BIODIVERSITY

Definition

The 1992 United Nations earth Summit in

Rio de Janeiro

the variability among living organisms from

all sources, including, 'inter alia', terrestrial,
marine, and other aquatic ecosystems, and
the ecological complexes of which they are
part: this includes diversity within species,
between species and of ecosystems.
• Biodiversity = "biological diversity" (1985)

• Biodiversity = variation of taxonomic life forms within a

given ecosystem, biome or for the entire Earth.
It is often a measure of the health of biological systems to
indicate the degree to which the aggregate of historical
species are viable versus extinct.

• Biodiversity = variation of life at all levels of biological

organization.
It is a measure of the relative diversity among organisms
present in different ecosystems viz diversity within a
species and among species, and comparative diversity
among ecosystems.
• biodiversity = totality of genes, species, and ecosystems of a
region.

This definition is often used by ecologists. It describes most

circumstances and presents a unified view of the traditional
three levels at which biodiversity has been identified:

Genetic diversity - diversity of genes within a species. There

is a genetic variability among the populations and the
individuals of the same species.
Species diversity - diversity among species in an ecosystem.
“Biodiversity hotspots" are excellent examples of species
diversity.
Ecosystem diversity - diversity at a higher level of
organization, the ecosystem. It has to do with the variety of
ecosystems on Earth.
 Ecosystem

• The organisms living together in a

specific environment form an
ecosystem.
• They depend on each other and on the
abiotic environment in which they live.
• Do they affect each other’s existence?
• How?
• Could you think of few examples of
ecosystem?
 Examples of ecosystems

• A coral reef is an
example of a complex
marine ecosystem

• Rainforest are among

the most diverse
ecosystem on earth
 Biodiversity Hotspots

• a biogeographic region that is both a significant

reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with
destruction.
• 34 areas that have lost at least 70% of their
original habitat
• >1500 endemic vascular plant species
• the remaining natural habitat is ~ 1.4% of the
land surface, yet supports nearly 60% of the
world's plant, bird, mammal, reptile, and
amphibian species.
 Where are these hotspots located?
• North and Central America e.g. California
floristic province, Caribbean Islands
• South America e.g. Atlantic Forest, Tropical
Andes
• Europe and Central Asia e.g. Mediterranean
Basin, Mountains of Central Asia
• Africa e.g. coastal forests of E. Africa,
Madagascar, Indian Ocean Islands
• Asia-Pacific e.g. Himalaya, Indo-Burma,
Japan, N. Zealand, Southwest Australia,
Philippines
 Any critiques against the hotspots?

• other species richness e.g. total

species richness or threatened
species richness?
• Other taxa?
• Smaller scale richness hotspots?
• Changing land use patterns?
• Ecosystem services?
• Phylogenetic diversity?
 The importance of biodiversity
• We are eliminating populations/species faster than we
can discover new ones.
• We are cutting down virgin forest before we have had
time to document or study what was there.
• We are replacing our naturally diverse vegetation with
artificial monocultures.
• We are polluting our environment and changing
background environmental conditions faster than
nature can respond.
• We worry about the loss of species usually once it is
too late to economically and effectively do anything
about it.
 SO WHAT? WHY SHOULD WE WORRY ABOUT
LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY? OR WHY SHOULD WE
CARE ABOUT PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY?

• Food and drink

• Medicines
• Industrial materials
• Other ecological services
• Leisure, cultural and aesthetic value
 Could you measure biodiversity?

• Yes, but not without difficulty.

• WHY? Do you have any knowledge of what you are losing?

Ask yourself simple questions:

• How many species of animals are on earth?
• How many have been described?
• Is there any centralized database?
• Why do you think you have not described all species? e.g.
Laonastes aenigmamus
• Where do we know least or most?
Best described regions: W. Europe, USA, Canada
Best described groups: birds and mammals
Least described regions: deep-sea, tropics
Least described groups: insects, worms, fungi, protists, Archaea,
Bacteria
 Could biodiversity be measured?

• Each measure of biodiversity relates to

particular use of the data.
• Broadly shared among locally affected
people.
• Ensure continued posibilities for both
adaptation and future use by people,
assuring environmental sustainability.
• Associated with the variety of genes. But
which genes? What is the best choice?
 SPECIES-LEVEL BIODIVERSITY
(Species richness or species evenness)

• Species richness
A count of the number of different species.
What does it denotes?
How it is used?
What are its weaknesses?

• Simpson diversity index

Also known as species-diversity index
Quantify biodiversity of a habitat
Quantify number of species
Quantify relative abundance of each species
Hypothesized distribution of species living on earth today
Laonastes aenigmamus
 System of presenting a universal
tree of life
Linnaeus Haeckel Whittaker Woese
1735 1866 1969 1990
Monera Bacteria
Archaea
Protista Protista
Fungi
Vegetabilia Plantae Plantae Eukarya
Animalia Animalia Animalia
 MICROBIAL EVOLUTION

• What is the age of the earth? 4.6 bill ago

• Origin of life? Where life began?
• Microbes (prokryatos) as the first organisms. When were they
present on earth? Da temp increase bcoz no O2 only CO2 n C2H4. Present 4 bill
ago

• Stromatolites? Fossiled microbial mats?Comes in

layers n contain fossil dat pr O2

• When oxygen began to appear? Based on stromatolites

n O2 occur 2.8 bill ago

• Evolution of oxygen-using organisms?

• Formation of ozone layer? Blockage of UV
radiation? New terresterial habitats opened ?
5 mill ago earth full of O2,ozone lyer n uv lyte start form. Da temp start 2 decreased.
Characteristics of microbes

• Procaryotes
microscopic, unicellular organisms, lack
nuclei and membrane-bound organelles (bacteria n
cyanobacteria)
• Eukaryotes

eucaryote – unicellular (microscopic) and

multicellular, nucleus and membrane-bound
organelles. (fungi, animal n plants)
• Viruses

acellular, parasitic particles composed of a nucleic

acid and protein
 Major characteristics of procaryotes and eucaryotes
Characteristics Procaryotes Eucaryotes
Cell structure
Cell wall (if present)
Peptidoglycan +* -
Cell membrane
Sterol (cholesterol) -** +(animals)
Mitochondria - +
Chloroplast - +
Nucleus - +
Nuclear membrane - +
Number of X’somes 1 >1
Mitotic apparatus - +
Nucleolus - +
Golgi apparatus - +
Mesosom + -
Endoplasmic reticulum - +
Ribosomes + (70S) + (80S and
(sedimentation coefficient, S) 70S)
 Major characteristics of procaryotes and eucaryotes
(continued)

Characteristics Procaryotes Eucaryotes

Metabolisme
Oxidative phosphorylation membrane mitochondria
Photosynthesis membrane chloroplast
Nitrogen (gas) fixation
+ -
Reduced inorganic compounds
+ -
as energy source
PHB (poly-ß-hydroxy butyrate)
as storage compound + -
Anaerobic generation of energy
by non-glycolytic pathway + -
 What is species richness
diversity (SRD)?
• Indicates the number of different types
of microorganisms present in a sample.
• SRD determination of microorganisms
in a particular microbial functional
group is an index of the variety of
microbes in that functional group.
• The index is derived from a standard
microbial ecology formula and weighs
the variety and concentration of
species within a functional group.
WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT
PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY?
• Humans rely on microbial, plants and
animals species for foods and
medicines.

• Humans benefit from healthy

ecosystems. But how? Any known
examples?

• Non-functional/non-utilitarian reasons.
How long it takes to replace lost
species?
How can this diversity information
be used?

• The index of a soil or compost sample

can be compared to other soils and
composts to determine the impact of
cultural management practices on soil
microbial communities
• to compare and evaluate different
sources of microbial products.
• Total species richness diversity index
(SRDI) is a useful tool for comparison
of similar types samples.
 MICROBIAL DIVERSITY
ANALYSIS

SRDT INDEX CLASSIFICATION FOR

AGRICULTURAL SOILS

>12.5 HIGH DIVERSITY

7-12.5 MODERATE DIVERSITY

<7 LOW DIVERSITY

 EXAMPLE OF AN AGRICULTURAL SOIL ANALYSIS

ENUMERATION
PARAMETER [Colony Forming Units SRD INDEX
{CFU} /g.dry weight]
Aerobic Heterotrophic 1.8 X 108 2.9
Plate Count
Anaerobic Bacteria
(includes facultative 1.6 X 107 1.9
anaerobes)
Yeasts and Molds 1.1 X 106 2.3

Actinomycetes 3.3 X 104 1.2

Pseudomonads 2.4 X 107 1.2

Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria 3.0 X 104 0.7

SRDT - 10.2
(Moderate)
 EXAMPLE OF COMPOST A ANALYSIS

ENUMERATION
PARAMETER [Colony Forming Units SRD INDEX
{CFU} /g.dry weight]
Aerobic Heterotrophic 5.9 X 109 2.0
Plate Count
Anaerobic Bacteria
(includes facultative 8.7 X 107 0.9
anaerobes)
Yeasts and Molds 2.7 X 106 0.4

Actinomycetes 5.0 X 108 0.8

Pseudomonads 8.5 X 108 0.7

Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria 1.0 X 103 -0.3

SRDT - 4.5
 INTERPRETATION OF COMPOST A
BIOASSAY

Heterotrophic aerobic bacteria in SAMPLE A = 5.9 billion. (100

million cfu/gdw is minimum.) These levels are suitable for soil
inoculums and disease suppression.

Aerobic bacteria to anaerobic ratio should be 10:1 or greater.

SAMPLE A ratio = 68 : 1, approximately 7-fold higher.

Yeasts and molds (Fungi) are important in soil nutrient cycling

and soil particle aggregation. SAMPLE A counts exceed
minimum standard by 270%.

Actinomycetes help break down complex chitin and cellulose.

Pseudomonads cycle nutrients, improve plant phosphorous

utilization and have been linked to biological disease control.
SAMPLE A yields 850 million CFU / gdw or 850% in excess of
desired minimum.

Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria are low in high nitrogen composts

like SAMPLE A.
 Why is microbial diversity
important?

• a high species richness diversity promotes

interspecies relationships and
interpopulation interactions.

• species richness diversity is important

because it allows for more varied and
flexible response to environmental changes.

• more diverse microbial communities can

better cope with disturbance and stress
than low diversity communities.
 Why is microbial diversity
important? ..cont

• Important sources of knowledge about the

strategies and limits of life.
• Critical importance to the sustainabiity of
life on the planet.
• Resource for new genes and organisms of
value to biotechnology.
• Their diversity pattern can be used for
monitoring and predicting environmental
change.
• Excellent models for understanding
biological interactions and evolutionary
history.