Activity #3: Biodiversity Hotspots
Materials: None
STEP 1: Now that you’ve explored the different types of relationships that exist in ecosystems—like predation, mutualism, and competition—it’s time to zoom out and look at the big picture: where these interactions are most at risk. Some areas on Earth, called biodiversity hotspots, have more species packed into them than almost anywhere else, but they are also under serious threat. These places matter not just because of the number of living things they hold, but because the loss of biodiversity in these regions can have huge ripple effects on global ecosystems—including our own lives. Watch the videos below and complete the summaries in your workbook.
STEP 2: Click the Google Earth link here to take a virtual journey with marine biologists as they explore the Costa Rica Thermal Dome—an ocean region known as a biodiversity hotspot. Click “Hop Aboard,” then use the Table of Contents in the bottom left corner and the videos and text on the right to guide your learning (see image below). As you explore, take notes in your workbook. Record a few things you learned about marine biodiversity, why this area is important, and how scientists are working to protect it.
STEP 3: As you have learned, biodiversity hotspots are areas with a high number of unique species that are under serious threat. In this activity, keeping with the theme in the previous activity activity, you’ll explore four of the world’s major biodiversity hotspots using Google Earth. You’ll investigate the ecosystems, species, and threats in each region, then compare what you found. Follow the steps below and record all of observations as outlined in your workbook.
- Open Google Earth.
- Use the search bar to explore these four biodiversity hotspots show below:
- As you investigate each location, pay close attention to the landforms, ecosystems, and visible signs of human activity. Consider how each place supports—or threatens—biodiversity based on what you see.
- For each hotspot, answer the following in your workbook:
- What types of ecosystems or landforms do you see in this hotspot?
- What signs of human activity are present?
- How might these physical features support or threaten biodiversity?
- Do you notice any natural barriers that could isolate species?
- Based on what you see, how might this hotspot compare to others?
- Use the Google Earth Time-Lapse feature to view changes in each region over time. What kinds of changes do you notice (e.g., deforestation, coastline shifts, urban development)? How might these changes impact biodiversity.