Diversity

• Biodiversity

  Amount of biological or living diversity per unit area
• Ecosystem diversity


  Range of different habitats or number of ecological niches per unit area
• Species diversity


  Variety of species per unit area, includes number of species and relative abundance
• Richness


  Number of species
• Evenness


  Relative abundance of each species
• Genetic diversity


  Variety of genes and alleles in a species
• Fossils suggest there are currently more species alive on earth today than in the past
• Types of taxonomists

  • Lumpers - similarities
  • Splitters - differences
• Causes of anthropogenic species extinction

  • Habitat destruction
  • Climate change
  • Pollution
  • Overexploitation
  • Invasive species
  • Disease
• Examples of anthropogenic species extinction

  • Giant moas - Can't fly, hunted to extinction
  • Caribbean monk seals - Overfishing reduced their prey, Friendly, used for meat and blubber
  • Chinese paddlefish - Overfishing and pollution, Dam constructions in the Yangtze river
• Mixed dipterocarp forests of southeast Asia had high biodiversity
• Causes of decreased biodiversity in mixed dipterocarp forests

  • Deforestation for wood
  • Palm oil plantations -> monoculture
  • Hunting for meat, skin and trophies
  • Insecticides
  • Soil erosion
  • Decreased transpiration increases forest fires
• Evidence for biodiversity

  • IPBES reports
  • Surveys repeated
  • Citizen scientists collect data
  • Professional scientists require lots of data
• Pros of citizen scientists

  • Increased data
  • Cost effective, volunteers
  • Increased public engagement in conservation
• Cons of citizen scientists

  • Data may be of varying quality - Needs quality control measures
  • Volunteers may have biases
• Overexploitation


  Unsustainable use of resources - Resources harvested before they can be replenished
• Invasive species

  Alien - introduced outside natural distribution

  Invasive - expands into and modifies food webs
• Biodiversity conservation methods

  • In situ - restore ecosystems through rewilding and reclaiming

  Ex situ - Seed banks, cryopreservation, Field gene banks, botanical gardens, captive breeding aquariums
• Pros of ex situ conservation

  • Can be fully protected from predation and poaching

  Monitor health and genetic diversity

  Selective breeding, modern reproduction tech

  Conservation sites for education
• Cons of ex situ conservation

  • Limited genetic diversity

  Living outside natural habitat

  Animals behave abnormally - Reproduction is hard

  Expensive

  Incorrect environment conditions
• Pros of in situ conservation

  • Natural protection

  Large populations at once

  More discrete

  Higher chance of recovery
• Cons of in situ conservation

  • Uncontrollable factors such as climate change and disease

  Endangered habitats can be fragmented, area too small
• EDGE


  Evolutionary distinct and globally endangered