At the end of this lesson, the students will be able to: 1. Understand that biodiversity of an ecosystem depends on many interconnected factors and that an effect on one factor can influence all the others. 2. Name three reasons why people should care about the loss of endemic species. Background The biodiversity of an ecosystem is often used as a measure of the health of an ecosystem. The more diverse, the better chance the ecosystem has of adapting to the inevitable changes that impact that ecosystem. Every plant and animal has a job or niche for which it is best suited. The interconnectedne Duration: 60 Minutes.