Barrons AP Environmental Science

–   large   numbers of  different   species

–   complex food    webs    involving   a   variety of  ecological  niches

Biodiversity

Diversity   Increasers Diversity    Decreasers

Diverse habitats Environmental  stress

Disturbance in  the habitat (fires,

storms, etc.)

Extreme environments

Environmental   conditions  with

low variation

Extreme limitations in  the supply

of  a   fundamental resource

Trophic levels  with    high    diversity Extreme   amounts of  disturbance

Middle  states  of  succession

Introduction of species

from other areas

Evolution Geographic    isolation

Biodiversity is important because it helps keep the environment in a natural
balance. An ecosystem that is species-rich is more resilient and adaptable to
external stress than one in which the range of species is limited. In a system
where species are limited, the loss or temporary reduction of any one species
could disrupt the food chain with serious effects on other species in that same
system. When biodiversity is sufficient, if one nutrient cycling path is affected,
another pathway can function and the ecosystem can survive.

Anthropogenic   Activities  That    Can Reduce  Biodiversity

Anthropogenic   Activity How    It  Reduces

Biodiversity

How The Activity    Can Be

Remediated

Burning fossil  fuels The   acid    rain

produced    from

burning fossil  fuels

changes the pH  of

water   habitats    to  the

extent  that    many

–   Tax incentives  for

products    that    do  not

require burning

fossil  fuels

–   Carbon  taxes

–   The use of