Unit-3

Biodiversity and conservation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Ua_zWDH6U
 Unit-3.1
AN INTRODUCTION TO
BIODIVERSITY
 Types of biodiversity
• Biodiversity is the overall term for three different but inter-related
types of diversity: genetic diversity, species diversity and habitat
diversity.
• Tropical rainforests are
high in habitat
diversity as there are
many ecological niches
due to the layering of
the forests. Tundra has
a lower level of habitat
diversity
• This variation in diversity alters from habitat to habitat. Some habitats such as coral reefs
and rainforests have high species diversity. Urban habitats and polar regions have much
lower species diversity by comparison.
• Genetic diversity is the range of genetic material present in a gene pool or population of a
species that is the amount of variation that exists between different individuals within
different populations of a species. A small population normally has a lower genetic
diversity than a larger one because of the smaller gene pool.
• Species are made up of both individuals and populations.
• To conserve the maximum amount of genetic diversity, different populations of a species
need to be conserved.
• Organisms where large genetic diversity exists include the European red fox, which is found
right across Europe. Humans also have high genetic diversity as we exist planet-wide in
many populations.
• Humans can alter genetic diversity by artificially breeding or genetically engineering
populations with reduced variation in their genotypes or even identical genotypes –
clones. This can be an advantage if it produces a high-yielding crop or animal but a
disadvantage if disease strikes and the whole population is susceptible. This domestication
and plant breeding has led to a loss of genetic variety.
Almost the entire world population of grey seals exist on the
Farne islands off the north-east coast of England with a few
small, scattered populations in other places.
 Biodiversity-an indicator for ecosystem
health
• Biodiversity is often used as a measure as high biodiversity usually equates with
high ecosystem health.
A habitat with high biodiversity has these advantages:
● resilience and stability due to the range of plants present of which some will
survive drought, floods, insect attack, disease.
● genetic diversity so resistance to diseases.
● some plants there will have deep roots so can cycle nutrients and bring them to
the surface making them available for other plants.
But high biodiversity does not always equate to
having a healthy ecosystem:
● diversity could be the result of fragmentation (break up) of a habitat
or degradation when species richness is due to pioneer species
invading bare areas quickly
● managing grazing can be difficult as plant species have different
requirements and tolerance to grazing
● some stable and healthy communities have few plant species so are
an exception to the rule.
 Diversity indices
• We can only accurately compare two similar ecosystems or two
communities within an ecosystem. Communities can be described and
compared by the use of diversity indices.
• We can only accurately compare two similar ecosystems or two
communities within an ecosystem. Communities can be described and
compared by the use of diversity indices.
• It is important to repeat investigations of diversity in the same community
over a period of time and to know if change is a natural process due to
succession or due to impact from human activity.
 Hotspots
Hotspots are where there are also unusually high numbers of endemic species
(those only found in that place). Where these hotspots are is debated but about 30
areas have been recognized.
● They include about ten in tropical rainforest but also regions in most other
biomes.
● They tend to be nearer the tropics because there are fewer limiting factors in
lower latitudes.
● They are all threatened areas where 70% of the habitat has already been lost.
● The habitat contains more than 1,500 species of plants which are endemic.
● They cover only 2.3% of the land surface.
● They tend to have large densities of human habitation nearby.
These hotspots contain about 60% of the world’s species so have very high
species diversity. Critics of naming hotspots say that they can be misleading
because they:

● focus on vascular plants and ignore animals

● do not represent total species diversity or richness
● focus on regions where habitats, usually forest, have been lost and ignore
whether that loss is still happening
● do not consider genetic diversity
● do not consider the value of services, for example water resources. But they are
a useful model to focus our attention on habitat destruction and threats to unique
ecosystems and the species within them.