Most people recognize biodiversity by species. A species is a group of living organisms that
can interbreed. Examples of species include blue whales, white - tailed deer, white pine trees,
sunflowers and microscopic bacteria that you cannot even see with your eye. Biodiversity
Let’s look at the species biodiversity within a local pond. At first glance, we can identify
different plants, including cattails and water lilies. If we wait a while, we might be able to spot
a garter snake, a bullfrog or maybe a red-winged blackbird. With a closer look, you can see
invertebrates and worms under leaves, on grasses and in the pond water. Species diversity is only
one part of biodiversity. To properly catalogue all the life on Earth, we also have to recognize
the genetic diversity that exists within species as well as the diversity of entire habitats and
ecosystems. Species diversity is an index that incorporates the number of species in an area and also
their relative abundance. It is a more comprehensive value than species richness.
in the genetic makeup of a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes
the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary. Genetic Biodiversity is the variation in genes that
exists within a species. Genetic diversity plays a very important role in survival and adaptability
of a species because when specie’s environment changes, slight gene variations are necessary
to produce changes in the organisms' anatomy that enables it to adapt and survive. A species
that has a large degree of genetic diversity among its population will have more variations from
which to choose the fit alleles. Increase in genetic diversity is also essential for a species to
variation within the species, healthy reproduction becomes increasingly difficult, and offspring
often deal with similar problems to those of inbreeding. The vulnerability of a population to
certain types of diseases can also increase with reduction in genetic diversity.
essence, it’s the variety of ways that species interact with each other and their environment.
The forests of Maine differ from the forests of Colorado by the types of species found in both
ecosystems, as well as the temperature and rainfall. These two seemingly similar ecosystems
have a lot of differences that make them both special.
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- Biodiversity allows us to live healthy and happy lives. It provides us with an array of foods and materials and it contributes to the economy. Without a diversity of pollinators, plants, and soils, our supermarkets would have a lot less produce.
- Most medical discoveries to cure diseases and lengthen life spans were made because of research into plant and animal biology and genetics. Every time a species goes extinct or genetic diversity is lost, we will never know whether research would have given us a new vaccine or drug.
- Biodiversity is an important part of ecological services that make life livable on Earth.They include everything from cleaning water and absorbing chemicals, which wetlands do, to providing oxygen for us to breathe—one of the many things that plants do for people.
- Biodiversity allows for ecosystems to adjust to disturbances like extreme fires and floods. If a reptile species goes extinct, a forest with 20 other reptiles is likely to adapt better than another forest with only one reptile.
- Genetic diversity prevents diseases and helps species adjust to changes in their environment.
- Simply for the wonder of it all. There are few things as beautiful and inspiring as the diversity of life that exists on Earth.
Extinction is a natural part of life on Earth. Over the history of the planet most of the species
that ever existed, evolved and then gradually went extinct. Species go extinct because of natural
shifts in the environment that take place over long periods of time, such as ice ages.
Today, species are going extinct at an accelerated and dangerous rate, because of non-natural
environmental changes caused by human activities. Some of the activities have direct effects on
species and ecosystems, such as:
- Habitat loss/ degradation
- Over exploitation (such as overfishing)
- Spread of Non-native Species/ Diseases
Some human activities have indirect but wide-reaching effects on biodiversity, including:
- Climate change
- Pollution
All of these threats have put a serious strain on the diversity of species on Earth. According
to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), globally about one third of all
known species are threatened with extinction. That includes 29% of all amphibians, 21% of
all mammals and 12% of all birds. If we do not stop the threats to biodiversity, we could befacing another mass extinction with dire consequences to the environment and human health and
livelihood.
The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity is commonly referred to as biodiversity.
The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes
in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral
reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth. Appropriate conservation and sustainable
development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach. Almost all
cultures have in some way or form recognized the importance that nature, and its biological
diversity has had upon them and the need to maintain it.
