Biodiversity

Name: ________________________________________________ Period: _____ Date: ______________

Essential Question: Why do we need to protect biodiversity?

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth. Biodiversity can be genetic biodiversity between
species or species biodiversity within the ecosystem. Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where
each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. Each organism’s role is given
emphasis on the food chain and the food web. Organisms die one after the other when the food chain
and food web fail. Relationships within the ecosystem can be mutualism, commensalism, parasitism,
predation, and competition. Mutualism is a give and take relationship like plants giving oxygen to
animals and animals giving carbon dioxide to plants. Commensalism is when one benefits and the other
is not affected such relationship happen between the barnacle and crab. Parasitism is when one species
benefits and the other one is harmed such relationship happen between dogs and ticks. Predation is
when one species kills another species for food like tiger killing a zebra for food. Competition is when
two or more species compete on the same resource like corn and weeds competing for soil nutrients.
Biodiversity or the abundance of different living creatures enables the ecosystem to flourish and attain
sustainability.

Why is Biodiversity Important? Humans depend on plants and animals. For example, one quarter of all
prescription medicines in the U.S. have ingredients from plants. If a diverse ecosystem is more
productive, it's easier to get these plants. When biodiversity is compromised plants and animals become
endangered and if we continually do not do something to solve the problem then they become extinct.
The extinction of plant and animal species could lead to our own extinction in case a new and deadly
disease comes and the plant or animal where we can get the cure no longer exist.

Humans directly benefit from a diverse ecosystem: Here are some of the major ways biodiversity helps
humans:

 Plants absorb greenhouse gases and help stop global warming.

 Plants clean the water and the air, provide oxygen, and control erosion.
 It is easier for a biodiverse ecosystems to recover from natural disasters because there are
alternative food sources.
 Healthy biodiversity of species can provide a variety of food (like meat and produce).
 Many of our medicinal drugs come from plants.
 All of our wood products come from nature.
 We can learn more about our earth by observing a diverse ecosystem.
 Many recreational areas benefit from a healthy ecosystem, which promotes tourism.
 Biodiversity is beautiful and should be enjoyed.

What Are the Threats to Biodiversity? There are a lot of threats to biodiversity.

 Using up natural resources before they can be renewed (over-fishing in oceans, or over-
harvesting trees on land)
 Habitat destruction like clearing forests or draining wetlands for towns or agricultural purposes
 Releasing invasive species into foreign ecosystems (like the cane toad in Australia or the zebra
mussel in the Great Lakes)
 Any kind of pollution (water, air, soil, etc).
 Failure of food chains

Clarifying Question:
1. What is biodiversity?
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2. What are the two types of biodiversity?
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3. What is the food chain? Review!
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4. What happens when the food chain and the food web fail? Explain. Think!
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5. What are the different relationships within the ecosystem?
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6. Define and give examples of the following ecological relationships.
Ecological Definition Example
Relationship
Mutualism
Commensalism
Predation
Parasitism
Competition

7. How can the extinction of plants and animals lead to our own extinction?Think!
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8. Complete the following sentences.

a) Many of our _______________________ drugs or medicines come from plants.
b) All of our ______________________________products come from nature.
c) We can learn more about our ____________________by observing a diverse ecosystem.
d) Plants absorb ________________________________and help slow down global warming.
e) Plants, clean water and air, provide_________________, and control ____________________.
f) It is easier for a biodiverse ____________________ to recover from natural disasters.
g) Healthy biodiversity of species can provide a _____________________(like meat and produce).
h) Many _________________areas benefit from a healthy ecosystem, which promotes tourism.
i) ___________________________is beautiful and should be enjoyed.

____9. How could acid rain affect the trees living in a forest?
A. It could strengthen the leaves of the trees in the forest.
B. It could alter the soil quality, adding toxins that harm the trees.
___10. Which example describes an abiotic factor that could impact the diversity of an ecosystem?
Clue: abiotic refers to non- living things while biotic refers to living things.
A. An increase in the amount of acid rain can change the pH of the soil in an ecosystem.
B. The competition for food can impact the survival rate between members of the same species
in an ecosystem.
___11. Which could most likely have a lasting negative impact on the biodiversity of an area?
A. clear-cutting of trees ( deforestation) B. selective cutting of trees

___12. A disease causes the rabbit population to decline drastically. How will
the decline in the rabbit population impact the community (food web)?
A. The fox population will decrease.
B. The snake population will decrease

http://www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-important-who-careshttp://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/00473/whatisit.html
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFeRFmqFChQ
Key:
9. B
10. A
11. A
12. A