Welcome

Welcome to Module 10 of this course.

Introduction

In this module, you will explore conservation biology and biodiversity. Biodiversity exists at multiple levels of organization, and is measured in different ways depending on the goals of those taking the measurements. These include numbers of species, genetic diversity, chemical diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

You will learn why biodiversity is important to human life. Humans use many compounds that were first discovered or derived from living organisms as medicines: secondary plant compounds, animal toxins, and antibiotics produced by bacteria and fungi. More medicines are expected to be discovered in nature. Loss of biodiversity will impact the number of pharmaceuticals available to humans. Biodiversity may provide important psychological benefits to humans.

You will discover threats to biodiversity. The core threats to biodiversity are human population growth and unsustainable resource use. To date, the most significant causes of extinction are habitat loss, introduction of exotic species, and overharvesting.

You will learn how to preserve biodiversity. Preserving biodiversity is an extraordinary challenge that must be met by greater understanding of biodiversity itself, changes in human behavior and beliefs, and various preservation strategies.

Course Navigation

To navigate through this module, use the "next" and "previous" buttons located at the bottom of the page.

Score a 100% on the CYK Quizzes. You may take these quizzes as many times as needed to score 100%. Turn in any mastery assignment, discussion post and/or module quiz before moving to the next module. The content in the following module will remain locked until all assignments are turned in for this module.

Getting Started

Review the module introduction and outcomes to help you gain an understanding of the main topics and expectations.
Work through each lesson in this module and complete the Check Your Knowledge activity.
Complete the Module Quiz on this page once all lessons are finished in full.

Module 10 Objectives

After completing this Module, you will be able to:

Identify the elements of biodiversity, including methods of cataloging biodiversity, types of species, and areas of higher biodiversity.
Identify and apply the impacts of biodiversity on human life.
Identify the types of threats to biodiversity.
Describe how biodiversity is being preserved.

Assignment Summary

Lesson CYK Quizzes
Module 10 - Quiz
Module 10 - Mastery Assignment 3 Quiz
Module 10 - Mastery Assignment: Lab Report 3