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From Ants to Grizzlies: A General Rule for Saving Biodiversity

Topic

  • Ecology
  • Communities
  • Environmental Science
  • Human Population & Impacts
  • Conservation

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Short Films

Level

Middle/Junior HighHigh School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:18:05
Saved By
111 Users
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Description

This film explores the species-area relationship, a general ecological rule that describes how the number of species in a habitat changes with area, and shows how it has been applied to the conservation of protected areas.

Habitats are shrinking and becoming more fragmented due to human activities, leading to the loss of many species. One tool that scientists are using to conserve Earth's remaining biodiversity is the species-area relationship. The film begins with the story of ant biologist E. O. Wilson, who observed and tested the species-area relationship on islands. It then shows how Wilson's findings have been expanded and applied to "islands" on land, including habitat fragments in the Amazon rainforest and Rocky Mountains. These studies have revealed the importance of preserving and connecting protected areas for wildlife.

The “Abbreviated Film Guide” provides a short summary of the film, including key concepts.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

Key Terms

Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project (BDFFP), equilibrium, habitat fragmentation, island biogeography, protected area, species-area relationship, species richness, wildlife corridor, Yellow to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y)

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

Video files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 06.10.19
Date Updated 12.17.21

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2.A, HS-LS2.C, HS-LS4.D, HS-ETS1.B

AP Biology (2019)

SYI-2

IB Biology (2016)

4.1, C.1, C.2, C.3, C.4

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.1, 2.3, 2.6, 9.9, 9.10

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

2.1, 2.2, 3.3, 3.4

Vision and Change (2009)

CC5

Materials

Download HD (M4V) 679 MB
Download HD (WMV) 570 MB
Download SD (M4V) 151 MB
Download SD (WMV) 154 MB
Download Transcript (PDF) 244 KB
Download Abbreviated Film Guide (PDF) 264 KB

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Activity for From Ants to Grizzlies
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