance	Mouse-20, hare-15, bees-45, ants-100, beetles-75, voles, 35	Beetle-300

*Field A Species Richness=__________________________________

*Field A Species Abundance=_______________________________

*Field B Species Richness=_________________________________

*Field B Species Abundance=______________________________

Now let’s figure out the Diversity Index…

	Pine Forest	Rainforest
Plant Species Richness	20	100
Plant Species Abundance	102	455

*Pine Forest Diversity: ______________________________________________________=

*Rainforest: ______________________________________________________=

*The closer to 1.0 it is, the higher the biodiversity.*

--Which has more biodiversity, the pine forest or the rain forest? How do you know?

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With a partner….

	Field A	Field B
Animal Species Richness	Crow, squirrel, rabbit	Moose, deer, coyote, mice, dragonfly, Canada goose
Animal Species Abundance	Crow-5, squirrel-10, rabbit-6	Moose-2, deer-10, coyote-12, mice-55, dragonfly-30, Canada goose-20

*Field A Species Richness=__________________________________

*Field A Species Abundance=_______________________________

*Field B Species Richness=_________________________________

*Field B Species Abundance=______________________________

Now let’s figure out the Diversity Index…

	Grassland	Desert
Plant Species Richness	25	15
Plant Species Abundance	275	275

*Grassland: ______________________________________________________=

*Desert: ______________________________________________________=

--Which has more biodiversity, the grassland or the desert? How do you know?

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By Yourself!

	Forest Plot A	Forest Plot B
Animal Species Richness	Gorilla, mandrill, scorpion, ants, beetles, python, rainforest bird	Gorilla, mandrill, scorpion, ants, beetles
Animal Species Abundance	300	250

*Forest A Species Richness=__________________________________

*Forest A Species Abundance=_______________________________

*Forest B Species Richness=_________________________________

*Forest B Species Abundance=______________________________

Now fill in the chart below and figure out the Diversity Index for the numbers you have from the above problem…

	Forest A	Forest B
Animal Species Richness
Animal Species Abundance

*Forest A: ______________________________________________________=

*Forest B: ______________________________________________________=

--Which has more biodiversity, Forest A or Forest B? How do you know?