Why is biodiversity so important

https://youtu.be/GK_vRtHJZu4

Human activities that threaten biodiversity

https://youtu.be/2RC3Hsk90t8
Eco system
Ecosystems: A biological environment consisting of all the living organisms (biotic) within a
particular area and the nonliving (abiotic) that interact with the organisms e.g. weather, soil,
air and water.

An ecosystem includes all of the living things (plants, animals and organisms)
in a given area, interacting with each other, and also with their non-living
environments (weather, earth, sun, soil, climate, atmosphere). Ecosystems are
the foundations of the Biosphere and they determine the health of the entire
earth system.
Ecosystem
In an ecosystem, each organism has its own niche or role to play.

Consider a small puddle at the back of your home. In it, you may find all sorts
of living things, from microorganisms to insects and plants. These may depend
on non-living things like water, sunlight, turbulence in the puddle, temperature,
atmospheric pressure and even nutrients in the water for life.
​
This very complex interaction of living things and their environment, has been
the foundations of energy flow and recycle of carbon and nitrogen.
Ecosystem
Anytime a ‘stranger’ (living thing(s) or external factor such as rise in temperature) is introduced to
an ecosystem, it can be disastrous to that ecosystem. This is because the new organism (or
factor) can distort the natural balance of the interaction and potentially harm or destroy the
ecosystem.

Usually, biotic members of an ecosystem, together with their abiotic factors depend on each
other. This means the absence of one member or one abiotic factor can affect all parties of the
ecosystem.

Unfortunately, ecosystems have been disrupted, and even destroyed, by natural disasters such as
fires, floods, storms and volcanic eruptions. Human activities have also contributed to the
disturbance of many ecosystems and biomes.
What is a biome?

Biomes are very large ecological areas on the earth’s surface, with fauna and flora (animals and plants)
adapting to their environment. Biomes are often defined by abiotic factors such as climate, relief, geology,
soils and vegetation.

A biome is NOT an ecosystem, although in a way it can look like a massive ecosystem. If you take a
closer look, you will notice that plants or animals in any of the biomes have special adaptations that make
it possible for them to exist in that area. You may find many units of ecosystems within one biome.
There are five major categories of biomes on earth. In these five, there are many sub-biomes, under
which are many more well defined ecosystems.

● The Desert Biomes: They are the Hot and Dry Deserts, Semi Arid Deserts, Coastal Deserts
and Cold Deserts.

● The Aquatic Biomes: Aquatic biomes are grouped into two, Freshwater biomes (lakes and
ponds, rivers and streams, wetlands) and Marine biomes (oceans, coral reefs and estuaries).

● The Forest Biomes: There are three main biomes that make up Forest Biomes. These are
the Tropical Rainforest, Temperate and Boreal Forests (also called the Taiga)

● The Grassland Biomes: There are two main types of grassland biomes: the Savanna
Grasslands and the Temperate Grasslands.

● The Tundra Biomes: There are two major tundra biomes: the Arctic Tundra and the Alpine
Tundra.
Biomes play a crucial role in sustaining life on earth. For example, the
Aquatic biome is home to millions of fish species and the source of the
water cycle. It also plays a very important role in climate formation.
The terrestrial biomes provide foods, enrich the air with oxygen and
absorb carbon dioxide and other bad gases from the air. They also
help regulate climate and so on.
 Levels of organizations in ecology

An ecosystem includes all of the biotic and abiotic factors that are found in a given
environment. A biome is a collection of different ecosytems which share similar
climate conditions.

Explanation:
An example of an ecosystem is a pond. All of the living things in the pond (frogs, fish,
bacteria, water plants etc.) are considered biotic factors . The abiotic factors of the pond
ecosytem would include all of the non-living factors (water, light, dissolved oxygen, nitrates
etc.) which are found in the pond.
A biome is a collection of different ecosystem that share similar climate conditions.

https://youtu.be/b9xjlqGloIA
 Forest Biomes
Tropical Rainforest Distribution

Temperate Forest Distribution

Boreal Forest Distribution

https://www.globalforestwatch.org/

Task:

1. Describe what an ecosystem is and describe the distribution of tropical, temperate or boreal forest ecosystems.
(include infographics)
2. Describe the characteristics of the forest ecosystem.
3. Explain the relationship of natural vegetation, wildlife and climate in the forest ecosystems.
4. Describe the impact of human activity on the forest ecosystems.
 Desert Biomes

Deserts are dry or arid areas that receive less than 25/50 cm of rain each year. Deserts can be hot or cold. They
contain plants and animals that are specially adapted to these extremely dry conditions.

​ eserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface. Although most deserts, such as the Sahara of North Africa
D
and the deserts of Mexico and Australia, occur at low latitudes either side of the equator, another kind of desert,
cold deserts, occur in the basin and range area of Utah and Nevada and in parts of western Asia. Most deserts
have a considerable amount of specialised vegetation, as well as specialised vertebrate and invertebrate
animals. Soils often have abundant nutrients because they need only water to become very productive and have
little or no organic matter. Disturbances are common in the form of occasional fires or cold weather, and sudden,
infrequent, but intense rains that cause flooding.

There are relatively few large mammals in deserts because most are not capable of storing sufficient water and
withstanding the heat. Deserts often provide little shelter from the sun for large animals. The dominant animals
of warm deserts are nonmammalian vertebrates, such as reptiles. Mammals are usually small, like the kangaroo
mice of North American deserts.
The main types of desert are:

Hot and dry desert

The seasons are generally warm throughout the year and very hot in the summer. The
winter usually bring little rainfall. Temperatures exhibit daily extremes. Rainfall is
usually very low and/or concentrated in short bursts between long rain less periods.
Plants are mainly ground-hugging shrubs and short woody trees. The animals include
small nocturnal (active at night) carnivores. The dominant animals are burrowers and
kangaroo rats. There are also insects, arachnids, reptiles and birds. The animals stay
inactive in protected hideaways during the hot day and come out to forage at dusk,
dawn or at night, when the desert is cooler.
Types of deserts
Semiarid desert

The summers are moderately long and dry, and like hot deserts, the winters normally bring
low rainfall. Summer temperatures usually average between 21-27° C. It normally does not
go above 38° C and evening temperatures are cool, at around 10° C. As in the hot desert,
rainfall is often very low and/or concentrated. The spiny nature of many plants in semiarid
deserts provides protection. The large numbers of spines shade the surface of the plant
enough to significantly reduce transpiration. During the day, insects move around twigs to
stay on the shady side; jack rabbits follow the moving shadow of a cactus or shrub.
Naturally, many animals find protection in underground burrows where they are insulated
from both heat and aridity.
Types of deserts
Coastal desert

These deserts occur in moderately cool to warm areas such as the Nearctic and Neotropical
realm. A good example is the Atacama of Chile. The cool winters of coastal deserts are followed
by moderately long, warm summers. For example, in Chile, the temperature ranges from -2 to 5°
C in July (winter) and 21-25° C in January (summer). Some plants have extensive root systems
close to the surface where they can take advantage of any rain showers and all of the plants with
thick and fleshy leaves or stems can take in large quantities of water when it is available and store
it for future use. Some animals have specialised adaptations for dealing with the desert heat and
lack of water. For example, some toads seal themselves in burrows with gelatinous secretions and
remain inactive for eight or nine months until a heavy rain occurs.
Types of deserts
Cold desert

These deserts are characterised by cold winters with snowfall and high overall rainfall
throughout the winter and occasionally over the summer. They occur in the Antarctic,
Greenland and the Near-arctic realm. They have short, moist, and moderately warm
summers with fairly long, cold winters. The mean winter temperature is between -2 to
4° C and the mean summer temperature is between 21-26° C. The winters receive
quite a bit of snow. The plants are widely scattered. The main plants are deciduous,
most having spiny leaves. Widely distributed animals include jack rabbits and kangaroo
rats. Most survive by burrowing. Deer are found only in the winter.
https://youtu.be/1SzGr6X1hkY
1.Watch the video and note some of the physical conditions; species and plant adaptions; and human
opportunities and challenges.

2. Explain the relationship between most of the world's major deserts and ocean currents.

3.Conduct your own research to explain how rain shadow deserts, such as the Gobi, and continental
deserts, such as the Gibson desert, found in Australia, are formed.
Where and why are deserts formed?
How do plants and animals adapt to arid climates?
Copy and paste the ​picture into your unit word document.Complete the first part of the statements below
before copying them onto the picture in an appropriate location.

...to reduce loss of water and to reflect heat.

...to tap groundwater.

...for years until rain falls.

...and glossy leaves to reduce water loss.

...spread over a wide area.

...from animals wishing to use stored water.

...to store water.

Copy and paste the ​picture into your unit word document.Complete the first part of the statements
below before copying them onto the picture in an appropriate location.

...to keep them warm at night.

...to help avoid predators.

...so they don't sink in the sand.

...to shade eyes from the sun.

...so they can go months without food.

...so they are able to drink huge quantities of water.

...help to keep out sand.

​...to avoid losing water through sweating.

https://youtu.be/hkk4C-Zl2DA

Watch the video and add to your notes on desert adaptations.

Make sure to explain the inter-connections between climate, flora and

fauna and how advantages and solutions are found to the biome's
many challenges by the different species shown.
Desertification
Desertification is the persistent degradation of dryland ecosystems by variations in
climate and human activities. Home to a third of the human population in 2000,
drylands occupy nearly half of Earth’s land area. Across the world, desertification
affects the livelihoods of millions of people who rely on the benefits that dryland
ecosystems can provide.
In drylands, water scarcity limits the production of crops, forage, wood, and other
services ecosystems provide to humans. Drylands are therefore highly vulnerable
to increases in human pressures and climatic variability, especially sub-Saharan
and Central Asian drylands.

Some 10 to 20% of drylands are already degraded, and ongoing desertification

threatens the world’s poorest populations and the prospects of poverty reduction.
Therefore, desertification is one of the greatest environmental challenges today
and a major barrier to meeting basic human needs in drylands.

​
According to the U.N., desertification is one of the greatest environmental challenges people face today. Often a
poorly-understood phenomenon, desertification can mean hunger, economic crisis or death for those living in poverty.

1. What is desertification? Desertification refers to the process of fertile land becoming

unproductive. This means that the land struggles to grow any type of vegetation due to lack of
minerals and nutrients in the soil.
2. What causes it? Desertification can be caused by many factors, including deforestation,
overpopulation, poor agricultural practices or climate change.
3. What are some misconceptions about desertification? Although the word “desert” is normally
associated with sand, desertification does not necessarily mean the land is becoming sand-
covered. Instead, desertification occurs when a dryland ecosystem, or ecosystem that lacks water,
becomes unproductive due to the tolls of the environment or human beings.
4. Where does it happen? Desertification can happen anywhere as long as there is land with soil.
Typically, the phenomenon is seen in drylands that suffer from droughts or heavy amounts of
migration.
5. How are desertification and poverty connected? According to the U.N., there are roughly two
billion people who live and depend on dryland ecosystems, and up to 90 percent of those live in
developing countries. These dryland ecosystems are prime environments for desertification to
occur.
To be continued….

1. How does desertification affect poverty? A population in poverty that suffers from desertification can become
further impoverished due to the lack of sustainable land. Desertification can lead to starvation in developing
countries.
2. What does it mean for everyone else? When desertification threatens those in poverty, it also threatens global
security. It can influence war, political unrest and mass migration.
3. What can be done to prevent it? To prevent desertification caused by humans, it is beneficial to work with
farmers to apply sustainable farming practices before desertification occurs. Preventing overpopulation is also
important.
4. What can we do to aid those in poverty who suffer from desertification? According to the International Fund
for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the most efficient way to aid those in poverty is to work with them to restore
their own land. This restoration includes three approaches: resting, re seeding and planting.
5. Can desertification be reversed? Reversing desertification is challenging, but it is possible with dedication. In
1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) was established in order to manage
and develop land that has succumbed to desertification. Strategies such as reforestation, soil hyper-fertilisation
and water management have been implemented in order to begin salvaging lands affected by desertification.
Soil, and its productiveness, is an essential and often over-looked resource. Watch the video
and answer these questions:

1. Outline the main importance of soil.

2. How is soil formed?
3. How does human activity affect soil erosion?
4. How many tonnes were lost in 2011 and what is the per capita value to the global
economy?
5. How is fertile land being taken from vulnerable populations
6. Why is the issue of soil degradation not current news?
Watch the links below:
https://youtu.be/LbFefdUM55Q

https://youtu.be/w9RxnuBiFbg

https://youtu.be/vpTHi7O66pI

https://youtu.be/JRhpIQwio8w
Formative
Desertification is, and will continue to be, a global issue for large amounts of the world’s population, both
in LICs and HICs.

Our research question is:

"To what extent can the process of desertification be managed so as to improve the well-being of
future generations?"

Using the videos and your own case study research, create a comprehensive investigation using
OneNote that could be used as the basis for a full essay response, and write a single paragraph
response based upon one issue within this question. This paragraph should be no more than 600 words
in length.
Human Impact on Grasslands
- Overgrazing
- Poaching :the illegal trafficking and killing of wildlife
- Lions : selling of Fur
- Rhino - Selling of Horns
- Elephants : selling tusks ( between 1979 to 1989

African Elephants population is reduced from 1.3 million to 600000

- Cause - ivory trade

- ( between 2010 and 2012 - more than 1 lakh of

African Elephants were massacred

Human Impact on Tundra
Direct Human impact is limited due to inhospitable climate

Tundra areas are rich in Natural Minerals , Hence the example of human intervention to the environment is
1287 km long Trans- Alaska Pipeline , a transporting oil system from the Northern tip of Alaska to the
Southern port area of Valdez , from where its transported in huge tankers

ITs building and subsequent operations (since 1970 ) caused significant environmental disrupt
- Traditional migration routes of animals were disrupted , leaving them stranded in cold tundra region
during cold winter months , when they used to depart to warmer places
- The melting of snow and permafrost due to the heat produced due to extraction and transportation of
oil ( to reduce this effect the pipeline is on raised stilts

Global warming
Human Impact on Freshwater Areas
- Farming and irrigation

Agriculture growth > deforestation > Soil erosion

Agro industrialization - using chemicals in the form of fertilizers and pesticides

Dams and Reservoirs

- The amount and direction of rivers altered