1. What is biodiversity and why is it important ?
1.1. Biodiversity is a crucial part of the earth’s natural capital
1.1.1. The Biodiversity found in genes, species, ecosystems, and ecosystem processes is vital to sustaining life on earth.
1.1.2. the variety of the earth’s species, the genes they contain, the ecosystems in which they live, and the ecosystem processes such as energy flow and nutrient cycling that sustain all life
1.1.2.1. four interacting components
1.1.2.1.1. Functional Diversity
1.1.2.1.2. Ecological Diversity
1.1.2.1.3. Genetic Diversity
1.1.2.1.4. Species Diversity
1.2. the earth’s biodiversity
1.2.1. a source of food, medicine, building materials, and energy
1.2.1.1. provides critical ecosystem services
1.2.1.1.1. air and water purification
1.2.1.1.2. renewal of topsoil
1.2.1.1.3. decomposition of wastes
1.2.1.1.4. pollination
1.3. Edward O. Wilson: A Champion of Biodiversity
1.3.1. The Diversity of Life published in 1992
1.3.1.1. the principles and practical issues of biodiversity more completely
1.3.2. has won more than 100 national and international awards
1.3.3. has written 28 books
1.3.3.1. two of which won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction
1.3.4. writes: “How can we save Earth’s life forms from extinction if we don’t even know what most of them are? . . . I like to call Earth a little known planet.”
2. What roles do species play in ecosystems ?
2.1. Each species plays a specific ecological role
2.1.1. Scientists describe the role that a species plays in its ecosystem as its ecological niche
2.1.1.1. affects its survival and reproduction
2.1.1.1.1. how much water and sunlight, space
2.1.1.1.2. what it feeds on
2.1.1.1.3. temperatures and other conditions
2.1.1.2. scientists use the niches of species to classify them
2.1.2. Example
2.1.2.1. Generalist species such as raccoons have broad niches
2.1.2.1.1. live in many different places, eat a variety of foods, and tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions.
2.1.2.2. Specialist species such as the giant panda occupy narrow niches
2.1.2.2.1. live in only one type of habitat, use only one or a few types of food, or tolerate a narrow range of environmental conditions
2.2. Any given species may play one or more of four important roles
2.2.1. Native species
2.2.1.1. Normally live and thrive in a particular ecosystem
2.2.1.1.1. Other species that migrate into, or are deliberately or accidentally are re-referred to as invasive, alien, and exotic.
2.2.2. Non-native species
2.2.2.1. Can compete with and reduce the native species of the ecological group, causing undesirable consequences
2.2.2.1.1. it can spread rapidly if they find a new location with favorable conditions.
2.2.3. Indicator species
2.2.3.1. Provide early warnings of environmental change in a community or an ecosystem
2.2.3.1.1. some amphibians are classified as indicator species
2.2.4. Keystone species
2.2.4.1. They greatly influence the types and abundance of other species in the ecosystem
2.2.4.1.1. Many of these species occur in small
3. How does the earth’s life change over time ?
3.1. Biological evolution by natural selection explains how life changes over time
3.1.1. Tectonic plate movements, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and climate change have shifted wildlife habitats, wiped out large numbers of species, and created opportunities for the evolution of new species.
3.1.1.1. amazing diversity of species
3.1.1.1.1. biological evolution
3.1.1.1.2. simply evolution
3.1.1.2. Fossils
3.1.1.2.1. the source for the long history of life on earth
3.1.1.2.2. represent only 1% of all species that have ever lived.
3.1.1.3. Ancestral species through natural selection
3.1.1.3.1. Individuals with special communication points are more likely to survive and reproduce in a number of possible environments and pass on special points to their own.
3.1.2. Biological evolution through natural selection has become a widely accepted scientific theory that explains how life has been altered over the past 3.8 Billion years.
3.2. Biological evolution by natural selection depends on genetic diversity
3.2.1. On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection
3.2.1.1. Biological evolution by natural selection involves changes in a population’s genetic makeup through successive generations
3.2.1.1.1. First step
3.2.1.1.2. Second step
3.2.1.1.3. Our own species is another example of evolution by natural selection. We have evolved certain traits that have allowed us to dominate most of the earth’s land area and many of its aquatic systems.
3.2.1.2. Populations—not individuals—evolve by becoming genetically different
3.3. Some common myths about evolution through natural selection
3.3.1. four common of misconceptions
3.3.1.1. Survival
3.3.1.1.1. survival of the strongest
3.3.1.2. Evolution
3.3.1.2.1. species that have had life
3.3.1.3. Humans, apes, and monkeys
3.3.1.3.1. same ancestor
3.3.1.4. Evolution by natural selection
3.3.1.4.1. the forces of natural selection
3.3.1.5. Proccess
3.3.1.5.1. random mutations
3.4. Adaptation through natural selection has limits
3.4.1. First Reason
3.4.1.1. Change in environmental conditions
3.4.1.1.1. Genetic traits
3.4.1.1.2. Traits resulting from mutations
3.4.2. Second Reason
3.4.2.1. Reproductive capacity
3.4.2.1.1. Reproduce quickly and large number
3.4.2.1.2. Reproduce slowly and small number
4. What factors affect biodiversity ?
4.1. Formation of new species
4.1.1. Speciation
4.1.1.1. occurs when one species splits into two or more different species
4.1.1.1.1. Geographic isolation
4.1.1.1.2. Reproductive isolation
4.1.2. Geological processes can affect biodiversity
4.1.2.1. The locations of continents and oceanic basins
4.1.2.1.1. influenced the earth’s climate
4.1.2.2. The breakup, movement, and joining of continents
4.1.2.2.1. allowed species to move, adapt to new environments, and create new species.
4.1.2.3. The sudden movement of tectonic plates
4.1.2.3.1. earthquakes
4.1.2.4. Volcanic eruptions
4.1.2.4.1. affect extinction and speciation by destroying habitats and reducing, isolating, or eliminating species populations
4.1.3. Humans Affect Biodiversity
4.1.3.1. Artificial selection
4.1.3.1.1. Selectively breed or crossbreed between genetic variations of the same species.
4.1.3.2. Genetic engineering
4.1.3.2.1. Alter segments of DNA for desired traits
4.1.3.2.2. Transfer genes between different species that would not interbreed in nature
4.1.3.2.3. For instance : Develop, modified crop plants, new drugs, pest-resistant plants, and animals that grow rapidly
4.1.3.2.4. Synthetic biology
4.2. Extinction of existing species
4.2.1. Extinction occurs when a species ceases to exist
4.2.2. A species facing a crisis may
4.2.2.1. Adapt to the new changes in the environment
4.2.2.2. Migrate to a new geographic location that is more suitable to their lifestyle
4.2.2.3. Become extinct
4.2.3. Endemic species
4.2.3.1. Found in only unique geographic areas
4.2.3.1.1. making it difficult for them to migrate or adapt during rapidly changing environmental conditions
4.2.3.2. Many endangered endemic species are amphibians
4.2.4. Difference between background extinction rate and mass extinction
4.2.4.1. Background extinction
4.2.4.1.1. slower rate that existed before human population became significant
4.2.4.2. Mass extinction
4.2.4.2.1. significant rise in extinction over background extinction rate
4.2.5. Three scientific principles of sustainability in action
4.2.5.1. The cycling of nutrients
4.2.5.2. Biodiversity
4.2.5.3. Solar energy