Factors Determining Biodiversity at Different Spatial Temporal Scales

Three levels are used to explore biodiversity. The three levels involve the genetic, ecosystem, and species diversity. The complex earth’s life is born from these three levels (1). Ecosystem diversity means different ecosystems at a particular place. Ecosystem refers to organisms living in a community within a specific physical environment while interacting. The existence of biological and physical processes in spatial-temporal scales causes their dynamic interaction. A good example is the analysis of factors leading to the variation in the stability and the morphology of intertidal sediment shore. Coupling of muddy flats to salty marshes can also be an example (2). Source: http://www. coastalwiki. Climate change makes difficult for organisms to adapt to particular set environmental conditions, causing species to fall outside their climatic niche.

Ecological niche opposes the direct change of species; hence we shall refer to the climatic niche species. Adaptive responses are needed by individual species to survive, provided by two category mechanisms. When analyzing plastic and genetic responses, the crucial question is whether the species will be able to adapt fast to keep in touch with the rapid climatic change. Whatever the king of the adaptive response, the mechanisms happen due to micro-evolution (genetic mutation enabling species to fit into the new environmental conditions) or plasticity (a short-term response in organism’s lifetime). nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC3880584/ Accessed April 18, 2018. Species can track the right space conditions and follow them, done through dispersion. Other relevant means include shifting from one habitat to another, either locally or globally.

There are spatial shifts seen on a regional scale in search of a better climatic condition. It involves physiological changes to enable tolerance to the changes. It is less seen than time and space. A good example is the temperature sensitive sex, reproduction, and growth aspects in ectotherms. Physiological limits exist like body size which can’t change indefinitely in an environmental change which is sustainable. In such situation, the active selection is the key to cope with the climatic change. However, the Nile Perch has eaten various native fish species of Lake Victoria and can lead to their extinction. Exotic beetle in North America has destroyed a large number of Elm trees from the disease it carries called the Dutch Elm.

Ash tree borer called the exotic emerald has destroyed hundreds of million ash trees. The purple loosestrife is destroying native wetland vegetation, stressing the ecosystems of the wetlands. Since the year 1600, scientists have approximated that at least half of the completely lost species on earth are caused by introduced species. Fragmentation is the division of species’ populations and ecosystems isolated, small, and unsustainable parcels. It causes loss of biodiversity through increasing the population’s vulnerability to stressors and other factors like a disease. The habitats become too small for species survival. Habitats are also destroyed by pollutants like pesticides, acid rains, herbicides, and fertilizers. Overexploitation The term overexploitation refers to the harvesting of species at a higher rate than the population’s ability to replenish itself.