See the Bigger Picture

[science_spot]

Biodiversity is a big word with a giant meaning. Biological Diveristy (abbreviated biodiversity) is the variation among organisms found in any given setting.  This description has been broken down into three sections - genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity.  Total diversity is a measurment of the health of the Earth, with higher diversity being more healthy than lesser diversity.  This is one reason that eradication of species through global warming is of such concern.

If you take a moment today to look at the world around you, you will see a very diverse environment.  I have been writing alot about wildflowers lately, and on our more recent walk this past weekend, it became clear to me that biodiversityis another topic that can easily be taught through the study of wildflowers. We took a 1 mile walk through a nature preserve near my house, and found 3 new species we had not seen on previous walks.  During the walk, I counted 32 species I could identify, from the foot-path.  I can imagine there are many more deeper in the woods.  Compound that with the many species of trees, insects, shrubs, plants, animals and birds.  There are easily a thousand different species right there, within 5 miles of my home!

Not only is each of these species unique, but their interaction with their environment and other species is unique.  This complex set of interactions among various species is what makes up an ecosystem - all of these species depend on each other to keep the balance in an ecosystem.  I wrote previously about endangered species, and how in some cases, the introduction of one species can cause the rapid decline in another.  This is not always a bad thing, since our Earth and ecosystems are always changing.  However, a massive change in the environment affecting many species at once could cause a rapid collapse of the entire ecosystem.

For more information about Biodiversity and what you can do to help, check out the Center for Biodiversity. Another great site, which is easier to read and enjoy, is See The Bigger Picture.  They have a fabulous photo contest for kids running until September 8th.  This is a great way to introduce the topic to your kids and make it fun too!

Enjoy looking at these Top Ten New Species, including the longest insect (14"!), smallest seahorse, and a ghost slug that sucks up worms.

Thanks to our classification system, we can easily show relationships between species based on simlarity of traits.

 

It deserves to be mentioned that the more diverse our surroundings are, the  more interesting they are!  I could not imagine a world without the many flowers, trees, insects and animals all around us.  Observing mother nature in all her diverse glory is one of my favorite (free) pastimes I enjoy with my daughters!  On our short exploratory mission last night, Abby caught 2 slugs, a worm, a cricket, a tiny snail and a monstrous mosquito.  We missed catching a monarch butterfly, a sandfly and a random small bug that looked like a flea because they were too fast for us.  Her most amazing catch is the brown dragonfly she caught out of mid-air the day we went to the nature preserve!  WOW KID!

 

Tonya

AKA sunmoonstars

The Science Spot

 

 

 

 

[You_Are_Invited]

Sep. 2, 2009 at 1:38 AM

Do we really need to know that a 14" insect exists in the world?

Cool post as always!

[science_spot]

Sep. 2, 2009 at 6:01 AM

that was my favorite part :D

(Original Poster)