3.1 An Introduction to Biodiversity

Significant Ideas

• Biodiversity can be identified in a variety of forms, including species diversity, habitat diversity and genetic diversity.

• The ability to both understand and quantify biodiversity is important to conservation efforts.

Knowledge and Understanding

• 1. Biodiversity is a broad concept encompassing the total diversity of living systems, which includes the diversity of species, habitat diversity and genetic diversity.

  2. Species diversity in communities is a product of two variables: the number of species (richness) and their relative proportions (evenness).

  3. Communities can be described and compared through the use of diversity indices. When comparing communities that are similar, low diversity could be indicative of pollution, eutrophication or recent colonization of a site. The number of species present in an area is often indicative of general patterns of biodiversity.

  4. Habitat diversity refers to the range of different habitats in an ecosystem or biome.

  5. Genetic diversity refers to the range of genetic material present in a population of a species.

  6. Quantification of biodiversity is important to conservation efforts so that areas of high biodiversity may be identified, explored, and appropriate conservation put in place where possible.

  7. The ability to assess changes to biodiversity in a given community over time is important in assessing the impact of human activity in the community.

Applications and Skills

1. Distinguish between biodiversity, diversity of species, habitat diversity and genetic diversity.

2. Comment on the relative values of biodiversity data.

3. Discuss the usefulness of providing numerical values of species diversity to understanding the nature of biological communities and the conservation of biodiversity.

Guidance

1. Interpreting diversity is complex; low diversity can be present in natural, ancient and unpolluted sites (for example, in Arctic ecosystems).

2. Species diversity within a community is a component of the broader description of the biodiversity of an entire ecosystem.

Key Vocabulary

• Species

• Habitat

• Niche

  • Fundamental

  • Realized

• Biotic

  • Predation

  • Herbivory

  • Parasitism

  • Mutualism

  • Disease

  • Competition

• Abiotic

  • Temperaturet

  • Sunlight

  • pH

  • Salinity

  • Precipitation

• Population

• Growth curve

  • S

  • J

• Carrying capacity

  • Limiting factor

• Migration

Textbook Reading and/or Activities

Click HERE for a pdf of chapter 4.

• Pages x-xx

  • Challenge Yourself (p.x)

  • Worked Example (p.x-xx)

  • Exercises (p.x)

Notes

i-Biology Notes (Not available)

A detailed set of notes, created by Stephen Taylor, examining U1 - U8 and A1 - A4.

i-Biology Study Questions (Not available)

A series of questions, created by Stephen Taylor, to help check your understanding of the IB learning expectations. This is VERY GOOD practice.

Bioknowledgy Notes (Not available)

A detailed set of notes, created by Chris Paine, examining all of the IB learning expectations.

Bioknowledgy Study Questions (Not available)

A series of questions, created by Chris Paine, to help check your understanding of the IB learning expectations. This is VERY GOOD practice.

Learning Activities

Examining Hotspots

This activity will help you better understand the importance of diversity as well as providing you with a named example of a particular Hotspot region (K&U 1,4-6 and A&S 1).

Supplemental Reading