Direct drivers of change: Local land use, species introduction or removal, technology adaptation & use, external inputs (e.g. fertiliser use, pest control & irrigation), harvest & resource consumption, natural physical & biological drivers e.g. evolution, volcanoes
Indirect drivers of change: Demographic, economic (globalisation, trade, market & policy framework), science & technology, cultural & religious (e.g. beliefs, consumption choices), climate change.
Can cause biodiversity loss OR gain
The Global Distribution of Biodiversity
- Biodiversity strongly correlated with latitude. Higher levels generally in tropical countries.
- These are nearly all developing countries with less resources to support sophisticated conservation strategies.
- Gradual decrease in biodiversity towards higher latitudes.
- Spatial pattern because of presence or absence of limiting factors controlling primary productivity.
- Anomalies - 'continental island' of Australia which has high levels of endemism.
- Brazil - country with most biodiversity. 55,000 species of flowering plant, 1,635 species of bird & nearly 400 species of mammal. Contains Amazonian (largest rainforest in world) - highest biodiversity
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