Biodiversity: Plant and Animal Life - Lab Report Example

The paper "Biodiversity: Plant and Animal Life" is a wonderful example of a biology assignment.After you have looked at several definitions, define biodiversity in your own words. Biodiversity is the variation and variety of the different species of, both, plant and animal life, which exist within specific habitats, environments, and all over the world. 2. There are many reasons why scientists are concerned about the loss of species. What do you personally think is the most important reason why we should be concerned with the loss of species?

Absolutely extinction is the greatest concern involved with the loss of species. Extinction cannot be repaired, it is permanent (Conservation International). With that permanent loss leaves a hole in nature, which can be disruptive to other species and to the balance of their natural ecosystem. Too much loss of species certain environments may become unstable and collapse. 3. Give the definitions of endangered and threatened species, and compare the two categories. There are certain differences between endangered and threatened species.

A threatened species is defined as any species that will likely face the likelihood of extinction in the near or foreseeable future. Once they obtain that status there are certain protections under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). An Endangered species is identified in that it is currently facing extinction in one or all of its natural environments or range. These species are protected under a different portion of the ESA, sections 9 and 10, which protect the species from hunting, killing, or interfering in the habitat of these particular species (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). 4. Arctic regions and tropical regions differ in their numbers of endangered and threatened species.

Find and record the number of endangered and threatened species in Alaska and Hawaii. Why do you think that there is such a difference in numbers? There are 16 native species that are presently endangered or threatened native to Alaska. In Hawaii that number is more than 4 times that amount, 68 native species are threatened and endangered in Hawaii (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service). The most logical reason for the extreme difference in those results has to do with the presence of man. Alaska is more sparsely populated than Hawaii, which has a larger population and an immense amount of tourism. 5. Describe three different threats to biodiversity.

What do you think is the most serious threat to biodiversity? Defend your answer. The threats to biodiversity are all interconnected in a way, each one is serious and none are necessarily a greater threat than any other. Some of these threats include extinction, pollution, and climate change. Each one of these threats is caused primarily by mankind. Extinction will deprive nature of biodiversity and destroy irreplaceable life, pollution devastates species and environments with permanent ramifications, and finally climate change will make certain environments too different for life, both plant and animal, to adapt to these changes which, of course, will continue contributing to the extinction of species (United Nations Environment Programme).

All are interconnected. 6. What is deforestation and why is it dangerous? Deforestation is the clearing away and tearing down of the world’s rainforests and other forested areas. Deforestation can be either unintentional or intentional, but in most cases the greatest impact is mankind. Farming and logging are the largest industries to cause deforestation. Deforestation is harmful to the environment because the loss of forest causes the displacement of many species that call the environment home, it contributes to climate change, which can be harmful to the plants and animals that must adapt quickly, and finally it deprives the world of trees which absorb much of the greenhouse gases that pollute the environment (National Geographic). 7. After looking at both Borneo and the Amazon, choose the species that you would be most interested in seeing.

What makes this species interesting to you? Honestly, all of the animals that exist in these environments would be a treat to see; orangutans, monkeys, fish, reptiles, jaguars, and sloths (World Wildlife Fund). However, if forced to choose it would be the Elephants in Borneo and the Pink Dolphins of the Amazon. Elephants are incredibly intelligent and unique species that has always held fascination. Dolphins are, also, incredibly intelligent, and are fascinating species in any environment worth seeing