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Biodiversity Basics
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth at all levels, from genes to ecosystems. It is threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, introduced species, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change. British Columbia has highly diverse ecosystems that provide essential services like clean air and water, but development has seriously impacted its biodiversity. Maintaining ecosystem integrity is key to protecting biodiversity in all its forms over the long run.
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Biodiversity Basics
- 1. BIODIVERSITY BASICS
- 3.
- 4. What is Biodiversity? BiologicalDiversity is the incredible variety of life on Earth - its genes, its species, and its ecosystems.
- 5. 3 LEVELS OFBIODIVERSITY
- 6. 3 LEVELS OFBIODIVERSITY Genetic Species Ecosystem • genes are the • more than1.7 million • is the combined building blocks species have been physical and bio- of heredity named to date but logical components likely more than 10 of an environment • 1 gene can million exist! • they build slowly, lengthen a life- over millions of span, or create • total # of species in years a race of giants a certain ecosystem is known as • Area counts: large • genetic variation ecosystems are species richness allows adaptation more diverse an to a changing and complex than environment small ones
- 7. Genetic diversity iscreated by interbreeding among different populations. It is vital for disease resistance and species resilience. resilience Genetic diversity is maintained through connections between habitats such as greenways, riparian areas and wildlife corridors.
- 8. Habitat Fragmentation AffectsBiological Diversity Intact Ecosystem
- 9. Habitat Fragmentation AffectsBiological Diversity Fragmented Ecosystem Intact Ecosystem
- 10. Interior Habitat isHighly Valuable • Many native species need large tracts of interior habitat and completely avoid edge habitat. • Edge habitat greatly increases with increased fragmentation • Many established parks are too small for interior species and some small patches of habitat may contain all edge and no interior
- 11. Wildlife Corridors ConnectFragmented Areas Strip of habitat makes it possible for wildlife to travel more safely between “islands” of habitat. Wildlife corridors increase the ecological value of isolated and fragmented habitat.
- 12. Riparian vegetation actsas a wildlife corridor, allowing migration of species between fragmented patches of habitat.
- 13. BC is themost biodiverse province in Canada BC has 16 different major ecosystem types
- 14. In an ecosystem,all of the biological, physical, and chemical components form a complex interacting network of energy flow and materials cycling.
- 15. Ecosystem processes regulateglobal cycles of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, minerals and water essential to the survival of life on earth.
- 16. ECOSYSTEMS: Essential forall Life
- 17. ECOSYSTEMS: Essential forall Life They Give: • water • food (food webs) • habitat • fuel • soil • construction materials • fiber • medicines • jobs in forestry agriculture, parks fishing and tourism
- 18. ECOSYSTEMS: Essential forall Life They Give: They Do: • water • recycle nutrients • food (food webs) • clean the air • habitat • produce oxygen • fuel • purify water • soil • mitigate floods • construction • control erosion materials • detoxify soils • fiber • provide shade • medicines • moderate climate • jobs in forestry • pollination agriculture, parks • convert solar energy fishing and tourism • protect against harmful cosmic rays
- 19. ECOSYSTEMS: Essential forall Life They Give: They Do: They Are: • water • recycle nutrients • aesthetically • food (food webs) • clean the air pleasing • habitat • produce oxygen • source of intellect- • fuel • purify water ual stimulation • soil • mitigate floods • a sense of place • construction • control erosion • recreation places materials • detoxify soils • intrinsically valuable • fiber • provide shade • irreplaceable • medicines • moderate climate • jobs in forestry • pollination agriculture, parks • convert solar energy fishing and tourism • protect against harmful cosmic rays
- 20. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES We UseNOW - But Pay WHEN?
- 21. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES We UseNOW - But Pay WHEN? Are Ecosystem Services FREE?
- 22. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES We UseNOW - But Pay WHEN? Are Ecosystem Services FREE? Can we put a COST on nature’s services?
- 23. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES We UseNOW - But Pay WHEN? Are Ecosystem Services FREE? Can we put a COST on nature’s services? Could we AFFORD them?
- 24. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES We UseNOW - But Pay WHEN? Robert Costanza (professor at University of Maryland) estimated the value of nature’s “free” services to be: $33 trillion /YEAR! In that same year, he estimated the GNP of the earth to be only $18 trillion / year
- 25. ECOSYSTEM SERVICES We UseNOW - But Pay WHEN? Our current economic systems do NOT account for the VALUE and USEFULNESS of ecosystems and biodiversity
- 26.
- 27. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY •ECOSYSTEM CONVERSION
- 28. The conversion ofnatural ecosystems to human uses is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity
- 29. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY •ECOSYSTEM CONVERSION • ECOSYSTEM FRAGMENTATION
- 30. Fragmentation converts intactecosystems to patches of isolated habitat
- 31. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY •ECOSYSTEM CONVERSION • ECOSYSTEM FRAGMENTATION • INTRODUCED SPECIES
- 32. Introduced Species candisplace native species or out-compete them for food and habitat
- 33. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY •ECOSYSTEM CONVERSION • ECOSYSTEM FRAGMENTATION • INTRODUCED SPECIES • CONTAMINATION/POLLUTION
- 35. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY •ECOSYSTEM CONVERSION • ECOSYSTEM FRAGMENTATION • INTRODUCED SPECIES • CONTAMINATION/POLLUTION • OVER-EXPLOITATION
- 36. Wordwide Depletion ofCommercial Fisheries
- 37. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY •ECOSYSTEM CONVERSION • ECOSYSTEM FRAGMENTATION • INTRODUCED SPECIES • CONTAMINATION/POLLUTION • OVER-EXPLOITATION • CLIMATE CHANGE
- 39. Many species willnot be able to adapt fast enough to changing environmental conditions and will face imminent extinction
- 41. B.C is themost biodiverse province in Canada. It’s biodiversity is globally significant because of its variety and integrity.
- 42. Ecosystem conversion dueto development and agriculture, and degradation from the forest, oil and gas industries, and transportation corridors, has seriously impacted B.C’s biodiversity.
- 43. Species Richness OverTime (for 17 carnivore and ungulate species) Historic Current
- 45. Failure to protectecosystems leads to… • loss of topsoil • erosion, flooding, drought •ground water contamination • loss of pollinators • reduced air and water quality • extinction of species.
- 46. Maintaining the integrityof natural systems is the best way to protect biodiversity in all its forms: genetic, species and ecosystems.
- 48. Comox Valley ConservationStrategy embraces the precautionary principle as a vital foundation of its regional conservation framework.
- 49. The Precautionary Principle: “If an activity may cause harm to the public or the environment, lack of full scientific certainty or consensus should not postpone measures to prevent damage from occurring.”
- 50. For more informationon the Comox Valley Conservation Strategy: www.cvconservationstrategy.org