AY Honor Biodiversity Answer Key
Skill Level
1
Year
2024
Version
26.03.2025
Approval authority
Southern Asia-Pacific Division
Biodiversity is the sum of all the different species of animals, plants, fungi and microbial organisms living on Earth and the variety of habitats in which they live. Scientists estimate that more than 10 million different species inhabit Earth.
Biodiversity underlies everything from food production to medical research. Humans use at least 40,000 species of plants and animals on a daily basis. Many people around the world still depend on wild species for some or all of their food, shelter and clothing. All our domesticated plants and animals came from wild living ancestral species. In addition, almost 40 percent of the pharmaceuticals used in the United States either are based on or are synthesized from natural compounds found in plants, animals or microorganisms. Scientists have discovered and named only 1.75 million species.
More formally, biodiversity is comprised of several levels, starting with genes, then individual species, then communities of creatures and finally entire ecosystems, such as forests or coral reefs, where life interplays with the physical environment. These myriad interactions have made Earth habitable for billions of years.
The term “biodiversity” is a contraction of “biological diversity” or “biotic diversity”. These terms all refer to the idea of living variation, from genes and traits, to species, and to ecosystems. The popular contraction “biodiversity” came about in the mid-1980s, heralded by a symposium in 1986 and an influential follow-up book, Biodiversity (Wilson 1988). These events often are interpreted as the beginning of the biodiversity story, but this mid-1980s activity actually was both a nod to important past work, and a launching of something quite new, in ways not fully anticipated.
The new term “biodiversity” energized some fundamental ideas developed over the previous decade (or longer). Precursor terms like “biotic diversity” had helped to communicate why we should be concerned about the loss of variety, arising from the species extinction crisis (later, the “biodiversity crisis”). This recognized the idea that living variation itself has current value, because it provides the opportunity for future benefits for humanity. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN 1980) summarized these early ideas about variety as providing both “insurance” and “investment” benefits. The focus on the variety of life was echoed later in the Convention on Biological Diversity’s (CBD) definition of “biodiversity”, and in the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). The IPBES conceptual framework, describing “nature’s contributions to people” (Díaz et al. 2018), includes the maintenance of options for future generations that is provided by biodiversity as variety (see Faith forthcoming).
This value of living variation complements recognized values of individual species, and it accords with the idea that “biodiversity” may refer both to the collection of individual species (or other units), and to amount-of-variation as a property of that collection. The new term “biodiversity” also catalyzed fresh new perspectives, with an explosion of academic and philosophical discussions, evidenced by the many post- 1985 published papers having the key term “biodiversity”.
Every species on Earth is related to every other species through genetic connections. The more closely related any two species are, the more genetic information they will share, and the more similar they will appear. An organism’s closest relatives are members of its own species, or organisms with which it has the potential to mate and produce offspring. Members of a species share genes, the bits of biochemical information that determine, in part, how the animals look, behave and live. Members of a species also share complex mating behaviors that enable them to recognize each other as potential mates.
Each species also has other, more remotely related species with which it shares a more general set of characteristics. Gray squirrels, chipmunks, marmots and prairie dogs all belong to the squirrel family because they share a number of features, such as tooth number and shape and details of skull and muscle anatomy. All of these animals are rodents, a large group of more distantly related animals who share similar, chisel-like incisor teeth that grow continuously. All rodents are related to a broader group, mammals. Mammals have hair, raise their young on milk and have three bones in the middle ear. All mammals, in turn, are more distantly related to other animals with backbones, or vertebrates. All these organisms are animals but share a common cell structure with plants, fungi and some microbes.
Species diversity is the variety of species within a habitat or a region. Species are the basic units of biological classification and thus the normal measure of biological diversity. Species richness is the term that describes the number of different species in a given area. The world total is estimated at five to 10 million species, though only 1.75 million have been named scientifically so far.
Some habitats, such as rainforests and coral reefs, have many species. For example, tropical North and South America has about 85,000 flowering plant species, tropical and subtropical Asia has more than 50,000 and tropical and subtropical Africa has about 35,000. By contrast, all of Europe has 11,300 vascular plants. Yet other areas, such as salt flats or a polluted stream, have fewer species. Species are grouped together into families according to shared characteristics.
Intraspecific diversity refers to the genetic variation of individuals and populations of the same species. Humans having white or black skin, blond or brown hair, blue or green eyes is one of the many examples of intraspecific biodiversity.
Interspecific biodiversity refers to the diversity of living species among themselves: by their number, their nature, and their relative importance.
Ecosystem biodiversity refers to the variety of ecosystems, by their nature and number, where living species interact with their environment and with each other. For example, on Earth, there are different ecosystems, each with their specificities like deserts, oceans, lakes, plains or forests. And even within these ecosystems, there are special details like cold or hot deserts, boreal or tropical forests, warm or cold-water coastal regions. Each ecosystem has its own peculiarities, species, and ways of functioning.
a. Canopy fogging:
Canopy fogging is mainly used when collecting data about the biodiversity of insects. The ways this conducted is with a small dose of insecticide sprayed on top of a tree. When the insects fall, they are put onto a large screen that is shaped like a funnel. Scientists usually keep and observe the insects. This method helps inform scientists about the life cycle of insects.
b. Quadrant sampling Quadrant sampling is the method where a large cubic area is made by using a pre-made square made out of plastic and string. The square is made into quadrants that have different measurements depending on the habitat that is going to be surveyed in. Different species and their numbers within the quadrant are counted. This is repeated many times in different places of the habitat to get an accurate representation of biodiversity.
c. Transect sampling Transect sampling is conducted by using a transect line. A transect line is usually a rope or measuring tape that had been marked at a set measurement, such as every meter. The line is unrolled throughout the habitat. At every interval, the type and number of species along the line is recorded.
d. Netting Netting is a method that involves fine mesh nets. It is used to capture many birds and bats in terrestrial ecosystems. It is also used to capture fish and other organisms that live in aquatic ecosystems. Once the organism is captured it is identified.it can also be measured, the blood might be taken for genetic analysis, and it could be tagged. Many cases prove that, the organism is then released after examination.
Biodiversity plays an important role in the way ecosystems function and in the services, they provide. The following is a list of some of the benefits, or services, of biodiversity:
- Provisioning services such as food, clean water, timber, fiber and geneticresources
- Regulating services such as climate, floods, disease, water quality and pollination
- Cultural services such as recreational, aesthetic and spiritual benefits
- Supporting services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling
- Habitat Destruction: Damaging human activity continues to encroach on natural environments, thereby destroying the habitats of countless species. As our numbers rise, cities, infrastructure and cropland are growing and merging into each other, fragmenting the remaining habitat and leaving isolated “islands” of natural populations of plants and animals too small to survive. According to IPBES, only one quarter of land areas and one third of oceans remain relatively undamaged by human activity.
- Overexploitation: Humankind’s relentless consumption of resources such as timber, oil and minerals is continuing to destroy natural habitats around the globe. We are also putting enormous pressure on populations of wild species, both by bushmeat hunting in the developing world and by large-scale industrial fishing in our seas. Wildlife poaching and trafficking still present a huge threat to many species, including rhinos, tigers and pangolins.
- Climate Change: Our planet is on the verge of a climate crisis due to our endless production of greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and methane. We are headed for a 3-4 °C warmer world by the end of the century if nations' current climate ambitions are delivered on. We are already seeing species decline due to global temperature increase. Every half a degree of warming has a huge knock-on effect on ecosystems, with mobile species running out of areas to migrate to and temperature-sensitive organisms like corals undergoing massive die-offs. When keystone species like reef-building corals disappear, the rich and complex ecosystems they support collapse as well.
- Pollution: As populations increase, the disposal of waste from households, agriculture and industry, becomes an increasingly serious issue. Our oceans are becoming choked with plastic waste which is killing millions of animals, from sea turtles to whales. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea. As well as affecting the lives of humans, noise, light and chemical pollution all damage the health of wild species.
- Agricultural Intensification: Agriculture deserves a special mention here as it is a primary driver of habitat destruction, climate change and pollution. Agriculture takes up 50% of all habitable land on Earth, 80% of extinction threats to mammal and bird species are due to agriculture, and our modern food systems are also the biggest contributor to climate change, responsible for around a third of all greenhouse gas emissions, with more than half of these coming from animal agriculture. In order to meet the unsustainable consumption patterns of the Global North and feed our huge population, humanity has developed agricultural systems which rely on monocultures, artificial fertilizers and pesticides. Monocultures are increasingly susceptible to disease so require widespread pesticide use which destroys insect populations. Intensive farming leads to soil depletion and runoff from farms pollutes water bodies and causes harmful algal blooms and the collapse of fish stocks.
- Invasive Species: Human travel across the world has a very large emissions footprint but it has also allowed the spread of invasive species, both accidental and intentional. As a consequence of the introduction of non-native species to some areas, such as rabbits and cats in Australia, goats on St. Helena, and American mink in Great Britain, we have put many vulnerable ecosystems at risk, threatening native species and diminishing biodiversity.
The UN Decade on Biodiversity runs from 2011 – 2020. The UN Decade on Biodiversity serves to support and promote the implementation of the objectives of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, which were adopted at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the CBD, in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010. Throughout the UN Decade on Biodiversity, governments are encouraged to develop, implement and communicate the results of national strategies for implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity. It also seeks to promote the involvement of a variety of national and intergovernmental factors and other stakeholders in the goal of mainstreaming biodiversity into broader development planning and economic activities. The aim will be to place special focus on supporting actions that address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss, including production and consumption patterns.
The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration runs from 2021–2030. The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration purpose is to facilitate global cooperation for the restoration of degraded and destroyed ecosystems. Along with fostering efforts to combat climate change, safeguard biodiversity, food security, and water supply.
While much focus is on promoting restoration activity by national governments, the UN also wishes to promote such efforts from other actors, ranging from the private sector and NGOs to regular individuals.
The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration was established in order to:
- Build a common vision, prioritizing ecosystem restoration from the global to the local level to accelerate reversal of ecosystem degradation
- Mainstream ecosystem restoration in policy and planning to address current developmental challenges due to land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate change vulnerability
- Foster a holistic approach to achieving international commitments and national priorities through ecosystem and landscape restoration
- Enhance cooperation and resource mobilization to increase the flow of financial resources, technologies, knowledge, and capacity building to countries and jurisdictions working to meet national goals and international commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals, through ecosystem restoration
- Encourage partnerships and investments, promoting a resilient economy by increasing support for smallholders' generation of value from land use products and potential to contribute to ecosystem restoration
- Promote cooperation between funds providers, governments, civil society, and the private sector to help overcome barriers to scaling up resource-efficient productive systems in association with ecosystem restoration
- Raise awareness of the importance of functional ecosystems for human well-being and productive activities, local development and the economic sustainability of society
The International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day) is a United Nations–sanctioned international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. It is currently held on May 22.
| Year | Theme |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Dedicated to forest biodiversity |
| 2003 | Biodiversity and poverty alleviation – challenges for sustainable development |
| 2004 | Biodiversity: Food, Water and Health for All |
| 2005 | Biodiversity: Life Insurance for our Changing World |
| 2006 | Protect Biodiversity in Drylands |
| 2007 | Biodiversity and Climate Change |
| 2008 | Biodiversity and Agriculture |
| 2009 | Invasive Alien Species |
| 2010 | Biodiversity, Development and poverty reduction |
| 2011 | Forest Biodiversity |
| 2012 | Marine Biodiversity |
| 2013 | Water and Biodiversity |
| 2014 | Island Biodiversity |
| 2015 | Convention on Biological Diversity |
| 2016 | Mainstreaming Biodiversity; Sustaining People and their Livelihoods |
| 2017 | Biodiversity and Sustainable Tourism |
| 2018 | Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity |
| 2019 | Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health |
| 2020 | Our solutions are in nature |
| 2021 | We're part of the solution #ForNature |
A biodiversity hotspot is an area of rich biodiversity that faces serious threats to its existence. The concept was developed by environmental scientist Norman Myers of Oxford University in the United Kingdom in an attempt to identify priority areas for biodiversity conservation. The best-known proponent of the hotspots thesis is the US group Conservation International, which has produced a map of hotspots on the basis of their plant diversity and the impacts upon them. In addition to harboring at least 1,500 endemic plant species, hotspots must also have lost more than 70% of their original natural vegetation.
North and Central America
- California Floristic Province
- Madrean Pine-oak woodlands
- Caribbean Island
- Mesoamerica
- North American Coastal Plain0
South America
- Cerrado
- Tropical Andes
- Atlantic Forest
- Chilean Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests
- Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena
Asia-Pacific
- Eastern Himalaya
- Western Ghats, India: Srilanka
- Indo-Burma, India, and Myanmar
- New Caledonia
- New Zealand
- Polynesia-Micronesia
- Japan
- East Melanesian Islands
- Philippines
- Sundaland
- Southwest Australia
- Eastern Australia
- Wallacea
- Aucasus
- Irano-Anatolian
- Mountains of Southwest China
Central Asia
- Mountains of Central Asia
Europe
- Mediterranean Basin
Africa
- Coastal Forests of Africa
- Eastern Afromontane
- Guinean Forests of West Africa
- Horn of Africa
- Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands
- Succulent Karoo
- Cape Floral region
- Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany
National park is a large natural or near natural areas set aside to protect large-scale ecological processes, which also provide a foundation for environmentally and culturally compatible, spiritual, scientific, educational, recreational and visitor opportunities. These areas are selected by governments or private organizations to protect natural biodiversity along with its underlying ecological structure and supporting environmental processes, and to promote education and recreation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and its World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), has defined "National Park" as its Category II type of protected areas.
National parks are usually owned and managed by national or state governments. In some cases, a limit is placed on the number of visitors permitted to enter certain fragile areas. Designated trails or roads are created. The visitors are allowed to enter only for study, cultural and recreation purposes. Forestry operations, grazing of animals and hunting of animals are regulated and the exploitation of habitat for wildlife is banned.
Wildlife sanctuaries aim only at the conservation of species and have the following features:
- The boundaries of the sanctuaries are not limited by state legislation.
- The killing, hunting or capturing of any species is prohibited except by or under the control of the highest authority in the department which is responsible for the management of the sanctuary.
- Private ownership may be allowed.
- Forestry and other usages can also be permitted.
There is an estimated 726 million ha of forest in protected areas worldwide. Of the six major world regions, South America has the highest share of forests in protected areas, 31 percent.
The forests play a vital role in harboring more than 45,000 floral and 81,000 faunal species of which 5150 floral and 1837 faunal species are endemic. In addition, there are 60,065 different tree species in the world. Plant and animal species confined to a specific geographical area are called endemic species. In forest reserves, rights to activities like hunting and grazing are sometimes given to communities living on the fringes of the forest, who sustain their livelihood partially or wholly from forest resources or products. The unclassed forests cover 6.4 percent of the total forest area and they are marked by the following characteristics:
- They are large inaccessible forests.
- Many of these are unoccupied.
- They are ecologically and economically less important.
In zoological parks or zoos, live animals are kept for public recreation, education and conservation purposes. Modern zoos offer veterinary facilities, provide opportunities for threatened species to breed in captivity and usually build environments that simulate the native habitats of the animals in their care. Zoos play a major role in creating awareness about the need to conserve nature.
In botanical gardens, plants are grown and displayed primarily for scientific and educational purposes. They consist of a collection of living plants, grown outdoors or under glass in greenhouses and conservatories. Also, a botanical garden may include a collection of dried plants or herbarium and such facilities as lecture rooms, laboratories, libraries, museums and experimental or research plantings.
