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Course: Biodiversity | California Academy of Sciences > Unit 3
Lesson 1: Biodiversity Hotspots- What is a biodiversity hotspot?
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: California
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Galapagos
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Gaoligongshan
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Madagascar
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Mesoamerica
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Philippines
- Biodiversity hotspot case study: Sao Tomé
- A closer look at a California hotspot area
- Test your knowledge: biodiversity hotspots
- Exploration questions: biodiversity hotspots
- Activities: biodiversity hotspots
- Glossary: biodiversity hotspots
- Selected references: biodiversity hotspots
- Answers to the exploration questions: biodiversity hotspots
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Biodiversity hotspot case study: California
Created by California Academy of Sciences.
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- Great video! I have a question (2 parts). What environmental factors contribute to the high biodiversity in California? Is it because it's next to the coast? But even so, it's not the only state next to a coast, is it?
And it was mentioned @1:26that more than half of America's agriculture is grown in California. I am curious as to what factors actually contributed to this fertility in soil found there perhaps, that this particular place was chosen for agriculture instead of other states in US?
Thanks!(3 votes)- 1) Climate generally plays a large role. If you have a climate that is hospitable to many different types of organisms, many different types of organisms will naturally take root and thrive! Not only does California have a large coastline, it is also very warm and sunny, which many organisms prefer.
2) Not sure. I'm no expert, but I'd say the climate, and biodiversity in terms of plants that help fertilize the soil when they die may play a role.(1 vote)
- How did California get different types of soil instead of different areas?(2 votes)
- Thank you so much in teaching Biodiversity to us I have a huge question .What can I do in my life to help Biodiversity ? and how can we prevent damage to our planet as being medically ill I know that life is really important we live on a huge lot in a city and my family has planted lots of trees ,Bushes ,Hedges ,Trees plants etc. in fact we have rabbits ,squirrels plus a great view of nature in our home I guess I am wondering is planting trees etc. help create more biodiversity in the places that we live and what is the most simplest things that I can do as a person that could help improve the quality of our planet?(1 vote)
- This just shows how important it is to stop the drought thats happening there.(1 vote)
- what is the major threats in california floristic(1 vote)
- Because, Vincent...this is a lecture video, not an activity based lesson. Is that accurate, Khan people?(1 vote)
- Totally accurate ron.kantor. Guys this isn't math-you would know that if you watched the video. This is a nature lecture. There are no problems to solve.(1 vote)
- In the time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9W0Uqi4Y58#t=55 , there is a black spot on the top right? Is this a Biodiversity Hotspot?(1 vote)
- Good question! I think the black spot you're seeing on the map is actually Lake Tahoe, not a biodiversity hotspot.(1 vote)
- Interesting. I'm not sure this hotspot includes San Bernardino county, where I live. I garden a bit, mostly vegetables, but I would be very interested in including edible and pollinator attracting native plants, which I would think is a good way to protect said biodiversity. Where can I look to get more details on what should be growing in my area?(1 vote)
- Yes, San Bernardino County is in the California Floristic Province Biodiversity Hot Spot that includes the region between Oregon and Northern Mexico. Here's the link & map… http://goo.gl/PMzs8d.(1 vote)
- Where do they foucus on Biodlversity Hotspots? And how do they do it?(1 vote)
- Conservation International does a lot of work to study and protect biodiversity hotspots. To learn more, visit: http://www.conservation.org/How/Pages/Hotspots.aspx(1 vote)
- at1:25why is there so many dang cars?(0 votes)
- It's a city, that's why there's so many cars.(2 votes)
Video transcript
- My name's Rebecca Johnson and I am a Citizen Science Coordinator. The California Floristic Province which is actually mostly California, some of Oregon and a little
bit of Baja California, are considered a biodiversity hot spot because of the huge
number of endemic plants that are found in this area. It actually reall starts with the geology. We have this amazing
different soils and rock types because of our amazing tectonic history and everything that had to
happen to construct California. So different soils and different geology allow for different plants to grow. It makes different things
that are found only here. 60% of the plants in the
California Floristic Province are endemics, the amazing
diversity of plants brings birds that might spend most of the year somewhere else here to feed certain times of year. Or brings them to places
like the Farallon Islands to nest certain times of year. So they rely on parts of California for one part of their life cycle but they're not found only here. It's one of the only hot
spots in North America. It's one of the only hot
spots in the developed world. You don't have to go to the Philippines or to Madagascar or to
a tropical rainforest to experience one of the
most diverse places on Earth. Millions of people live in California, it's the center for many many things, and it's one of the most
biodiverse areas in the world. One half of all things that people in the United States eat
are grown in California. In California about 75%
of the original habitat that supported those plants has been lost due to agricultural and other
modifications by humans. That's what makes it a
biodiversity hot spot that has lots of species and things that are found nowhere else on Earth and they're under great threat. I don't think people always know that. Explaining that to people and making sure they know that is really important. The more people know and care about it, the more they'll think
about their everyday actions and how that might affect
the biodiversity around them. What we do, and what we can
do in our everyday lives make a really big difference
in the global biodiversity. And if we care about
it and we recognize it and see it then we can make a difference.