Module 2

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Exploring and
Analyzing
Biodiversity
 Unit 2
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Section 1 - Introduction to Biodiversity
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How to start your notes

Module 2: Exploring and Analyzing Biodiversity

 Module 2 – Introduction to Biodiversity

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Biodiversity

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_vRtHJZu4
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Biodiversity

 Questions about “Why is biodiversity so

important?”
 Why are coral reefs essential for the
survival of others?
 What are the three levels of biodiversity?
 List three ways that humans have
negatively impacted the Earth’s biodiversity.
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Biodiversity

 Biodiversity – The variety of life across all levels of

ecological organization
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Levels of Biodiversity

 Levels of Biodiversity
 Genetic – differences in DNA among
individuals of a population or species
 Species – number or variety of
species in a given area
 Ecosystem – variety of life in different
areas
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Levels of Biodiversity
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Benefits of Biodiversity

 Ecosystem function

 Agriculture

 Medicine

 Tourism and Recreation

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Benefits of Biodiversity – Ecosystem Function

 Module 2 – Benefits of Biodiversity

1. Ecosystem Function

 High levels of biodiversity promote stability

 Resistant ecosystems – are not usually affected by

minor environmental change
 Resilient ecosystems – are affected by change, but
can restore themselves to their former states quickly
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Resistance – Mangrove Forest during a
hurricane

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoMrLYJOdA4
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Resilience –
Slash Pine Forest before, during and after a fire
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Benefits of Biodiversity – Agriculture

2. Agriculture
 Wild plant strains can be crossed with
domesticated strains to make those
strains healthier (ex – more pest-
resistant)
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Benefits of Biodiversity – Agriculture

Wild strains of crop plants can be

cross-pollinated with
domesticated crop relatives to
create stronger hybrids.

Example – teosinte (above and

right) is a relative of corn, is pest
resistant, and perennial (grows
back year to year).
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Benefits of Biodiversity – Agriculture

• Wild species can take

the place of
domesticated species.
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Benefits of Biodiversity – Medicine

3. Medicine
• Natural species can be sources of
medicine that can treat and cure disease.
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Benefits of Biodiversity – Medicine

This rosy periwinkle, a

native of Madagascar,
produces compounds that
treat Hodgkin’s lymphoma
and a form of leukemia.
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Benefits of Biodiversity – Tourism and
Recreation
4. Tourism and Recreation
• Ecotourism – environmentally
responsible travel to protected
natural areas.
• Natural areas are a part of human
recreation.
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Benefits of Biodiversity – Tourism and
Recreation
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Global Patterns of Biodiversity

Module 2 - Global Patterns of

Biodiversity
 Latitudinal gradient – general
increase in species richness
moving towards the equator
from the poles
 Module 2
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Section 2 - Island Biogeography
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Island Biogeography

Module 2 – Island Biogeography

 Robert McArthur and EO Wilson developed the theory

 Explains scale of biodiversity found on different types of

islands

 https://www.pbs.org/video/eo-wilson-ants-and-men-island-apocalypse/
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Island Biogeography

 Key components
 Immigration – organisms coming to the island
 Emigration – organisms leaving the island
 Extinction – species dying off completely on
island
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Island Biogeography

 Small vs large islands

 small islands can support fewer species than
large islands
 small islands have a higher extinction rate than
large islands
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Island Biogeography

 Islands far from mainland vs island close to

mainland
 more species find their way to near islands than
far islands, because of distance from the
mainland
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Island Biogeography
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Island Biogeography
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Island Biogeography

Module 2 - Habitat islands

 Natural areas surrounded by impassable areas – parks,
mountaintops in winter, oasis in desert, etc.
 See similar issues and pressures as islands in the
ocean
 Will become important when we talk about conservation
later in the year
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Habitat Islands
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Habitat Islands
 Unit 2
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Section 3 - Quantifying Biodiversity
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Quantifying Biodiversity

Module 2 – Quantifying Biodiversity

 Species richness – how many different types of
species are present in an area
 Species evenness - the number of individuals in
each species, as compared to each other
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Quantifying Biodiversity
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Quadrat Counts
Module 2 - Quadrats
• “Quad” – four sides
• Quadrats are one way to measure biodiversity in
terms of richness and evenness
• Procedure:
1. Mark out the overall area to be counted
2. Select quadrats in that area for a count
3. Perform the count
4. Use math to estimate the total biodiversity for
the area
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Quadrat Counts
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Quadrat Counts

What kind of
organisms are quadrat
counts good for?

What kind of
organisms probably
won’t do well with a
quadrat count?
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Quadrat Counts