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Why Is Biodiversity Important- A Primer
from:Any number of people want to know “Why is biodiversity important?” One answer is that is important because it represents the almost infinite variety of plant and animal life, and the variety of the types of Earth's ecosystems that support life as we know it. It enables humans to survive in what would be otherwise be some very adverse conditions.
Any study of “why is biodiversity important” can yield fascinating results. Biodiversity is the very stuff that supports the evolution and differentiation among the varying species. It's why cats are cats and horses are horses and humans are humans. And, further, it is responsible for the differences among groups within the larger species. Look at how many seemingly different types of humans there are. Or jungle cats. Or birds.
Water, wind, and sunlight generate much of the energy we use, and the action of the planet on various substances over the course of centuries create and provide things like coal, which is used to generate heat and more energy. Energy from wind, water, sunlight, and coal heats our homes and powers all our appliances Decaying animal matter has, over the centuries created the fossil fuels we use on a daily basis to power the vehicles that make transportation relatively easy and convenient.
Without biodiversity we would be (if we existed at all) a homogeneous population, with each of us having the same vulnerabilities. This would mean that in, say an epidemic, we would all be killed since there would be no biologic differences that would enable some of us to survive and adapt. Much of our modern medicine is based on combinations of biologically diverse substances isolated from various plants (which we, therefore, label medicinal). Even before the rise of modern medicine, shamans and wise women used various plants to achieve various results. Without those plants, and the great variety of insects that pollinate and cross-pollinate them, humans would be much more vulnerable to disease.
Various industries consider the question of “why is biodiversity important,” because their industries provide lumber, granite, and marble – to name a few of the building materials much human habitation depends upon – we would largely be without shelter.
While humans are omnivorous, without biodiversity there would be virtually no variety in our diets. One reason to ask “why is biodiversity important?” is because biodiversity provides a literal treasure trove of foods, from things as common as wheat or corn to things as exotic as some of the seafood used in sushi. Further, not all the nutrients we need are in any particular food, so without a diverse base of foods to make combinations from our general health would suffer.
The most important reason for asking “why is biodiversity important?” is that biodiversity sustains the bodies we live in, and affects the lives we lead, and the societies we form.
Forests And Biodiversity News
Absence of elephants and rhinoceroses reduces biodiversity in tropical forests
The progressive disappearance of seed-dispersing animals like elephants and rhinoceroses puts the structural integrity and biodiversity of the tropical forest of South-East Asia at risk. Experts have confirmed that not even herbivores like tapirs can replace them. Megaherbivores act as the 'gardeners' of humid tropical forests: They are vital to forest regeneration and maintain its structure and ...
Read more...The absence of elephants and rhinoceroses reduces biodiversity in tropical forests
The progressive disappearance of seed-dispersing animals like elephants and rhinoceroses puts the structural integrity and biodiversity of the tropical forest of South-East Asia at risk. With the help of Spanish researchers, an international team of experts has confirmed that not even herbivores like tapirs can replace them.
Read more...Marine Biodiversity
ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PIA) - Marine Biodiversity Day in Western Visayas today will be highlighted by the importance of protecting, conserving, and managing the region's marine life. Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 6 (DENR-6) executive director Julian Amador said Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officers (PENRO) here have undergone four-day training on ...
Read more...Cardamon cultivation impacting tropical forests
Cultivation of cardamom, a high value spice crop, can take a toll on evergreen forests in tropical countries, independent studies in Sri Lanka and India have shown. Apart from disturbing biodiversity, cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), plantations affect water and soil quality in tropical forests, the studies said. Researchers from Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom studying abandoned cardamom ...
Read more...Biodiversity: Invasive barred owls displacing endangered native northern spotted owls in Pacific Northwest forests
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service plans experimental removal of barred owls By Summit Voice SUMMIT COUNTY — Invasive barred owls are increasingly taking up residence in northwestern forests at the expense of native — and endangered — norther spotted owls, according to a research project conducted jointly by the Oregon State University and the U.S. [...]
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