Biodiversity

The world is a diverse place. There are over 400,000 species of beetles, 8,000 species of reptiles and an estimated 1.5 million different species that populate this planet. The number of species that live in a particular area is a measure of its biodiversity. Diverse ecosystems tend to be healthier and more stable than less diverse systems. In this program, students will conduct a short biophysical inventory in two different areas to examine the variety of life. Using field guides and dichotomous keys, they will attempt to identify as many species as possible and they will collectively make a determination which area is the most diverse.