EXPLORING BIODIVERSITY: A Guide for Educators Around the World

extinct: refers to a species that no longer exists. Local
extinction occurs when every member of a particular
population has died. Global extinction occurs when
every member of a species has died.
fauna: the animals that live in a particular area.
flora: the plants that live in a particular area.
food chain: a sequence of organisms from producers
(plants and some bacteria) to consumers (other
plants, animals, and fungi), in which the producers
create food energy and all consumers feed on or get
nutrients from the producers or other consumers.
fragmentation: the breaking up of large habitats
into smaller, isolated chunks. Fragmentation is one of
the main forms of habitat destruction, which is the
primary reason biodiversity is in decline.
fungi: organisms that use living or dead organisms as
food by breaking them down and then absorbing the
substances into their cells. Fungi make up one of the
five kingdoms of living things on Earth. Mushrooms,
yeast, and moulds are types of fungi.
gene: a segment of DNA that includes the coded
information in an organism’s cells that makes each
species and individual unique. Genes contain the
hereditary characteristics that are transmitted from
one generation to the next and determine how organisms
look and behave. Genes are responsible for features
such as hair colour and texture and resistance to
disease.
gene bank: a facility that stores genetic material. For
example, gene banks store seeds and other plant parts
for future use.
genetic diversity: the genetic variation present in a
population or species. For example, the genetic diversity
in the hundreds of varieties of potatoes can be
seen by their differences in size, shape, colour, taste,
and rate of growth.
global warming: the theory that the average temperature
of the Earth’s atmosphere is rising mainly
because of the release of “greenhouse gases” such as
carbon dioxide. These gases are released into the air
from burning petrol, oil, coal, wood, and other
resources and trap heat in an action similar to that of
the walls of a greenhouse. Global climate change is a
broader term that describes other changes in the
Earth’s climate beyond average temperature rise.
grassland: an area of land where mostly grasses
grow.
greenhouse effect: the trapping of heat in the
Earth’s atmosphere by certain gases such as carbon
dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane. Some scientists
predict that the rise in atmospheric temperature, sea
level rise, and other changes associated with global
warming could adversely affect biodiversity.
greenhouse gas: gas that traps heat in the Earth’s
atmosphere, causing the greenhouse effect.
habitat: the area where an animal, plant, microorganism,
or other life form lives and finds the
nutrients, water, sunlight, shelter, living space, and
other essentials it needs to survive. Habitat loss,
which includes the destruction, degradation, and
fragmentation of habitats, is the primary cause of
biodiversity loss.
hotspot: a region that contains a high number of
endemic species and has had much of it’s habitat
destroyed. Conservation International has identified
25 such areas that contain more than 60% of terrestrial
species in just 1.4% of the Earth’s surface.
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