This document discusses ecosystems and biodiversity. It begins by explaining the components of an ecosystem, including primary producers like plants and cyanobacteria, consumers like animals and fungi, and decomposers. It then focuses on forest ecosystems, describing their role in producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. Examples are given of plant and animal species found in a forest in Greece. The document emphasizes the importance of biodiversity for ecosystems and human well-being, and explains the IUCN classification system for evaluating extinction risk of species. The main threats to biodiversity are described as habitat loss and unsustainable consumption.

1. Ecosystem and Biodiversity
Coordinator
OIKONOMOUDIS IOANNIS

2. Ecosystem
All the components of the ecosystem are located in close relationship and in
interdependence.

3. Ecosystem construction

4. Primary producers
Primary producers are the
organisms in an ecosystem
that produce biomass from
inorganic compounds
(autotrophs). In almost all
cases these are
photosynthetically active
organisms (plants,
cyanobacteria and a
number of other unicellular
organisms.
cyanobacteria algae
Plant species

5. Consumers are organisms of an
ecological food chain that receive
their energy by consuming other
organisms. These organisms are
formally referred to as
heterotrophs, which include
animals, bacteria and fungus.
Such organisms may consume by
various means, including
predation, parasitization, and
biodegradation.
Consumers

6. Decomposers or
saprotrophs are organisms
that break down dead or
decaying organisms, and in
doing so carry out the
natural process of
decomposition.
Decomposers

7. Food chains

9. Food web in a forest

10. The forest ecosystem
When upper kinds of plants
(trees, bushes) dominate in the plant
community of the ecosystem the forest
ecosystem appears. Therefore, the
forest is an ecosystem, in the plant
community where the upper plants
(trees, bushes) are dominant.

11. Forest
There are all possible
relationships in the biotic
community of forest, from
simple coexistence,
incremental space
competition, light, water and
nutrients, to the mutual
interdependence between its
members. All those
relationships create a
dynamic balance, which
constantly changes. So the
forest isn't something which
remains static, but it changes
and develops continuously.
The forest is born, goes to its
adulthood, matures and
grows older and eventually
dies to be reborn. A forest
distinguishes to virgin, natural
and artificial forest.

12. • The forest ecosystems play an
important role in the ecological
balance of the planet and cover the
32% of the surface of earth. The
production of oxygen, as the
consumption of carbon dioxide with
the operation of the photosynthesis
from the plants is increased in
forests.

13. Cornus mas - ΚρανιάCistus creticus - Λαδανιά
Corydalis integra Κορυδαλός
Plants we have found in Cholomontas forest - Greece
Crocus flavus - κρόκος Erica manipuliflora
ρείκι το μελισσοτροφικό
Fragaria vesca αγριοφραουλιά

14. Ranunculus ficaria
Νεραγκούλα
Romulea bulbucodium
Ρομούλεα
Scilla bifolia
Σκίλα η δίφυλλη
Helleborus cyclophyllus σκάρφι Helleborus cyclophyllus σκάρφι νεαρό φυτό Ilex cornuta
αρκουδοπούρναρο

15. Tree species
fagus orientalis – οξιά quercus fraineto - δρυς

16. Juniperus oxycedrus - Κέδρος

17. Pinus nigra – Μαύρη πεύκη

18. Podarcis muralis – Lizard species

19. Mushrooms

20. Moss & Lichens
Lichens on fagus sylvatica
Moss on a rock

21. Biodiversity

22. Biodiversity embraces
the variety of genes,
species and ecosystems
that constitute life on
Earth. We are currently
witnessing a steady loss
of biodiversity, with
profound
consequences for the
natural world and for
human well-being. The
main causes are
changes in natural
habitats.

23. Why Preserve Biodiversity?
What happens if one member of an ecosystem no longer exists? For example, what
might happen if a certain type of fish(marked with X) dies out of a lake ecosystem,
leaving its predators without a food source and its prey without a predator?
The food chain might collapse with unpredictable consequences for the
Ecosystem

24. Biodiversity and ecosystem services
• Provisioning services which involve the production of
renewable resources (e.g.: food, wood, fresh water).
• Regulating services which are those that lessen
environmental change (e.g.: climate regulation,
pest/disease control).
• Cultural services represent human value and
enjoyment (e.g.: landscape aesthetics, cultural
heritage, outdoor recreation, and spiritual significance)

25. Services enhanced by biodiversity
• Greater species diversity of plants increases fodder yield,
decreases disease prevalence on plants and increases resistance
to plant invasion, soil nutrient remineralization and soil organic
matter.
• Greater genetic diversity of plants (i.e.: diversity within a single
species) increases overall crop yield.
• Greater species diversity of trees increases overall wood
production.
• Greater species diversity of fish increases the stability of
fisheries yield.
• Greater species diversity of natural pest enemies decreases
herbivorous pest populations.

26. Some benefits from human point of view for
preserving biodiversity
• Economic: "Biodiversity can help people make money or keep
people from losing money."
• Recreational: "People love outdoor activities like fishing and
backpacking, which would not be possible if ecosystems were
destroyed."
• Human health: "Biodiversity can help people find better cures for
illnesses."
• Human rights: "If biodiversity is protected, indigenous people can
continue to live in their native lands."
• Spiritual/intrinsic value: "Biodiversity should be preserved for its
own sake," "Animals and plants have a right to live," and "People
rely on wild places and creatures for spiritual fulfillment."

27. The Meaning of Biodiversity
• Τhe number of organisms that live on the earth
participate in almost all processes that occur.
• It’s the basis for many industrial products, as well as
for the production of numerous medicines.
• The elimination of a certain plant or animal creates
such a great loss that no natural or technological
mechanism can recreate.

28. Extinction
A species becomes extinct when the last existing
member dies. Extinction therefore becomes a certainty
when there are no surviving individuals that are able to
reproduce and create a new generation. A species may
become functionally extinct when only a handful of
individuals survive, which cannot reproduce due to
poor health, age, sparse distribution over a large range,
a lack of individuals of both sexes (in sexually
reproducing species), or other reasons.

29. Criteria evaluation of living organisms based on the
probability of extinction- IUCN Red List
■ EXTINCT (ΕΧ):
Species where all the members are dead
■ EXTINCT IN THE WILD (EW):
Species that occur only in cultivations, away
from their natural environment or being
prisoned.
■ REGIONALLY EXTINCT (RE):
Species that have extinct in national region.

30. What cause the extinction of animals and
plants?
• People's consumption of plants and animals is
much faster than their production.
• The animals cannot produce as much as they
could because their habitats are being abused.
For ex: the forest, and if their habitats are
being abused, it will become hard for them to
live.
• Destruction of habitat also aids in extinction.

31. ■ CRITICALLY ENDANGERED (CR):
Species where are in imminent danger of
extinction in their natural environment.
■ ENDANGERED (ΕΝ):
An endangered species are species of organisms
facing a very high risk of extinction in the near
future.
■ VULNERABLE (VU):
Species which are not ranked in these categories
but facing a risk of extinction in the future.

32. Endangered species
• It has been estimated that over 40% of all living
species on Earth are at risk of going extinct.
Internationally, 199 countries have signed an accord
agreeing to create Biodiversity Action Plans to
protect endangered and other threatened species.
• IUCN Red List refers to a specific category of
threatened species, and may include critically
endangered species.

33. ■ NEAR THREATENED (NT):
Species are not ranked in the above categories
but are close to be endangered in the future.
■ LEAST CONCERN (LC):
Species are not in danger of extinction
■ DATA DEFICIENT (DD):
Species where we need more research.
■ NOT EVALUATED (ΝΕ):
Species we must evaluate the danger of
extinction.

34. ΣΑΣ ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΩ!
THANK YOU!