Introduction to Biodiversity

Fungi Saskatchewan image When surveyed, Americans often list the environment as one thing they are concerned about. The problems our generation faces are becoming more alarming every day. Although animals whose species are threatened, or in danger of extinction, is one topic of concern, wildlife can be also be considered an "environmental barometer." ¹ Wildlife exists where nature is in balance. Some scientists estimate the current extinction rate is more than 1,000 times² the natural rate of extinction.

As you will recall, a species is a distinct type of organism, a set of individuals that uniquely share certain characteristics and can breed with one another and produce fertile offspring. We can express species diversity in terms of the number or variety of species in a particular region. One component of species diversity is species richness, the number of species. Another is evenness or relative abundance, the extent to which different species are similar in their numbers of individuals.

Our rising human population and resource consumption are putting ever greater pressure on the flora and fauna of our planet, from tigers to tiger beetles. We are diminishing Earth's diversity of life, the very quality that makes our planet unique among all other planets. The study of the environment and biodiversity in an effort to protect species and their habitats is known as conservation biology. Through these studies, solutions are developed to address habitat loss and species loss.

People from many walks of life are trying to protect and conserve our natural world in many ways. Nonprofit organizations, communities, and individuals bring awareness and take initiative to protect habitats and wildlife, and laws and policies are put in place to support conservation efforts.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) was signed on December 28, 1973, and provides for the conservation of species that are endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of their range, and the conservation of the ecosystems on which they depend. The ESA has been amended several times and replaced the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment: Conservation Strategies

Millenium Ecosystem Conservation Strategies table graphic

Discussion: Fragile Earth

Review the following images in this slide presentation of our "Fragile Earth."

RESOURCES IN THIS MODULE ARE OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES (OER) OR CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. SOME IMAGES USED UNDER SUBSCRIPTION.

¹^{''Wildlife, The Environmental Barometer'' - brochure, Wildlife Management Institute, Washington, D.C.}

^{2 "Windows on the Wild'' - World Wildlife Fund 1999}