Biosphere, Biodiversity and Human Impact
The biosphere is a connected living system, so local changes can have wider consequences. This lesson examines biodiversity at several levels, the benefits functioning ecosystems provide, major human pressures, and evidence-based approaches to conservation and restoration.
Learning goals
- define the central terms precisely
- connect molecular, organismal and population evidence
- apply the ideas to unfamiliar biological cases
Core concepts
The biosphere is the global system formed by all ecosystems and the parts of Earth where life exists.
Biodiversity includes variation within genes, among species, and among ecosystems.
Ecosystem services are benefits people obtain from functioning ecosystems, including food, clean water, pollination, climate regulation, and cultural value.
Habitat fragmentation divides a continuous habitat into smaller isolated patches, often reducing movement and gene flow.
Conservation is the planned protection and sustainable management of biodiversity, habitats, and ecological processes.
Ecological restoration assists recovery of a damaged ecosystem by rebuilding native structure, processes, and resilience.