Biodiversity science education pdf file 40 pages by. Among other factors, the diversity of all living things depends on temperature, precipitation, altitude, soils, geography and the presence of other species. Environmental ethics biodiversity preservation stanford. Biodiversity provides many key benefits to humans that go beyond the mere provision of raw materials. It also affects human health, social relations, and freedom of choice. Download free sample and get upto 30% off on mrprental. Thegreypolygonrepresents the 95% confidence interval, whereas red dots give maximum and minimum. However the need for such a definition that is both. Biodiversity includes the diversity within species and between. A o t t is doc ent the purpose of this document is to provide a primer on the concepts and principles that support cooperative actions to conserve b.
Biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services 7 biodiversity at a suitable scale, e. This document does not address protecting and managing native vegetation for other, non biodiversity values, including minimising land and water degradation and landscape values. In fact, high biodiversity, by some measures, can be associated with human use and occupation, as when adding a farming system to a desert raises local diversity. Ecological concepts, principles and applications to conservation. Changes in biodiversity can influence human resources, such as food, energy, and medicines, as well as ecosystem services that human rely onfor example, water purification and recycling.
Biodiversity definition, examples and threats biology. However, this is not to say that such measures are mutually exclusive. A common measure of this variety, called species richness, is the count of species in an area. The concept of biodiversity has provoked considerable debate and misunderstanding among the general public, decisionmakers, and even the scientific community. The study of the spatial distribution of organisms, species and ecosystems, is the science of biogeography. From the hot arid deserts of the sahara, through the lush green rainforests of the amazon, to the ocean depths and bright corals, our natural world is a marvel of different landscapes, materials, colours and textures. Biodiversity can be measured globally or in smaller settings, such as ponds. Biodiversity, besides its ecological significance provides a socioeconomic and monetary asset to the nation.
Biodiversity, also called biological diversity, the variety of life found in a place on earth or, often, the total variety of life on earth. No article provided a precise definition of biodiversity education but rather prescribed guidelines and suggestions. Species interactions introduction to unit 4 ecology, population, community definition species interactions and interaction graph sort. Ecological concepts, principles and applications to. Wilson version is included below in further definitions as the first recorded definition of the term. Environmental studies pdf notes es pdf notes smartzworld. Hence, not all natural systems maximize biodiversity when left undisturbed see brennan and lo 2010. Biodiversity biological diversity is the total variety of living organisms in all ecosystems on earth, the genetic differences between them, and the communities and ecosystems in which they occur. The ipbes global assessment on biodiversity and ecosystem services is composed of 1 a summary for policymakers spm, approved by the ipbes plenary at its 7th session in may 2019 in paris, france ipbes7. Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life on earth. Nearly 45,000 species of plants and twice as many of animals have been recorded from india. It is the natural wealth of the earth, which supplies all our food and much of our shelter and raw materials. Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem. Biodiversity encompasses all components of the living world.
Biodiversity, the variety of life found in a place on earth or, often, the total variety of life on earth. Environment protection and biodiversity conservation act 1999. The levels of organization of biodiversity include ecosystems, species and genes. Pdf an unequivocal, precise, and generally accepted definition of biodiversity does not exist. Biodiversity is a compound word derived from biological diversity and therefore is considered to have the same meaning. That is what makes our country one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world. Biodiversity refers to the variety of living species on earth, including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi.
Biodiversity meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Biodiversity definition of biodiversity by merriamwebster. Introduction to biodiversity center for biodiversity. While earths biodiversity is so rich that many species have yet to be discovered, many species are being threatened with extinction due to human activities, putting the earths magnificent biodiversity at risk. Biodiversity conservation provides substantial benefits to meet immediate human needs, such as clean, consistent water flows, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. There are quite a few forest ecosystem pdf, available for those inclined to research into this further. The contents of this document have been compiled using a range of source materials and while reasonable care has been taken in its compilation, the. Biodiversity and conservation although india h as only 2. Biodiversity is the variety of different forms of life on earth, including the different plants, animals, microorganisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystem they form. The majority of articles revolved around ee and esd approaches for learning about environmental topics, including biodiversity. General management principles and a checklist of strategies to guide forest biodiversity conservation. It has been estimated that more than 50 million species of plants, animals and microorganisms are.
As in other regions in the northern hemisphere, the diversity of species decreases from the southern part of greenland towards the more northern areas. Ecosystem services jacobs, 2014b the promoter of each scheme has submitted a report assessing the existing biodiversity baseline at the site of the scheme proposals and within a surrounding buffer zone, identifying designated sites, habitats and species of importance to biodiversity. Limited this document has been prepared by a division, subsidiary or affiliate of jacobs u. Species organisms that have the potential to interbreed in nature and produce viable, fertile offspring 4. The latter phenomenon can be temporary or permanent, depending on whether the environmental degradation that leads to the loss is reversible through ecological restoration ecological resilience or. Biodiversity definition, diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment. Planning definitions for the purpose of this document, the. Biodiversity is not evenly distributed, rather it varies greatly across the globe as well as within regions. Terrestrial biodiversity is usually greater near the equator, which is the result of the warm climate and high primary productivity. Biodiversity science education pdf file 40 pages by geis19. Principles and conservation by kumar u and asija mj pdf online. This figure only includes the species dealt with in the study, so the true number of species is higher. Biodiversity definition biological diversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part.
Biodiversity encompasses the genetic variety within each species and the variety of ecosystems that species create. Natural environment, resources and development notes diversity, ii species diversity and iii ecosystem diversity. The opposite of biodiversity is referred to as monoculture, or the growing of one. The loss of populations, species, or groups of species from an ecosystem can upset its normal function and disrupt these ecological services. Biodiversity is a generic term that can be related to many environments and species, for example, forests, freshwater, marine and temperate environments, the soil, crop plants, domestic animals, wild species and microorganisms. There are definitions for the students to complete. An ecosystem is the name given to all living species that live together in a stable community, interacting with one another and their physical environment.
Do you know that the invisible microor ganisms constitute a lar ge component of biodiversity. Protecting victorias environment environment environment. The loss of biodiversity is dangerous and its consequences are immediate. Biodiversity i t is estimated that 99% of the species that once roamed earth have now gone extinct. Biodiversity definition of biodiversity by the free dictionary. Biodiversity is typically a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level. Biodiversity threats weston w sechrest,university of virginia, charlottesville, virginia, usa thomas m brooks, center for applied biodiversity science conservation international, washington dc, usa any direct or indirect human activity that threatens the planets biological diversity in the. Biodiversity loss is the extinction of species plant or animal worldwide, and also the local reduction or loss of species in a certain habitat. The views and opinions contained in this document are not necessarily those of the australian government. The epbc act prohibits certain actions that, without approval, are likely to or will have a significant impact on the environment. Conservation of agricultural biodiversity, development and. Biodiversity includes plants animals and other organisms and is dened in the convention on biological diversity cbd as the variaility among organisms from all sources including terrestrial marine and other auatic ecosystems and the ecological complees of which they. Limited jacobs in its professional capacity as consultants in accordance with the terms and conditions of jacobs contract with the commissioning party the client.
On 25 october 2018, the group provided its recommendations in the form of a draft national policy statement on indigenous biodiversity nps and a report on complementary and supporting measures to maintain biodiversity and. A biologically diverse ecosystem, such as an old growth forest or tropical rain forest, is healthy, complex and stable. This science file includes a number of templates for the students to fill in answers to various biodiversity questions. Unep fi biodiversity and ecosystem services a financial sector briefing 5 mankinds use of biodiversity and ecosystem services bes has contributed to human well being and economic development, however, continuing this use at the current or as predicted. Biodiversity is a term which describes every living organism within a single ecosystem or habitat, including numbers and diversity of species and all environmental aspects such as temperature, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels and climate. Besides all forms of life have a right to exist on the earth. Biodiversity loss has negative effects on several aspects of human wellbeing, such as food security, vulnerability to natural disasters, energy security, and access to clean water and raw materials. Convention on biological diversity preamble the contracting parties, conscious of the intrinsic value of biological diversity and of the ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic values of biological diversity and its components. Biodiversity also supplies indirect services to humans which are often taken for granted. Apart from the economic importance of conserving biodiversity, there are several cultural, moral and ethical values which. Definition of biodiversity biodiversity is a relatively new compound word, but biological diversity when referring to the number of species is not. Biodiversity is the variety of living species on earth plants, animals and microorganisms and the ecosystems they form.
Environment protection and biodiversity conservation act 1999 disclaimer. Plants and animals constitute only a small component of biodiversity. To investigate the vital role conservation planning can play in connecting land use planning and biodiversity. Notes on definition the cbd definition is the internationally accepted definition of biodiversity. An ecosystem can simply be defined as a system, comprising of all living organisms existing with one another in a unit of space. Practical strategies to achieve general biodiversity principles from. Chapter 2 biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services. On 25 october 2018, the group provided its recommendations in the form of a draft national policy statement on indigenous biodiversity nps and a report on complementary and supporting measures to maintain biodiversity and support it to thrive. Along with forest policy, it is fundamental to redesign the new forest act, national parks and wildlife. There are systematic processes for evaluation solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem. Human society depends on biological resources, their diversity and the ecosystems that sustain them to provide essential goods and services. Nature tends to increase diversity through the process of succession.
Currently, estimates of the extinction rate range from 1,000 to 10,000 times its normal rate as a result of climate change, pollution, deforestation, and other humaninfluenced activities. Ecosystems form the foundation of biospheres and determine the life of organisms, everywhere on planet earth. Extinction results in a dramatic loss of biodiversity. Introduction to biodiversity center for biodiversity outcomes. An ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal and microorganism communities and nonliving. During the biodiversity assessment some 9,400 species have been recorded table 3. These include drinkable water, clean air, and fertile soils. The biodiversity collaborative group has completed its report to the government as required by the terms of reference. Colombia and kenya, for example, each have more than 1,000 breeding species of birds, whereas the forests of great britain and of eastern north america.