Facts about Biodiversity and Ecosystem
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the term used to describe the different living things on Earth.These living things include animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, and other living organisms. Biodiversity is often used to describe the total number of different species within an ecosystem. This amount ranges among the various ecosystems in different regions around the world.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the term used to describe the different living things on Earth.These living things include animals, plants, bacteria, fungi, and other living organisms. Biodiversity is often used to describe the total number of different species within an ecosystem. This amount ranges among the various ecosystems in different regions around the world.
Facts of Biodiversity
- Although over time it has increased, biodiversity has steadily gone down in the past 35 years.
- On land, areas near the equator tend to be more diverse because of the pleasant climate.
- About 1% of species are lost each year.
- Although many governments around the world have passed laws to ensure biodiversity, there are
over 300 extremely endangered species that have no laws to protect them.
- Changes in ocean temperature, length of seasons, and amount of precipitation are all factors that affect the level of biodiversity.
- Madagascar is an example of a biodiversity hotspot because roughly 98% of its living organisms cannot survive anywhere else on Earth.
- Planting certain types of trees outside your home or school is one way to combat the decrease in biodiversity because it helps control climate.
- Although over time it has increased, biodiversity has steadily gone down in the past 35 years.
- On land, areas near the equator tend to be more diverse because of the pleasant climate.
- About 1% of species are lost each year.
- Although many governments around the world have passed laws to ensure biodiversity, there are
over 300 extremely endangered species that have no laws to protect them.
- Changes in ocean temperature, length of seasons, and amount of precipitation are all factors that affect the level of biodiversity.
- Madagascar is an example of a biodiversity hotspot because roughly 98% of its living organisms cannot survive anywhere else on Earth.
- Planting certain types of trees outside your home or school is one way to combat the decrease in biodiversity because it helps control climate.
What is ecosystem?
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). Ecosystem simply means ‘ecological system’ . Ecology is the study of ecosystem.For example, there is 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, wonderful interaction of living things and their environment, has been the foundations of energy flow and recycle of carbon and nitrogen.
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). Ecosystem simply means ‘ecological system’ . Ecology is the study of ecosystem.For example, there is 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, wonderful interaction of living things and their environment, has been the foundations of energy flow and recycle of carbon and nitrogen.
Facts of Ecosystem
- Ecosystem is acommunity of plants, animals and microorganisms, and the non-living environment they interact with.
- A group of living organisms of the same kind (species) interacting with each other is called a population. A community is formed of several different local populations interacting with each other. The community of living organisms and their non-living surroundings is an ecosystem.
- Ecosystems exist on many levels, and on different scales. A small lake and the community of organisms that live in it, is an ecosystem. If the lake is located in a forest, the forest including the lake is also an ecosystem.
- Familiar ecosystem examples include deserts, coral reefs, tundras, savannas and rain forest,
- Ecosystems are not isolated from each other, but are connected by different interactions. Through the movement of animals and plants or via wind and rain, organic and inorganic materials cross the boundaries.
- In this way Earth itself can be considered one large ecosystem, since the various ecosystems on it are all connected on some level. The global ecosystem is usually called the biosphere.
- Many ecosystems are probably negatively influenced by global warming and climate change,since the living conditions change. Therefore, even if only a few species are vulnerable to change, their absence may negatively affect the whole ecosystem.
Biodiversity Hospot
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction.
The term biodiversity hotspot specifically refers to 25 biologically rich areas around the world that have lost at least 70 percent of their original habitat.
The remaining natural habitat in these biodiversity hotspots amounts to just 1.4 percent of the land surface of the planet, yet supports nearly 60 percent of the world's plant, bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species.
- Ecosystem is acommunity of plants, animals and microorganisms, and the non-living environment they interact with.
- A group of living organisms of the same kind (species) interacting with each other is called a population. A community is formed of several different local populations interacting with each other. The community of living organisms and their non-living surroundings is an ecosystem.
- Ecosystems exist on many levels, and on different scales. A small lake and the community of organisms that live in it, is an ecosystem. If the lake is located in a forest, the forest including the lake is also an ecosystem.
- Familiar ecosystem examples include deserts, coral reefs, tundras, savannas and rain forest,
- Ecosystems are not isolated from each other, but are connected by different interactions. Through the movement of animals and plants or via wind and rain, organic and inorganic materials cross the boundaries.
- In this way Earth itself can be considered one large ecosystem, since the various ecosystems on it are all connected on some level. The global ecosystem is usually called the biosphere.
- Many ecosystems are probably negatively influenced by global warming and climate change,since the living conditions change. Therefore, even if only a few species are vulnerable to change, their absence may negatively affect the whole ecosystem.
Biodiversity Hospot
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction.
The term biodiversity hotspot specifically refers to 25 biologically rich areas around the world that have lost at least 70 percent of their original habitat.
The remaining natural habitat in these biodiversity hotspots amounts to just 1.4 percent of the land surface of the planet, yet supports nearly 60 percent of the world's plant, bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian species.
Example of Biodiversity Country
New Caledonia is one of the world's smallest hotspots, yet it is very diverse and, like the other remnants of the ancient super-continent Gondwanaland (Madagascar, Australia, and New Zealand), supports high levels of endemism. This rich biodiversity and high endemism are due to its long-isolated evolution, as well as the variety of precipitation levels and very particular ultrabasic soils that cover more than one third of the country.
New Caledonia has dry forest. Tropical dry forests are the most threatened tropical forest type worldwide, and the dry forests of New Caledonia are no exception. Intentionally ignited fires, trampling by cattle and the introduction of alien species such as fire ants pose the greatest threats to the few remaining patches of dry forest.
Clearing for expansion of pastures, uncontrolled burning and herbivory are also threats to the ecoregion. New Caledonia is a prosperous French territory. However, the French government has paid scant attention to the conservation of biodiversity in New Caledonia.
New Caledonia is one of the world's smallest hotspots, yet it is very diverse and, like the other remnants of the ancient super-continent Gondwanaland (Madagascar, Australia, and New Zealand), supports high levels of endemism. This rich biodiversity and high endemism are due to its long-isolated evolution, as well as the variety of precipitation levels and very particular ultrabasic soils that cover more than one third of the country.
New Caledonia has dry forest. Tropical dry forests are the most threatened tropical forest type worldwide, and the dry forests of New Caledonia are no exception. Intentionally ignited fires, trampling by cattle and the introduction of alien species such as fire ants pose the greatest threats to the few remaining patches of dry forest.
Clearing for expansion of pastures, uncontrolled burning and herbivory are also threats to the ecoregion. New Caledonia is a prosperous French territory. However, the French government has paid scant attention to the conservation of biodiversity in New Caledonia.