BIO205H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Biogeography, Species Richness, Northern Range
Document Summary
Conclusion: pas essential in mitigating retraction of northern species and facilitating northward expansions of some southern species: may help mitigate biodiversity loss. Habitat fragmentation: plants/sessile organisms may be disproportionately affected: cannot respond quickly to the altered spatial configuration, reciprocal impact on vegetation and animals, e. g. brown spider monkeys in colombia. Habitat corridors: critical for the maintenance of ecological processes including allowing for the movement of animals and the continuation of viable populations . Landscape level: # of biomes in a given region. Monitoring biodiversity of a region can be difficult. Integration of all levels of analysis leads to complex, conflicting descriptors. The loss of species: regardless of metric, biodiversity is declining, public attention often on charismatic endangered species. N. c. natural heritage program monitors 1 bird, 2 salamander, 4 fish, 7 mollusk, 6 insect, 35 plant species: Not all these spp. are endangered/critically endangered. Some rare species in n. c. are common elsewhere.
