2. Overview of this Topic
Ch. 4 – biodiversity and evolution ofCh. 4 – biodiversity and evolution of
living thingsliving things
Ch. 5 – species interactionsCh. 5 – species interactions
Ch. 9 – sustaining biodiversity – focusCh. 9 – sustaining biodiversity – focus
on specieson species
Ch. 10 – sustaining biodiversity – focusCh. 10 – sustaining biodiversity – focus
on ecosystemson ecosystems
3. Projects and Labs to support this unit
Environmental Law research & presentation
Park lot biodiversity lab
Invasive species most wanted flier/
Endangered species missing flier
Wooly worms lab (outside)
Arthropod diversity lab (out and in)
Also several videos offered after school for
extra credit
5. Biodiversity
The total variety of Earth’s species, their
genetic code, and the places they live
Species
diversity
Genetic
diversity
Ecosystem
diversity
6. Species Diversity
How many living things are there?
Estimates range from 4 million to 100
million
We have classified ~ 1.8 million so far
Every year 1000s of new species are
identified
Smallest
snake
Smallest sea
horse
9. Genetic Diversity
Differences in genes of same species
Allows life to survive changes & adapt
over time
Earth is dynamic - species must adapt
& change with it to survive
10.
11. Ecosystem Diversity
Biomes - home to unique species
Tundra -
home to
polar bears
Chapparal -
home to road
runners
Savannah - home to
rhinoceroses and giraffes
12. Why is diversity important?
It supplies us with food, wood,
fibers, energy, medicines,
nutrients, air, water, fertile soil,
and waste disposal
Foxglove - digitalis MaHuang -
ephedra
Brevifola - taxol
Velvet bean -
L-dopa
13. Quick Think
Question
Thinking about the types
of biodiversity - what
might be some other
reasons why protecting
diversity is important?
Task
Generate a list of
reasons
At least 1
moral/ethical
At least 1
social/political
At least 1
economic/business
At least 1 personal
14. Big Idea # 2
Evolution explains how life has changed
over time
16. A brief history…
The concept of evolution -
that life changes over time
and there are common
ancestors between certain
species - began with the
Greek philosophers and
was and has been a
common idea
Aristotle & Plato
17. Not until Darwin and
Alfred Russell
Wallace did anyone
come up with a
credible explanation
for how
18. How they got there
1. Observed the struggle for existence
19. 2. Observed that those with best
traits survive & live long enough to
reproduce
20. So they put it together…
Natural selection: some individuals in a
population have traits that make them more
likely to survive, reproduce, and pass those
traits on. Over time, the population changes so
that most of them have those traits
21. The Theory of Evolution by
Natural Selection
So much evidence
supports this idea
that it has been
elevated to the
status of a theory
However…natural
selection is not
the only way
populations
evolve
22. The Modern Synthesis
The theory of evolution has been expanded
upon & refined over time, leading to the modern
synthesis (1950s)
Many scientists representing different fields
contributed to it
26. Quick ThinkQUESTIO
N
How does Natural
Selection tie in with
biodiversity?
TASK
Create a graphic that
helps answer the
question (concept map,
Venn diagram, etc)
27. Natural Selection has limits
First - the
environment is
constantly changing
So what is best fit
now may not be for
long
Populations must
adapt, leave, or die
28. Populations can only adapt with traits
that are already present in their gene
pool or mutations of existing traits
Many species reproduce slower than
the environment changes - can’t adapt
fast enough
29. Quick Think
Question
Explain why genetic
diversity is so important
to the health of a
population
Task
Develop a fictional case
study that illustrates the
answer
If a population of
frogs lacked genetic
diversity, then…
30. Big idea #3
Geologic processes have changed the
Earth and created opportunities for the
evolution of species
31. Plate Tectonics
The rigid lithospheric plates of the crust
of the Earth that move slowly over the
Earth’s liquid mantle
32. Impacts of Plate Tectonics
1. Has changed where land IS, and thus
the climate
2. Moving plates help species move into
new areas - or separate them
33. 4 major impacts
1. Earthquakes - create fissures, mountains that
separate species
2. Volcanoes - wipe out existing species, make
way for new ones
3. Climate change - ice ages, periods of
warming- some species go extinct, others
flourish
4. Catastrophes -wipe out species and
ecosystems
34.
35. Quick Think
QUESTION
How would you
summarize what today’s
lesson was about?
TASK
Choose 1 word that
embodies the concepts of
this lecture then explain
why that word was
chosen