BIODIVERSITY: EDUCATORS PAGE
BIODIVERSITY:
EDUCATORS’ PAGE
We can’t think of anything more important than biodiversity. It’s what makes life on Earth possible. It’s Mother Nature’s formula for success.
As we humans move further and further away from interacting with Nature, the powerful interdependence of all living things becomes lost to us. We forget that nature is not here just to serve us, but rather that we too are elements of nature, meant to serve and give back to the development of natural resources, not just to take from them. We lose sight of the fact that everything on Earth is interconnected. All species—plants and animals—are vital to the health of the Earth … and, therefore, ultimately to us all.
We can’t emphasize strongly enough how deeply necessary it is to share these lessons with youngsters so that they don’t lose sight of the roles that their lives play in Mother Nature’s grand plan and that they can support Nature through their choices in their daily lives.
Recommended for ages 10–17.
The lessons themselves are appropriate for a wide variety of age groups; however, some of the activities within the lesson might be best suited for slightly older students.
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
- What biodiversity is, and how it is achieved through evolution
- The necessity for different organisms in their ecosystem—animals, plants & algae, fungi, and bacteria—and their roles in the ecosystem
- That diversity of organisms is essential for the health of an ecosystem
- The three driving forces of biodiversity—genetic diversity, species diversity, ecosystem diversity
- The role that genetic diversity plays in a family of animals
- That genetic diversity is the foundation for species and ecosystem diversity
- That species diversity is the variety of species in an ecosystem
- How various species support the core processes require to maintain an ecosystem
- The roles of different species in an ecosystem
- How primate species are adapted to interact with their environment
- That species diversity indicates the health of an ecosystem
- What ecosystem diversity is, and the six main types of ecosystems
- How ecosystems are connected
- Specific examples of how ecosystems connect
- The different types of terrestrial ecosystems
- The types of forest, grassland, tundra and desert ecosystems and their benefits
- The different types of aquatic ecosystems
- The types of freshwater and marine ecosystems and their benefits
- What a biodiversity hotspot is, and where they are in the world
- That biodiversity is nature’s formula for success
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Develop an understanding of how organisms interact within an ecosystem
- Articulate the different types of organisms and the roles that they serve
- Gain specific knowledge of the different types of species, genetic, and ecosystem diversities
- Be able to articulate examples of each of these diversities
- Develop understanding of the different types of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
- Articulate the benefits of forests, grasslands, tundra, freshwater, and marine ecosystems
- Understand why there are biodiversity hotspots
- Develop an understanding of the specific ways in which biodiversity indicates the health of an ecosystem
Here’s What You’ll Find in “What is Nature” Lesson 3: BIODIVERSITY
RESOURCES USED TO CREATE THIS LESSON
What is Biodiversity?
- https://internationalprimatologicalsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/PSG-report-2018-2021-IPS-FINAL.pdf
Earth’s living organisms and the roles they perform
- https://ourworldindata.org/biodiversity-and-wildlife#:~:text=We%20have%20identified%20and%20described,most%20diverse%20and%20unique%20ecosystems.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138616/#:~:text=Mammals%20undoubtedly%20play%20an%20important,general%20ecosystem%20health%20%5B23%5D.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2839384/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345504520_The_functional_roles_of_mammals_in_ecosystems
- https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/bacterialh.html
Genetic Diversity
- https://neprimateconservancy.org/aye-aye/
- https://neprimateconservancy.org/mongoose-lemur/
- https://neprimateconservancy.org/golden-bamboo-lemur/
- https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Phylogenetic-tree-of-all-lemur-species-used-for-Phylogenetic-comparative-analyses-in-this_fig7_320959199
- https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/research-posts/island-life-drove-lemur-evolution
- https://www.lemurworld.com/lemur-evolution/
- https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45250302
Ecosystem Diversity
- https://sciencing.com/10-examples-natural-ecosystem-7836.html
- https://reliefweb.int/report/world/state-world-s-forests-2020-forests-biodiversity-and-people-enarru#:~:text=Forests%20cover%2031%20percent%20of,one%2Dthird%20is%20primary%20forest.
- https://www.treehugger.com/how-much-carbon-do-different-forests-store-4857854
- https://www.nrdc.org/stories/why-we-must-protect-canadas-boreal-forest
- https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/grassland-biome
- https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/food_practice/grasslands_and_savannahs/
- https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/ecosystem-diversity
- https://askabiologist.asu.edu/explore/ecosystem-connections
- https://www.science.gov/topicpages/a/african+savanna+ecosystem
- https://sciencing.com/tundra-important-5329435.html
- https://sciencing.com/why-are-deserts-important-12322785.html
- https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/minerals/
- https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Mutual-benefits-Semi-arid-ecosystems-such-as-the-Kalahari-pictured-here-are_fig4_5988089
- https://www.ecosystemmarketplace.com/articles/can-namibia-balance-mining-and-nature/
- https://thewildclassroom.com/biomes/alpine-tundra/
- https://thewildclassroom.com/biomes/artictundra-2/
- https://archive.epa.gov/aed/lakesecoservices/web/html/ecosl.html
- sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0380133017300412
- https://eartheclipse.com/science/geography/rivers-formation-importance.html
- https://www.epa.gov/wetlands/why-are-wetlands-important
- https://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/pantanal_snapshot_8a__002__copy.pdf
- https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/florida/stories-in-florida/why-mangroves-important/#:~:text=Mangrove%20forests%20nurture%20our%20estuaries%20and%20fuel%20our%20nature%2Dbased%20economies.&text=Mangroves%20are%20important%20to%20the,deposits%20that%20reduce%20coastal%20erosion.
- https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/plants-algae/seagrass-and-seagrass-beds
- https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ocean-oxygen.html#:~:text=At%20least%20half%20of%20Earth’s%20oxygen%20comes%20from%20the%20ocean.&text=Scientists%20estimate%20that%2050%2D80,some%20bacteria%20that%20can%20photosynthesize.
- https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/deepocean/
- https://maritime-executive.com/features/ocean-storage-of-co2#:~:text=Carbon%20dioxide%20is%20naturally%20stored,wind%2Dup%20in%20the%20ocean.
- https://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/Resources/Conservation/FireForestEcology/ForestEconomics/EcosystemServices.pdf
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/glr2.12012#:~:text=The%20results%20indicate%20that%20the,global%20grasslands%20exceeds%20%2420.8%20trillion.
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314261395_Economic_value_of_ecosystem_services_minerals_and_oil_in_a_melting_Arctic_A_preliminary_assessment
- https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-01/documents/economic_benefits_of_wetlands.pdf
- https://unctad.org/meeting/oceans-economy-and-ecosystem-services-sustainable-fisheries-and-coastal-tourism-side-event
What are Biodiversity Hotspots?
- https://www.conservation.org/priorities/biodiversity-hotspots#:~:text=Certain%20areas%20have%20large%20numbers,in%20securing%20our%20global%20biodiversity.
- https://www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots/hotspots-defined
What factors impact biodiversity?
- https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2019/09/25/the-global-impacts-of-habitat-destruction/
- https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/invasive.html
- https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/article?id=10.1371/journal.ppat.1008922
- https://www.leeds.ac.uk/news-health/news/article/4823/species-invasions-can-teach-us-about-covid-19
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4947151/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8337078/
- https://www.nature.org/en-us/what-we-do/our-priorities/protect-water-and-land/land-and-water-stories/invasive-plant-species-invasive-species-education-1/
- https://www.allianceforthebay.org/2018/02/10-ways-you-can-prevent-the-spread-of-invasive-species/
- https://www.doi.gov/blog/invasive-species-finding-solutions-stop-their-spread
Lesson developed by Stephanie Young, 2023
Copyright © New England Primate Conservancy 2023. You may freely use, copy and share these Learning Activities for educational purposes.
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