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Biology – Chapter 6

Our Earth is an ISLAND

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Unlimited Resources?

Resources

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Environmental resources classified as either:

Renewable

Nonrenewable

Renewable – resources that replenish through natural processes (not always unlimited)

Nonrenewable – resources that cannot replenish by natural processes

Human activities can affect the quality and quantity of otherwise renewable resources

Biodiversity

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Biological diversity (biodiversity) is essential for biosphere survival – allowing the differences in biological systems to absorb any drastic changes that may happen.

Biodiversity = the amount of variation in life in a given species, ecosystem, biome or planet

Types of Biodiversity

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Ecosystem diversity – variety of habitats, communities & ecological processes in the biosphere

Species diversity – the number of different species in the biosphere

Genetic diversity – the total of all the different forms of all the different organisms in the biosphere

Biodiversity is one of the Earth’s greatest natural resources – providing us with medicines, building materials, artistic inspiration and food.

Threats to Biodiversity

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Human activity can be a threat to biodiversity by:

Changing natural habitats Land development, deforestation

Hunting species to extinction Food, “pests”

Introducing toxic compounds into food webs

Pollution, biological magnificationIntroducing foreign species into new environments

Invasive species

Conserving Biodiversity

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Sustainable Development - A way of using natural resources for human needs without depleting them or causing long term environmental harm

Conservation – the management of natural resources to preserve biodiversity for future generations

Conservation Strategies

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Protection of species & ecosystems

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As of the year 2000, more than 35 biodiversity “hotspots” have been identified

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