http://www.e-taxonomy.eu EDITEDIT PresentationBiodiversity title NationalPresenter’s Botanic position Garden of Presenter’sWales name Dr Natasha de Vere
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth
Genetic diversity Organismal diversity Ecological diversity Nucleotides Populations Genes Individuals Niches Chromosomes Populations Habitats Individuals Subspecies Ecosystems Populations Species Landscapes Genera Bioregions Families Biomes Orders Classes Phyla
TaxonomyKingdoms Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Definition of biodiversity
Large number of formal definitions; Delong (1996) reviewed 85!
“the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia [among other things], terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems”. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Measuring biodiversity
Biodiversity is a multidimensional concept that cannot be reduced to a single number
Which is most diverse? A
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Measuring biodiversity
Numbers Evenness Difference
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Measuring biodiversity – species richness
Species richness is the most common measure of biodiversity.
This is because:
• Species often keep their genes to themselves.
• Easier to count (humans tend to recognise species)
• Humans can visualise variation in biodiversity as variation in species richness.
• Existing information e.g. museums and herbaria.
• Surrogate for other measures of biodiversity.
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Measuring biodiversity – species richness
Disadvantages in the use of species richness as a biodiversity measure.
• Depends on species concept used. • Need to remember it represents only one element of biodiversity.
Biological Phylogenetic species species concept concept 40 – 42 species 90 species
Australasian birds-of-paradise
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Spatial scales, alpha, beta and gamma diversity
• Alpha diversity refers to diversity within a particular area, community or ecosystem and is typically measured as the number of species within that area.
• Beta diversity is the species diversity between areas and involves comparing the number of species that are unique to each area.
• Gamma diversity is a measure of the overall diversity across a region.
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 How many species are there?
13.5 million? (lowest estimate 3.5, highest 111.5)
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Abundance of species
“If all matter in the universe except the nematodes were swept away, our world would still be dimly recognisable, and if, as disembodied spirits, we could investigate it, we should find its mountains, hills, vales, rivers, lakes and oceans represented by a film of nematodes”. Cobb (1914) The actual number of species of nematode has been estimated to be between 1 million to 100 million species, with a conservative estimate of 1019 free living nematode individuals.
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Mapping biodiversity
In general as the size of an area increases so does the number of species
• 90% reduction in the habitat in Log S = log c + z log A an area will result in the loss of approximately 50% of the S is the number of species that live in that habitat. species A is the area • 99% reduction will lead to the extinction of 75% of the species. z and c are constants
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Mapping biodiversity - hotspots
• High numbers of endemic species, high habitat loss. • 34 hotspots, combined area: 2.3% of Earth’s surface.
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Value of biodiversity
• Direct uses e.g. food, fibres and medicines.
• Indirect uses e.g. ecosystem services such as atmospheric regulation, nutrient cycling and pollination.
• Non-use values: • Option value (for future use or non-use). • Bequest value (in passing on a resource to future generations). • Existence value (value to people irrespective of use or non-use). • Intrinsic value (inherent worth, independent of that placed upon it by humans).
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Value of biodiversity
Relationship between biodiversity, ecosystem function and human well- being
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Value of biodiversity
• Many uses not included in economic accounts leading to biodiversity being under-valued.
• Traditional national accounts do not include measures of the depletion of resources such as mineral deposits, soil nutrients and ecosystem services.
• Depletion shows as positive gain in GDP without registering decline in assets.
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 How much biodiversity is required to maintain ecosystem function?
A B C Eco- system function
Species richness Species richness Species richness
A: Redundancy: there is a minimum number of species required to carry out ecosystem processes and beyond this species are equivalent and their loss of little significance.
B: Rivet-popping: the loss of a few species may have no apparent effect on ecosystem processes but beyond certain thresholds ecosystem services will fail.
C: Idiosyncrasy: species have complex and varied roles so changes in diversity will cause changes in ecosystem functioning where the direction and magnitude of change is unpredictable.
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Loss of biodiversity
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
• Largest assessment of the effect of humans on the Earth’s ecosystems
• Found that over the last 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively that in any comparable period of time in human history and that this has resulted in a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth.
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Main causes of biodiversity loss
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Habitat change
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Habitat change
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Climate change
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Invasive species
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Over-exploitation
Atlantic cod stocksTaxonomy off the Summer east School cost of Newfoundland 1-15 September 2008 Pollution (especially nutrient loading)
Estimated total reactive nitrogen deposition from the atmosphere (wet and dry) in 1860, early 1990s, and projected for 2050 (milligrams of nitrogen per square metre per year), from MEA (2005).
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Conserving biodiversity – what actions can be taken? The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment lists a number of actions that have been at least partly successful in reducing biodiversity loss and can be further strengthened
in the future. Markets for Protected areas Species biodiversity protection Sustainable Ecosystem Slow nutrient agriculture restoration loading Ex situ conservation International In situ agreements conservation Education
Capacity Integrate biodiversity building in development Research Slow climate planning change
Correct markets Eliminate subsidies that fail to include that damage ecosystem ecosystem services services Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Biodiversity and taxonomy
Article 7 of the CBD requires the parties to the Convention to:
• Identify and monitor biological diversity, particularly those aspects important for conservation and sustainable use. • Monitor activity which could have significant adverse impacts on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and to • Maintain and organise data derived from identification and monitoring activities.
COP 3 identified a "taxonomic impediment“ to the delivery of the CBD
The Global Taxonomy Initiative (GTI) was launched in order to try and reverse this impediment.
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Biodiversity and taxonomy
Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC)
“A widely accessible working list of known plant species, as a step towards a complete world flora”. Target 1
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Over-coming the taxonomic impediment - DNA bar-coding
A DNA barcode is a short gene sequence taken from standardized portions of the genome, used to identify species.
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Ten reasons for DNA bar-coding
Works with Works for all New leaves on fragments life stages tree of life
Expertise Reduces goes further ambiguity
Un-masks Democratizes Encyclopaedia look-alikes access of life
Shows Hand-held value of life bar-coder collections
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 DNA bar-coding process
Building the DNA bar-code library • Well-identified specimen • Tissue sub-sample • DNA extraction, PCR amplification • DNA sequencing • Data submission Using the DNA bar-code library • Unidentified specimen • Tissue, DNA, sequencing • Comparison with reference
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Case study: National Botanic Garden of Wales
“The National Botanic Garden of Wales exists to develop a viable world-class national botanic garden dedicated to the research and conservation of biodiversity and its sustainable utilisation, to lifelong learning and to the enjoyment of the visitor”
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Rare Welsh Plants Project
Conserve some of the most threatened plant species in Wales by providing a firm scientific basis for their conservation.
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Welsh flora – DNA bar-coding project
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Waun Las National Nature Reserve
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Plant collections
• Welsh flora
• Mediterranean ecosystems
• Temperate woodland ecosystems
• Medicinal plants
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Education and training
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008 Presenter’s institution logo
[email protected]@domain.xyz
Taxonomy Summer School 1-15 September 2008