Biological Diversity In this presentation you will: explore
biological diversity and how it occurs explore why it is important
to preserve biological diversity ClassAct SRS enabled. Slide 2
Biological Diversity Next > I. What is Biological Diversity? B.
It encompasses: 1. Species diversity the variety of living
organisms on Earth (plants and animals) 3. Ecosystem diversity the
variety of habitats and communities on Earth 2. Genetic diversity
the variety of genetic material in all living organisms A.
Biological diversity (sometimes called biodiversity) is the variety
of life found on Earth both within and between species and
ecosystems. Slide 3 Biological Diversity Next > II. How Does
Diversity Occur? B. The diversity of species we see today is the
product of over four billion years of change. C. Over many
generations, living things change into different forms, varieties
and eventually sometimes even into different species. This slow and
gradual process is known as evolution. D. Evolution has given us
the wide variety of organisms that is the biological diversity on
Earth today. A. There are millions of different species of
organisms on the planet. Slide 4 Biological Diversity Next >
III. What is a Species? A. A species is a group of organisms that
are similar in appearance and characteristics. They have a similar
genetic make- up and are able to reproduce with each other to
produce fertile offspring. B. If two groups of similar organisms
would not freely interbreed if put together, either as a result of
different mating behaviour or incompatibility of genetic make-up,
then they are classed as different species. C. If groups of
seemingly different organisms would breed freely if given the
chance then they are classed as subspecies. Slide 5 Biological
Diversity 1 What is biological diversity? Question A) The variety
of living organisms on Earth B) The variety of genetic material in
all living organisms C) The variety of all habitats and communities
on Earth D) All of the above Slide 6 Biological Diversity Next >
IV. Adaptation and Natural Selection A. To survive in a changing
environment organisms need to adapt (change), for example, their
behavior or physical characteristics. C. If the change benefits the
organism it will survive and reproduce better in its environment.
The gene for the trait will be passed to generations that follow
(inheritance) and organisms with the trait will become more
abundant. This is known as natural selection. B. An organism with
an unusual or changed gene (a mutation) can result in a change, for
example, to its coloring or a feature such as the size or shape of
teeth. Siberian and Indian tiger Slide 7 Biological Diversity Next
> V. Adaptive Radiation A. Adaptive radiation refers to the
creation of new species which develop from a common ancestor. B.
This can occur when a population of a species is separated by a
physical barrier, for example, mountains, valleys or rivers. This
is geographical isolation. C. When this occurs, breeding between
the groups is totally prevented and the two groups evolve
separately from each other. D. They may evolve into totally
separate species who are genetically different to each other and
would be unable to successfully produce fertile offspring if mated.
Slide 8 Biological Diversity Next > VI. Darwins Finches A. When
Charles Darwin first went to Galapagos Islands, he noticed that the
islands contained a wider variety of finches than Ecuador which is
close by. B. He observed 13 types of finches. The finches were
different sizes and their beaks were quite different from each
other in shape and size. He reasoned that each species had evolved
from a single ancestral species, but had adapted in different ways
to gather food in the different habitats on the islands. C. This is
a very famous example of adaptive radiation. Slide 9 Biological
Diversity 2 Can adaptation to a changing environment lead to
species diversity? Answer Yes or No. Question Slide 10 Biological
Diversity 3 A population of a species becomes separated into two
groups by the expansion of a valley. What is this known as?
Question A) Geographical separation B) Geographical speciation C)
Geographical isolation D) Geographical grouping Slide 11 Biological
Diversity Next > VII. Diversity of the Rainforest Ecosystem A.
The special ecosystem of the tropical rainforest is one of the most
diverse ecosystems on the planet. It is home to thousands of
species of animals and plants. C. It is not unusual for a square
kilometer of forest in Central or South America to contain several
hundred species of birds and many thousands of species of
butterflies, beetles, and other insects. B. The rainforests contain
a huge proportion of the entire world's species that is estimated
by scientists to be between 70% and 90%. Slide 12 Biological
Diversity Next > VIII. Evidence of Diversity A. Although
different species might look dissimilar, by studying the internal
structures and chemical processes within organisms, scientists are
able to identify common ancestry between many species. B. Fossils
have given us evidence of diversity by providing evidence of
organisms that existed in the past. Slide 13 Biological Diversity
Next > IX. Importance of Biological Diversity A. The variety of
plant and animal species, and the habitats in which they live are
extremely important to humans and the way we live. B. Plants and
animals provide us with food, shelter, clothing, and also
medicines. C. Ecosystems are also extremely important in keeping
the chemistry of the planet in balance and the conditions suitable
for us to survive. Slide 14 Biological Diversity Next > X.
Threats to Biological Diversity A. Changes to ecosystems and
species within in them could result in the total loss of some
species (extinction). B. If the extinction of species becomes
greater than the formation of new species, then biological
diversity will decrease. C. The balance and interaction between all
living things and the environment is so complicated that loss of
biological diversity could ultimately put the survival of the whole
planet in danger. Slide 15 Biological Diversity Next > XI. Human
Threats to Biological Diversity A. One of the biggest threats to
biological diversity is human activity. For example: 1. Humans rely
on natural resources. But by using these resources we frequently
damage and upset the balance of habitats. Sometimes we destroy them
completely. 2. Pollution can cause problems on a local scale, for
example by damaging a specific habitat, or on a global scale. For
example global warming causing the melting of ice caps and
affecting all life that rely on them. Slide 16 Biological Diversity
Next > B. Humans can also affect the diversity of species by
making direct changes to the species of a habitat. For example: 2.
Introducing species that are not native to an area may cause a
decline of native species if the new species can out-compete the
native species. For example by having few predators or being more
resilient to disease. 1. Activities such as selective breeding and
advances in genetic engineering may affect the variations of
species. The grey squirrel was introduced to the UK and now out
numbers the British red squirrel Slide 17 Biological Diversity Next
> XII. Preserving Biological Diversity 1. Health undiscovered
species may exist that could be used as medicines to cure diseases.
A. There are many reasons to preserve biological diversity,
including: 2. Recreation many people enjoy recreational activities
such as fishing and walking that would not be possible if the
ecosystem were destroyed. 4. Right to live many people believe all
species have the same right to live so should be protected. 3.
Native people preserving biological diversity will enable many
people to continue to live in their native lands. Slide 18
Biological Diversity 4 "The introduction of new species to a
habitat could never be a cause of reduced biological diversity." Is
this statement true or false? Answer True or False. Question Slide
19 Biological Diversity Next > XIII. What Can We Do? A. In order
to preserve biodiversity, we need to preserve the natural
environment. B. Protecting endangered species of plants and animals
can prevent their extinction. C. Sustainability is an important way
of using natural resources without damaging ecosystems. For
example, logging in the rainforests can cause serious damage to the
forest ecosystem, but with careful planning, it may be possible to
fell certain trees with little impact to the ecosystem. Slide 20
Biological Diversity 5 Which of the following is not considered to
be a way to preserve species diversity? Question A) Sustainability
B) Protection of endangered species C) Removal of habitats D)
Preservation of the natural environment Slide 21 Biological
Diversity In this presentation you will: explore the need for
adaptation explore ways in which organisms adapt ClassAct SRS
enabled. Slide 22 Biological Diversity Next > In this
presentation you will look at the characteristics organisms need in
order to survive long enough to reproduce. You will explore ways in
which species have, over time, changed their structure, their
behavior and their physiology (the function of the tissues and
cells of the organism) to achieve this. Eats berries and seeds Eats
meat Eats grasses, seeds and aquatic plants Eats fish Slide 23
Biological Diversity Next > I. A Matter of Survival A. In order
for a species to continue to exist, individuals ultimately need to
reproduce. To be able to live long enough to do this, they need to
have survival characteristics. B. These include the ability to: 1.
find food 2. find shelter 3. defend against predators 4. produce
and rear young Slide 24 Biological Diversity Next > II. The Need
to Change A. The environment is always changing. B. Organisms must
also be able to change (adapt) in order to survive and successfully
reproduce in the new environmental conditions. C. Organisms that
are unable to adapt to new conditions will either be forced out of
the habitat, or if the number of deaths of the species is greater
than the number of births it will become extinct (die out). Slide
25 Biological Diversity Next > III. Biological Adaptation A.
Species acquire many of their unique characteristics through a
process known as biological adaptation. B. This involves natural
selection. This means that certain characteristics that are better
at helping an organism survive and reproduce, naturally become more
frequent in the generations that follow. C. Biological adaptations
can be seen as physical or behavioural changes to a species. Most
organisms have adapted both physically and behaviourally. Slide 26
Biological Diversity 1 What can happen to an organism that is
unable to adapt to its changing environment? Question A) It can be
forced out of a habitat B) It may not be able to successfully
reproduce C) Survival could be more difficult and the species could
eventually become extinct D) All of the above Slide 27 Biological
Diversity 2 Characteristics that help an organism to survive and
reproduce often naturally become more frequent over time and
through many generations. What is this process known as? Question
A) Natural progression B) Natural selection C) Natural frequency D)
Natural reproduction Slide 28 Biological Diversity Next > IV.
Physical Adaptations - Animals A. Physical adaptations tend to help
animals survive in their environment. 1. For example, imagine a
bird that was born with an unusually long beak. The longer beak
meant that it was easier for that particular bird to find food. C.
Over a long period of time, the number of short-beaked birds
reduced and there were more long-beaked birds. This is an example
of how structural adaptation occurs by natural selection. B. The
bird became stronger and healthier. It survived longer and
reproduced more. The trait of the longer beak was passed on to the
bird's offspring, who in turn lived longer and reproduced more.
Slide 29 Biological Diversity Next > D. Camouflage and mimicry
are also physical adaptations that are used to deceive predators.
E. Camouflage means that a creature blends in with its background
to hide or look like an inanimate or inedible object. Can you spot
the stick insect in this picture? F. Mimicry involves a creature
looking similar to a poisonous or bad-tasting species. The
similarity is often enough to deter predators. Can you see the
similar colours and patterns of these two snakes? Only the coral
snake is poisonous. Milk snake Coral snake Slide 30 Biological
Diversity Next > V. Physical Adaptations - Plants A. Plants are
also adapted to survive the conditions in which they live. B. In a
desert where water is scarce, many plants have thick waxy leaves to
prevent water loss. Some are able to store water in their stems.
Others have a thin covering of hair to shade the plant from
sunlight and prevent water loss. C. In a tropical rainforest, there
is a lot of water. Many rainforest plants have "drip tips" which
enable excess water to run off. This can help prevent the growth of
bacteria and fungi. Drip tips Slide 31 Biological Diversity Next
> VI. Behavioural Adaptations - Animals A. Changes to the
behavioural characteristics of an animal allow it to respond to
life needs. Examples include: 1. hibernation some animals have a
period of deep sleep to avoid the extreme cold of winter months.
For example, brown bears. Their bodily functions slow down,
including slowed breathing, reduced heart rate and lowered
temperature. Stored fat is used up during this period. Slide 32
Biological Diversity Next > 2. communication of danger - some
animals display particular behaviour or alarm calls to warn others
of danger. 3. response to danger - some animals display particular
behaviour in response to danger. For example, a lizard may freeze
and rely on camouflage to hide it from a predator, while groups of
meerkats try to confuse predators by bobbing their heads and
creeping towards it. 1. migration - some animals move to a
completely different area to avoid food shortages and cold winters.
Bird are the most well known migratory animals. They usually
migrate to warmer areas where food is easier to come by. B. These
internal changes are known as physiological changes. Slide 33
Biological Diversity Next > VII. Learned or Instinctive? A. Some
behaviours that are necessary for survival are instinctive. This
means the animal is born with the skills to do something. 1. when a
kangaroo is born it is not completely developed. It climbs into the
mother's pouch where it attaches itself to a nipple for the
remainder of its development. The kangaroo is not taught to do
this. It does it instinctively, but it is vital to its survival. B.
Some things, however, must be learned. For example a bear cub must
learn from its mother how to hunt. Without this skill the bear cub
will not survive to adulthood. Slide 34 Biological Diversity Next
> VIII. Behavioural Adaptations - Plants A. Changes to the
behavioural characteristics of a plant also allow it to respond to
life needs. B. The Northern Hemisphere Tundra is a vast and
treeless land which is cold all year round. C. Some of the plants
that live in the Tundra have found ways to maximize the amount of
warmth they can get from the Sun. The arctic poppy has dish-like
flowers which turn to follow the Sun. The dish shape focuses the
Suns rays to the center of the flower keeping it warm. Slide 35
Biological Diversity 3 Which of the following is an example of a
behavioral adaptation that may occur? Question A) Change in body
structure B) Camouflage C) Migration D) Mimicry Slide 36 Biological
Diversity 4 Which of the following is an example of a physical
adaptation? Question A) Seasonal migration of birds B)
Communication of danger between monkeys C) A flower turning to face
the sun D) A desert plant having thick waxy leaves to prevent water
loss Slide 37 Biological Diversity Next > IX. Short-term and
Long-term Adaptations A. Adaptations that take a long time and
occur over successive generations are known as evolutionary
adaptations. B. But sometimes adaptations occur within an
organism's lifetime. 1. The coat of the Arctic fox is pale to blend
in with the snowy environment in the winter, but in summer the coat
darkens to blend in with vegetation. Winter Summer Slide 38
Biological Diversity Next > X. Extinction A. If organisms are
unable to adapt to the conditions in which they live, they will not
thrive. They may not live as long as previous generations, and
reproduction will suffer. Individuals may produce fewer offspring,
or fewer individuals will be able to successfully produce
offspring. B. If the number of deaths in a particular species
remains the same or increases while the number of offspring
surviving decreases, the overall number of the species will
decrease. If this continues for a long time, the species will
eventually die out and become extinct. Slide 39 Biological
Diversity Summary After completing this presentation you should be
able to: End > show knowledge and understanding of how
biological adaptation aids species survival show knowledge and
understanding of the different types of biological adaptations
Slide 40 Biological Diversity In this presentation you will:
explore what causes species to become extinct explore how fossils
provide us with evidence of extinction ClassAct SRS enabled. Slide
41 Biological Diversity Next > There are millions of species of
plants and animals alive today, each of which is adapted to survive
in its particular environment. You will also look at some of the
evidence of how species appear, change and then become extinct. In
this presentation you will see what can cause a species to become
extinct (die out). Slide 42 Biological Diversity Next > I. What
is Extinction? A. When the number of deaths within a species
continually exceeds the number of births, the population will
decrease. If it continues for a long enough period of time, the
species will die out. B. When the last known remaining individual
of a species dies, the species is classed as extinct. C. Extinction
is common, and most species that have lived on Earth are now
extinct. These animals are on the brink of extinction today Slide
43 Biological Diversity Next > II. Environmental Change A. A
species must be able to successfully compete with other organisms
for food, water and shelter, and protect itself from predators in
order to survive. To continue, a species must also be able to
successfully produce and rear young. B. The environment is dynamic,
it is always changing. A species must adapt (change) to new
conditions if it has any chance of surviving long term. Slide 44
Biological Diversity Next > III. Adaptation A. There are a many
ways a species may adapt over time. These adaptations may be
physical or behavioural. C. Behavioural changes include things like
migration. In order to survive, many birds migrate to warmer areas
of the world during the harsh winter months, and only return for
the warmer, summer months. B. Physical changes include things like
changes to shape of birds beaks to enable them to eat the types of
food available to them. Slide 45 Biological Diversity 1 When is a
species classed as extinct? Question A) When an individual dies B)
When there is only a small number of individuals of a species left
C) When the last remaining individual of a species dies D) When
more individuals of a species are being born that are dying Slide
46 Biological Diversity Next > IV. Natural Selection A. Changes
to species usually occur over many years. The genetic makeup of an
organism can alter, perhaps as a result of a gene mutation, and
result in a change to a feature (a trait). B. Any trait that
benefits an organism makes it easier for it to survive than its
competitors, giving it more chance to produce and rear young. C. If
the trait is passed to offspring, then gradually those with the
trait will become the fittest, and increase in number compared to
those who do not possess the trait. Slide 47 Biological Diversity
Next > V. The Peppered Moth A. The peppered moth is common in
the UK and is a good example of natural selection. The normal form
of the moth is pale and speckled, while another form is darker. B.
Originally lighter moths were most common. They were camouflaged by
the pale tree trunks they rested on. Then during the industrial
revolution, air pollution increased and darkened the tree trunks.
C. Birds could see the lighter moths more easily on the dark trees
and picked them off and ate them. The dark moths were camouflaged,
so survived longer and reproduced, increasing in number. Slide 48
Biological Diversity Next > VI. Species Diversity A. As species
change and adapt to their environments, different populations of a
species can adapt in different ways if they are exposed to
different conditions. C. This can result in changes to the genetic
makeup that are different enough to prevent them from
interbreeding. This is then classed as a new species and
contributes to the diversity of life we see today. B. Over time,
this can lead to the groups developing very different physical or
behavioural features. Two species of warthog Common warthog Desert
warthog Slide 49 Biological Diversity 2 "Some individuals display
certain traits that improve their chances of survival and
reproduction in their environment. If the trait is genetic, it may
be passed to offspring who will also survive and reproduce, and the
number of individuals who have this trait will increase." What
process does this statement describe? Question A) Extinction B)
Natural selection C) Neither of these Slide 50 Biological Diversity
Next > VII. Natural Causes B. As the environment changes,
species who are unable to adapt, and therefore compete for
resources, will inevitably disappear. This type of extinction is
known as background extinction. C. Natural catastrophic events such
as fires or floods can wipe out entire habitats and many of the
life forms that the habitat supports. This is catastrophic
extinction. A. Natural extinction of a species occurs when the
environment changes and the adaptive characteristics of a species
are insufficient to allow its survival. Slide 51 Biological
Diversity Next > The Dinosaurs An example of a natural event
that caused catastrophic extinction is the fate of the dinosaurs.
There is still debate about what actually happened to cause the
dinosaurs to become extinct, but one popular theory is that a
meteorite struck the Earth. The theory suggests that a meteorite
about six miles wide hit the Earth. Apart from the obvious damage
this would do to the Earths surface, it would have created a huge
amount of dust in the atmosphere. The dust would have blocked out
light needed for plant growth so many plants would have died.
Without plants to eat the dinosaurs would have starved on a cold
and dark Earth. Slide 52 Biological Diversity Next > VIII.
Human-Made Causes A. Human activities can also cause extinction.
Many believe today that our activities are the biggest threat of
all to the survival of other species. C. We are also polluting the
Earths atmosphere. This is believed to be having a devastating
effect on our climate. The rapid change to climate is endangering
many species by threatening their habitats. B. As we increase in
number we destroy habitats to make space for ourselves, destroying
many species along the way. Slide 53 Biological Diversity Next >
IX. Introduction of Non-Native Species A. Some species are under
threat because humans have either intentionally or accidentally
introduced other species that are not native to the habitat. An
example of this is the Nene goose in Hawaii. B. It was once on the
brink of extinction, and this was partly due to the introduction of
mongoose by humans to help control rats in sugar cane fields. C.
However this was not successful and the mongoose took eggs from
nesting birds, including the Nene goose. Without young to take the
place of those who died, the numbers drastically reduced. Today,
the Nene goose is still considered endangered, though efforts to
protect it have led to an increase in numbers. Slide 54 Biological
Diversity Next > The Dodo The Dodo was a large bird that lived
on the island of Mauritius. When Mauritius was colonized by humans
in the 1600s, Dodos were hunted for food and their forest habitat
was damaged. Other species like pigs, dogs, cats and rats were
introduced that ate the Dodo's young and eggs, preventing offspring
from developing. As the Dodo was a flightless bird it became easy
prey. The Dodo was unable to adapt quick enough to survive these
changes and within eighty years was extinct. This extinction was
entirely due to the activities of humans. Slide 55 Biological
Diversity 3 The type of extinction that is a natural and commonly
occurring process whereby the species that are unable to adapt and
compete for resources gradually disappear is known as... Question
A)...catastrophic extinction. B)...common extinction.
C)...background extinction. D)...foreground extinction. Slide 56
Biological Diversity Next > X. Evidence of Extinction A. Fossils
are the preserved remains of living organisms. They provide us with
evidence of many species that have existed in the past but are no
longer seen today. By studying them, we can see how species have
appeared, changed and disappeared through time. B. Many fossils
found in older rocks are not found in younger rocks. This is
thought to show when a species first developed and when it became
extinct. C. Fossils that appear in younger, more recently deposited
rocks are more likely to resemble species that exist today. A few
of the species known to be extinct today Lepidodendron Dinosaur
Slide 57 Biological Diversity Next > Fossil Record The Horse The
fossil record of the horse is one of the few fossil records that is
almost complete. The fossils come from the North American
sedimentary deposits. This is rock formed by layers of material
that has accumulated and hardened, forming over the last 54 million
years. The fossils appear to show the disappearance (extinction) of
each species of horse from the Hyracotherium as it develops to
become the modern day horse, Equus. Hyracotherium Equus Slide 58
Biological Diversity Next > Fossil Record The Horse The major
changes seen in the development of the horse in this time were
related to movement and feeding. It is thought that these were
adaptations to changing conditions. Eocene. 56,000,000 years ago 2
3 4 5 Height about 1.4 feet Oligocene. 38,000,000 years ago 2 3 4
Height up to 2 feet Miocene. 26,000,000 years ago 2 3 4 Height up
to 3.2 feet Pliocene. 7,000,000 years ago 2 3 4 Height about 3.2
feet Pleistocene. 1,000,000 years ago 3 Height up to 5.2 feet
Forelimb Slide 59 Biological Diversity 4 How did the introduction
of animal species that were not native to Mauritius contribute to
the extinction of the Dodo? Question A) They became predators of
the Dodo B) The Dodos were frightened of them so left the habitat
C) They Dodos hid from the predators so starved to death D) The
animals had no affect on the Dodos Slide 60 Biological Diversity 5
Fossils are used to provide us with evidence of extinct species.
Which of the following statements is true? Question A) Fossils are
the preserved remains of living organisms. B) Scientists can study
fossils of a species to estimate when it first appeared. C)
Scientists can study fossils to estimate when a species became
extinct. D) All of the above statements are true. Slide 61
Biological Diversity Summary After completing this presentation you
should be able to: End > show knowledge and understanding of
what causes species to become extinct show knowledge and
understanding of the evidence to support extinction
