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"Explain the concept and importance of biodiversity in tropical rainforests"

Biodiverstiy Terminology

"Examine the causes and consequences of reduced biodiversity in this biome"

Click on the image to the left in order to see the definitions of terminology that is helpful for this unit, and by clicking on the button below, you can find data relating to biodiversity.

Video Critique

This video goes into more depth about how some ecosystems are stronger than other , and why they are like so, by using two ecosystem examples; the amazon rainforest and coral reefs.

It emphasises the importance of biodiversity and the three main components to it:

  • ecosystem diversity

  • species diversity

  • genetic diversity

All of the three levels intertwined creates a denser and more resilient ecosystem and biodiversity. The Amazon Rainforest is the most biodiverse ecosystem region in the world, with a complex ecosystem, large number of species and different genetic make ups with in the species. The interconnected system strengthens each aspect of the ecosystem/region. Because the amazon is so biodiverse, taking one species out of the ecosystem will not cause a huge affect on the ecosystem, since the amazon has a large volume of species, genetic diversity and has complexity of the ecosystems, it all creates rich biodiversity and is able to adapt to change easily. However, that is not the case for all ecosystems. The Coral Reef is one of the most vulnerable ecosystems because it is so dependant on each level, from algae and fungi to fish and seahorses, they are all interdependent on the corals. If the corals are damaged or die due to water pollution, destructive fishing practices or ocean acidification, all of the organisms dependent on it will die too. Biodiversity is vital for the survival of organisms around the world and is also earths own ‘safety net’. 

Biodiversity Hotspot: The Tropical Andes

A biodiversity hotspot is an area of land that is full of diversity (has to have more than 1500 vascular endemic plants) and must also be threatened by destruction. For this activity we had to learn about one of the 25 hotspots in the world, and I chose the Tropical Andes located in South America. 

Biodiversity Data

Document full of biodiversity data.

Map Description

This map indicates the concentration of mammals of the world. The areas of deep red and yellow indicate the greatest density of species, and the lighter shades of blue shows areas of less biodiversity. It can be seen that the tropics have the most concentration of animal species, while the northern parts of the world have less. The most diverse area with mammals is northern South America, mainly due to the amazon rainforest, the biggest rainforest and the most biodiverse ecosystem in the world. Northern Africa and midland Australia, which are both considered to be deserts, are two of a few of the least concentrated areas with mammal diversity, because of the low living conditions for them in those areas. The yellow areas, which are close to the red, shows that there used to be a higher number of mammals, but loss of mammals and other species due to various reasons such as climate change, poaching, have caused the concentration of mammal diversity to drop. Overall, the map shows that there are more blue areas than red, meaning that there are more places in the world that have less than approximately 30 mammals. 

Article notes

Click on the links to the left in order to access my notes from two article; "5 major threats to biodiversity" and "Biodiversity and Rainforests"

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