Two decades ago, at the first earth summit, the vast majority of the worlds nations declared that human. In addition to members of the national science board involved in this study, the work of the task force benefited significantly from the contributions of dr. The loss of biodiversity is dangerous and its consequences are immediate. Estimates have ranged from 2100 million species on earth today, with current estimates. Biodiversity encompasses several facets, including genetic diversity, endemism, diversity of functional. Terrestrial biodiversity is usually greater near the equator, which is the result of the warm climate and high primary productivity. Biodiversity is typically a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level. Biodiversity the constellation of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms on earth. Biodiversity encompasses several facets, including genetic diversity, endemism, diversity of. Gardner brown, university of washington, seattle, dr.
Biodiversity is the variety of living species on earth plants, animals and microorganisms and the ecosystems they form. The virtual omnipresence of life on earth is seldom appreciated because most organisms are small and generally accepted definition of biodiversity does not exist. Estimates on the number of earth s current species range from 2 million to 10 12, of which about 1. Aug 16, 20 a brief history of biodiversity at iied article, 16 august 20 in the late 1980s and early 1990s the main focus came from iieds groundbreaking programme on environmental economics, which was a new discipline at the time. These impact cleared small bodies out of the inner solar system so the rate of impacts dropped off by 150 million years. Among many other concepts, they reveal the massive diversity of eukaryotes, explain the. Strategy conference on biological diversity 1981 and the national forum on biodiversity 1986 in washington. The earth formed through the collection of planetesimals over a period of 50 100 million years.
Pdf palaeontology and evolution of the biodiversity in. Biodiversity loss, also called loss of biodiversity, a decrease in biodiversity within a species, an ecosystem, a given geographic area, or earth as a whole. Biodiversity and earth history jens boenigk, sabina. Biodiversity is the variety of different forms of life on earth, including the different plants, animals, microorganisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystem they form. Introduction to biodiversity center for biodiversity.
While earths biodiversity is so rich that many species have yet to be discovered, many species are being threatened with extinction due to human activities, putting the earths magnificent biodiversity at risk. Animals and vas cular plants were absent from the first three billion years of earth history, although there is ample evidence of prokaryotic life in rocks as old as. Some analyses suggest that the net age of a clade can determine its extinction risk. Smith, consultative group on biodiversity, new york, dr. Biodiversity from a historical geology perspective dsrinpe. The broad term used to describe this effect is known as the anthropogenic effect. 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.
Everything is interconnected, or dependent on everything else. However the need for such a definition that is both scientifically sensible and universally applicable is. Biodiversity also underpins ecosystem function and the provision of ecosystem services. The diversity of societies, cultures and languages that has developed throughout human history is intimately related to biodiversity and its use. Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on earth, and is richest in the tropics. Human actions, however, often lead to irreversible losses in terms of diversity of life on earth and these losses have been more rapid in the past 50 years than ever before in human history. Pdf palaeontology and evolution of the biodiversity in the. Global biodiversity is the measure of biodiversity on planet earth and is defined as the total variability of life forms. The diversity of life is tfie defining feature of planet earth.
Biodiversity is essentially everywhere, ubiquitous on earths surface and in every drop of its bodies of water. It is remarkable that so few generalities about biodiversity existprobably, as ever in biology, laws are elusive because of the contingent nature of the properties and history of each species and larger group. Colombia and kenya, for example, each have more than 1,000 breeding species of birds, whereas the forests of great britain and of eastern north america are home. Nov 02, 2016 biodiversity is a core concept in biology and has been the subject of discussion for decades. Throughout earths history, these two processes have fluctuated, sometimes leading to dramatic changes in the number of species on earth. Biodiversity today is huge, and it has a long history. The biodiversity lab is a plug and play unit that is meant to accompany my free kesler science station lab series. Biodiversity in the watershed today the flathead watershed is rich in terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitat. The most unique feature of earth is the existence of life, and the most extraordinary feature of life is its diversity. Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life on earth. The imprints of environmental change on biodiversity 4. This department is focused on understanding the effects of global. Biodiversity is a core concept in biology and has been the subject of discussion for decades.
The biodiversity heritage library works collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community. Biodiversity change through geological time biology. Biodiversity, also called biological diversity, the variety of life found in a place on earth or, often, the total variety of life on earth. In 2002, governments set 2010 as a deadline to achieve a significant reductionin the rate of loss of biodiversity for reducing poverty. The ecology, evolution, and biodiversity eeb major provides a comprehensive foundation in the biological sciences, places an emphasis on undergraduate research experience, and provides an integrated perspective on the origins and complex interactions of. Biodiversity and conservation although india h as only 2. Save up to 80% by choosing the etextbook option for isbn.
Approximately 9 million types of plants, animals, protists and fungi inhabit the earth. It is not only the study of the earth as we see it today, but the history of the earth as it has evolved to its present condition. Impact of humans on biodiversity and the environment. Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is a term that refers to the number of genes, species, individual organisms within a given species, and biological communities within a defined geographic area, ranging from the smallest ecosystem to. Biodiversity contributes to many aspects of human wellbeing, for instance by providing raw materials and contributing to health. Biodiversity is the amount of variety of life on earth. The year 2010 has long been seen as an end goal, a time when we could look back and say, yes, weve done it that biodiversity, life on earth, is no longer threatened. A common measure of this variety, called species richness, is the count of species in an area. A brief history of biodiversity at iied article, 16 august 20 in the late 1980s and early 1990s the main focus came from iieds groundbreaking programme on environmental economics, which was a new discipline at the time. It includes organisms from earths vastly different ecosystems, including deserts, rainforests, coral reefs, grasslands, tundra, and polar ice caps. The heat from impact of incoming bodies kept the entire earth molten. There are measurable biodiversity differences between land and sea and between the tropics and temperatepolar regions.
Sep 16, 2009 biodiversity the web of life biological diversity or biodiversity is the term given to the variety of life on earth and the natural patterns it forms. Biodiversity and earth history request pdf researchgate. Biodiversity the web of life biological diversity or biodiversity is the term given to the variety of life on earth and the natural patterns it forms. More than 99 percent of all species that ever lived on earth are estimated to be extinct. The difference in our genes makes us all different. Palaeontology and evolution of the biodiversity in the earth history in museum context.
Estimates on the number of earths current species range from 2 million to 10 12, of which about 1. Biodiversityscience for humans and nature 8 origin and evolution of biodiversity the diversity department addresses the need to compare evolutionary and ecological processes evolutionary ecology to gain insight into mechanisms underlying biodiversity dynamics. Ipbes is to perform regular and timely assessments of knowledge on biodiversity and ecosystem services and their interlinkages at the global level. Biodiversity and earth history jens boenigk, sabina wodniok. Theres variety in genes, variety among species, and a variety of ecosystems. The biodiversity we see today is the fruit of billions of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans. That is what makes our country one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world. This books four major sections offer a fresh crossdisciplinary overview of biodiversity and the earths history. An unequivocal, precise, and generally accepted definition of biodiversity does not exist. Our forests, meadows, lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and riparian corridors are home to a diverse community of large carnivores, ungulates hoofed animals, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, and aquatic and land insects. If you are generating a pdf of a journal article or book chapter. Request pdf on jan 1, 2015, jens boenigk and others published biodiversity and earth history find, read and cite all the research you need on.
Biodiversity refers to the variety of living species on earth, including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. Biodiversity underlies everything from food production to medical research. Our biodiversity is very important to the wellbeing of our. A brief history of biodiversity at iied international. The book includes articles devoted to evolution of biodiversity of. Also addressing an invitation by the conference of the parties of the convention on biological diversity cbd to prepare a global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services building, inter alia, on its own and other relevant regional. Test your knowledge about the major groups of life on earth. Biodiversity and earth history jens boenigk springer. Humans have impacted the biodiversity and environment in several crucial ways. It is the number of different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. Nearly 45,000 species of plants and twice as many of animals have been recorded from india. Its innovative design provides a seamless learning experience, clarifying major concepts step by step with detailed textual explanations complemented by detailed figures, diagrams and vibrant. Ecology, evolution, and biodiversity major requirements. Rotherham sheffield hallam university, uk keywords.
Its innovative design provides a seamless learning experience, clarifying major concepts step by step with detailed textual explanations complemented by detailed figures, diagrams and vibrant pictures. Biodiversity can be measured through the use of quantitativeindicators, although no single unified approach exists. It is so richly illustrated adorned is probably the more appropriate word with colour photographs, images and diagrams that it is a technicolor spectacular and probably the reason why the pdf version is almost 300 mb. But theyre not the same, because their genes are different. The amazon drainage basin, with its associated luxurious biodiversity, is well known as the most impressive ecosystem on earth, occupying an immense forested. Scientists estimate that more than 10 million different species inhabit earth. By the end of this period the earth was nearly its present. Humans use at least 40,000 species of plants and animals on a daily basis. An ecosystem is the name given to all living species that live together in a stable community, interacting with one another and their physical environment. The earth has evolved changed throughout its history, and will continue to evolve.
The broad term used to describe this effect is known as the anthropogenic effect discuss with the learners the activities that humans are involved in and how these activities contribute to the changes in the environment. Identifying rules for the heterogeneity of modern biodiversitythe high to low species richness of different cladeshas been hard. Among many other concepts, they reveal the massive diversity of eukaryotes, explain the geological processes behind fossilisation, and provide an eyeopening account of the relatively short period of human evolution in the. The great biodiversity of planet earth can be explained by its evolution. Global assessment report on biodiversity and ecosystem. Historical perspectives on biodiversity and geodiversity.
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