BIODIVERSITY

AND
BIOTECHNOLOGY

What is
Biodiversity?
the
variety and variability among living

organisms and the ecological complexes in

which they occur

number and variety of species, ecological

systems, and the genetic variability they
contain.

In its narrowest sense biodiversity refers to the

number of species on the planet

How Many Species

Exist?
Some 1.4 to 1.8 million species are "known to
science" -- meaning that they have been
classified by a specialist

Most experts estimate the world's species

diversity at 10 to 30 million, but that is very
approximate
Except for land vertebrates and flowering
plants, the number of undescribed species
greatly exceeds the number described

Number of Known,
Living, SpeciesAmong species
known to science,
the diversity of
insects is
overwhelming in
number. For this
reason, most animal
species live on land,
but more phyla, the
highest level of
classification, live in
the sea.
4

Number of Animal Species

Currently Known

Number of Known Species

of Higher Plants
Plant diversity of the
world consists primarily
of the flowering plants
(angiosperms), which
are divided into the
grasses and other
monocots, and a great
variety of dicots. Most
flowering plants live on
land; algae prevail in
the sea.
6

Threats to Biodiversity
Habitat destruction
Pollution
Species Introductions
Global Climate Change
Exploitation

WHAT CAN BE
DONE???
BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

How can we reduce biodiversity loss?

2 main approaches ecosystem or
species directed:
1. Preventing premature extinction of
species
2. Preserving & restoring ecosystems
which provide habitats and
resources for the worlds species

In situ and Ex situ

Conservation

In situ:
Conservation of species in their natural
habitat
E.g. natural parks, nature reserves
Ex situ:
Conserving species in isolation of their
natural habitat
E.g. zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks,
gene banks, tissue culture

In situ conservation
Setting up wild life
reserves is not just
a matter of building
a fence around an
area and letting it
grow wild

Without grazing animals

heathlands which contain
a number of rare species
will revert to woodland

Nature Reserves and

National Parks
First the area that is suitable for the creation
of a reserve has to be identified and
delimited
This requires surveys to collect data on key
species
Property may have to be expropriated
A legal framework may need to be set up to
control human activities in the area and in
its immediate surroundings
Policing the area may also be necessary

The Advantages of in situ

Conservation
The species will have all the
resources that it is adapted
too
The species will continue to
evolve in their environment
The species have more space
Bigger breeding populations
can be kept
It is cheaper to keep an
organism in its natural
habitat

Seed Banks
Seeds can be maintained for decades or even
centuries if the conditions are controlled
<5% humidity and 20C
Not all species are suited to this treatment
Seeds need to be regularly germinated to renew
stock or the seeds will eventually loose their
viability
Seed banks are at risk from power failure, natural
disasters and war
Duplicate stocks can be maintained
Seeds kept in seed banks do not evolve with
changes in the environment

The doomsday vault Spitzbergen

BBC

Bergen Nat Acc of Arts

Plant Tissue Culture

Restoration Ecology
Restoration ecology applies ecological principles in developing
ways to return degraded areas to natural conditions.
The amount of time required for such natural recovery is more
closely related to the spatial scale of the disturbance than the
type of disturbance.

Natural disturbances such as periodic fires or floods are part of

the dynamics of many ecosystems and need to be considered
in restoration strategies.

What is Bio-Remediation?
Bioremediation is the use of living organisms, usually prokaryotes, fungi, or
plants, to detoxify polluted ecosystems.

Bio-remediation allows natural processes to clean up harmful chemicals in the

environment

Microbes in the soil and groundwater digest harmful chemicals found in

gasoline and oil spills
The byproducts of microbe digestion is water and simpler compounds that do
not affect the environment

IS BIO-REMEDIATION SAFE?
Bio-remediation is very safe because it relies on
microbes that naturally occur in soil

NO chemicals are used in Bio-remediation

Nutrients are added to the soil to kick-start microbial

activity

The nutrients we add are commonly used on lawns

and gardens

MICROBES

Water Surface Clean-up

BOOMS: Contain and
concentrate
the spill to
make
collection
easier

SKIMMERS: Skimmer
boats/truck
s skim
spilled oil
from the
water
surface or
beaches

PADS:

BURNING:

Sorbent pads
are useful on oil
sheens and thin
slicks that are
too scattered
for skimming

In-situ or inplace burning

of freshly spilled
oil, usually while
its floating on
the water

PHYTOREMEDIATION

Sub-processes of Phytoremediation
Phytoextraction - plants remove dangerous elements or compounds
from soil or water, most usually heavy metals, metals that have a high
density and may be toxic to organisms even at relatively low
concentrations.

Phytodegradation is the degradation of the pollutant into less toxic

forms. It can occur in the rhizosphere or through uptake into the plant.

Phytostabilization immobilizes the heavy metals in soil. This can be

accomplished by decreasing wind-blown dust, minimizing soil erosion,
and reducing contaminant solubility or bioavailability to the food chain.