Learning Activity 10, Becca Hodge

  1. Choose a specific ecosystem. Explain the connection between biodiversity and this ecosystem in around 250 words.
  2. Make a system diagram to show how this connection is formed.I chose the temperate broadleaf forest for my ecosystem. This ecosystem exists where I live, in Pennsylvania. Biodiversity and the ecosystem are closely related in the way that they depend on one another. In the ecocentric aspect, biodiversity is vital because of the intrinsic values that the different components of the ecosystem benefit from. These benefits include things such as shelter, food, and competition to keep individual populations under control. To further expand on this, biodiversity, or “a measure of variation and richness of living organisms at a particular scale”, of the temperate broadleaf forest would be the incredible number or insects, the variation in vegetation, and the of animal species, from deer to bears. In terms of competition, foxes and hawks both eat small rodents like mice and rabbits, so because of this, they keep the other’s populations in check. As for anthropocentric reasons for the importance of biodiversity, this is centered on what humans can get out of the ecosystem. The temperate broadleaf forest provides lumber, recreation, water resources, as well as food. As far as the connection between biodiversity and this ecosystem in terms of anthropocentric reasons, the more biodiversity, the more options humans have to benefit from the ecosystem. However, the inclusion of humans to the ecosystem means that there is a higher the chance of disruption to the ecosystem. Although there are natural disturbances as well, human disturbances, like cutting down trees, or polluting the water source, can put both the ecosystem and the amount of biodiversity, in limbo.biodiversity Rebecca Hodge

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