Different Facets of Biodiversity

About this talk

What are the main facets of biodiversity? How do they overlap in our understanding of our ecosystems? In this talk, Katie Smirnova considers the role of taxonomical, functional and phylogenetic facets on biodiversity and how this can inform policy and action taken to preserve different species. Katie Smirnova also explores the conflict between land sharing and land sparing in how we ensure steady production of crops and maintain wildlife-friendly spaces in nature. This talk will be particularly interesting for those considering biology, chemistry, geography and politics.

Scroll down to watch the video, as well as some further resources if you found the talk interesting!

Have a go at the task set by Katie Smirnova!

Follow this link here to the Venn diagrams about climate change.  Download the Venn Diagram and fill out each section to see what the perfect climate action policy is for you.

When completing this task, think about what you are already doing and how you can expand on this to produce an even better plan for fighting climate change.

You can also find examples of how other people filled out the Venn diagram to get inspiration, by going to their Instagram which you can find here.

Further resources:

To learn more about the movement to restore nature’s biodiversity, watch this TedTalk by Thomas Crowther, through following this link here. This may be particularly useful for more visual learners, but a transcript is also available.

The National History Museum has also put together an amazing page on biodiversity, for anyone looking for an introduction into this topic. They also go into detail on recent extinctions and the causes. You can find the page by following this link here

For a more academically challenging resources, have a look at this article on Phylogenetic, functional, and taxonomic richness have both positive and negative effects on ecosystem multifunctionality. This article discusses how the different facets of biodiversity are declining at different paces and what that means for the different ecosystems across the world. We recommend having a read of the abstract first to see if your prior level of understanding would make this an enjoyable resource for you. You can access it here.

Katie Smirnova
Katie Smirnova

Katie Smirnova is researching an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management at the University of Oxford, having previously completed a BSc in Environmental Science at Trinity College, Dublin. Katie Smirnova is passionate about the important of transdisciplinary research and methods being used to better understand climate change and the preservation of biodiversity, as well as the role of farm forestry.

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