Lesson Aims To understand the main threats to biodiversity.

Threats to Biodiversity

Lesson Aims

To understand the main threats to biodiversity

World Resource Institute (WRI)

Unsustainably high population growth and resource consumption

Inequality in the ownership, management and flow of benefits which threaten the livelihoods of the world’s poorest

Concentration of agriculture, forestry and fishing on a narrowing spectrum of products

Economic system developed by governments and business that fail to value the environment and its resources

World Resource Institute (WRI)

Legal and institutional systems that promote unsustainable exploitation at the expense of more sustainable options

Lack of knowledge and understanding in the management and conservation of biodiversity

Potential threats???

Threats to Biodiversity

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TASK

Use the print out (p103-p104) to write an answer to the following question:

“WHAT ARE THE THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY?”

Case Study: Galapagos Islands

Case Study: Galapagos Islands Why is it a hotspot? - It’s a hotspot because of

their endemism and the severe threat facing the unique ecosystem

What is the threat? – invasive species from mainland Ecuador were introduced in order to bolster fishing and tourism

Case Study: Galapagos Islands

Up to 60% of the 180 species if endemic plant are considered ‘threatened’

Recorded 490 introduced insect species, with 55 of these as ‘high risk’ to cause severe damage to native biodiversity

18 introduced vertebrate species introduced, with 13 considered harmful

Mainland snake predators could soon establish themselves

Case Study: Galapagos Islands What’s being done? –

eradication of feral cats and rodents, rounding up stray dogs and removing the quinine tree, a serious alien plant invader.

What’s the biggest pressure? – the thousands of tourists who visit every year to marvel at what Charles Darwin first saw in 1835

Case Study: Borneo

Case Study: Borneo

Borneo is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. The vegetation is tropical rainforest and supports a wide range of biodiversity

One of Malaysia’s main exports is palm oil, which is used in lipstick, soap and cooking oil.

To set up the monoculture the areas is cleared, first by felling commercial timber and then burning the rest