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Biodiversity affects everyone on earth, including you!

Biodiversity Affects Everyone on Earth, Including You!

In my introductory post, I mentioned the benefits of biodiversity to the world, but today we’re going to go more indepth about how much it actually affects the health and well-being of humans.

I think you understand how important biodiversity is by now and why we need to protect it, but there’s more. Biodiversity is the web of life; It’s what keeps the earth together and everyone depends on biodiversity for survival. In other words, we all have a job to do in a bigger system, whether you know it or not. We rely on our environment to give us the natural resources to survive.

Did you know that we only have the medications and biotechnology that we do today because of biodiversity? For example, erythromycin, is an antibiotic used to treat bacterial infections and comes from tropical soil fungi (2). Also, many cultures in Asia use traditional medicines derived from plants. An example that hits close to home for me is my grandmother in Vietnam. She has to take a lot of medications for her high blood pressure conditions (and other illnesses) and all of her medicine are plant based. If the biodiversity of the planet dies out, how will my grandma and others in similar situations get the help and medication that they need?

The ecosystem provides humans with everyday resources like water, vegetation, shelter, clean air and so much more. However, mankind doesn’t seem to be considerate of these gifts. People don’t seem to understand that if we are destroying biodiversity through man made ways such as deforestation, greenhouse gases, and pollution, we are technically destroying the future of mankind as well.

Photo: http://userscontent2.emaze.com/images/94bd9d4d-3b17-4e0c-9b8e-be23eaab44cc/9101e59d-fdd2-4319-be40-9c7a76dab0b9.jpg

With every passing day that humans pollute the planet, the more at risk we are. Improvements have been made in the past years, but we are still continuing to alter the natural flow of our ecosystem in a negative way. There are many threats to biodiversity and not only do they affect the nature around us, they affect human health as well. There is still so much left to do to save the planet if we want future generations to have a sustainable life. Despite this, I still have hope that we can do it if everyone gets educated and works together. Doing big things like restoring forests helps a ton, but you can also help the planet from the comfort of your own home. Check out one of my previous blog posts called, “How can you help protect biodiversity?” where I give you 5 tips on the little things that you can do to help. Remember that progress is progress, no matter how small.

This is my last post on this blog. I hope that you were able to learn as much about biodiversity as I did.

ESPM Guru signing off!  

Sources:

1. Alho, Cleber J. R. “The importance of biodiversity to human health: an ecological Perspective.” Estudos Avançados, Instituto de Estudos Avançados da Universidade de São Paulo, www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0103-40142012000100011&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en.

2. “Erythromycin Uses, Dosage & Side Effects.” Drugs.com, Drugs.com, www.drugs.com/erythromycin.html.

3. “How does Biodiversity loss affect me and everyone else?” WWF, wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/biodiversity/biodiversity_and_you/.

4. “The importance of biodiversity to human health.” Co-Operation on Health and Biodiversity, Oct. 2010.

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A new hope for the Amazon Rainforest

Photo: Wikipedia

The Amazon Rainforest is the home to more than half of the world’s species of animals, insects, and plants and is about 2.1 million square miles, most of it residing in Brazil. It’s clear that the forest has A LOT of biodiversity and being known as the ‘Lungs of the Planet’, the Amazon contributes to more than 20% of the world’s oxygen (1). In previous years, the amazon has been the victim of deforestation and droughts, which has killed off a lot of vegetation. Today it’s only at 80% of what it was before. Efforts have been made in the past to restore the forest, and deforestation rates have gone down in recent years, but the Amazon still remains on the blacklist.

Photo: S3.amazonaws.com/mongabay/colombia/600/colombia_0061.jpg

Photo: sites.psu.edu/endangeredenvironment/wp-content/uploads/sites/38849/2016/02/Deforestation.jpg

The pictures above show the destruction that the forest has gone through.

However!! I have some GOOD news for you!!!!! A new project directed by Conservation International and its other partners is being made to restore the forest and hopefully this time, it will take the Amazon off the blacklist for good. This effort has been known as the ‘World’s Largest Tropical Reforestation Project’ and hopes to plant 73 million trees in the Brazilian Amazon by 2023.

A new strategy for planting trees called “muvuca” (meaning “a lot of people in a very small place” (2) could be the solution to deforestation caused by natural occurrences such as droughts and fires. “The muvuca strategy spreads seeds from over 200 native forest species over each square metre of burnt or mismanaged land that is being reforested” (1) Basically, it is a planting strategy that depends on natural selection and has been scientifically proven to produce better and stronger plants. Through muvuca, the project aims to grow trees that will hopefully be around for hundreds of years and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.

This effort is a step in the right direction towards protecting the earth’s biodiversity and I truly hope that it will go through as planned. With this new planting strategy, we can use it with other forests to grow trees faster and help restore the rich vegetation that earth once had. Deforestation rates have gone down in the recent years so I am stoked for this new project and have high hopes for the future of our planet!   

Photo: inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/09/amazon.jpg

Sources:

1. Frymorgen, Tomasz. “The 'largest ever tropical reforestation project' is happening - BBC Three.” BBC News, BBC, 1 Nov. 2017, www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/f9dd7b91-a587-4aa9-9aa3-21c27c6fc54a.

2. Graham, Karen. Reforestation effort in Amazon aims to plant 73 million trees, 31 Oct. 2017, www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/reforestration-effort-in-amazon-aims-to-plant-73-million-trees/article/506457.

3. “World's Largest Tropical Reforestation Project to Take Place in the Amazon Rainforest.” PR Newswire: news distribution, targeting and monitoring, Conservation International, 15 Sept. 2017, www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/worlds-largest-tropical-reforestation-project-to-take-place-in-the-amazon-rainforest-300520612.html.

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Biodiversity and the economy

Welcome back to ESPM Guru, today’s blog post will be about how the role of biodiversity affects the economy and vice versa.

It feels like when it comes to the debate between the economy v.s. the environment, you always have to be on one side or another. However, I believe that the role of the economy and the environment go hand in hand. Without biodiversity, our economy would go to dust and without money, it’s very hard to conserve biodiversity.

Firstly, biodiversity plays a big part in our economy, because it provides JOBS. America is a developed country, but in developing countries, biodiversity is very important for development. Over 60% of the world depends on agriculture to survive, whether this be for income or food (1). Biodiversity is also a key to poverty reduction. Countries that rely mostly on the natural resources around them, use the environment as a home and resources to sell. Without biodiversity, much of the world, especially rural and undeveloped countries, would suffer from the lack of jobs.

Also, many different species of plants are used in the medical field and without them we wouldn’t have the wide varieties of medication (and people to distribute the medication) that we do today.

Although biodiversity is so important for the economy, not a lot of businesses and politicians see it that way. Many companies still dump massive amounts of waste into the environment. For example, British Petroleum’s (BP) “Deepwater Horizon oil spill and blowout killed 11 people and became the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry at 210 million gallons of oil leaked” (3). Since President Trump came into office, he hasn’t done much to protect the environment. In fact, he has pretty much neglected it due to his belief that economic issues are more important.

Check out this link to see how Trump is changing our environment: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/how-trump-is-changing-science-environment/

Biodiversity is very important for the function of our society and the development of our economy. Without it, many jobs would be lost, so it is important for us to conserve and protect the environment if we want our economic system to flourish as well.

Sources:

1. “Economic Benefits of Biodiversity.” Economic Benefits of Biodiversity : ConservationTools, conservationtools.org/guides/95-economic-benefits-of-biodiversity.

2. Greshko, Michael, et al. “A Running List of How Trump Is Changing the Environment.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 25 Oct. 2017, news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/03/how-trump-is-changing-science-environment/.

3. Kantamneni, Visala. “5 Energy Companies That Are Destroying the Planet and Don’t Seem to Care.” One Green Planet, 17 Dec. 2014, www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/energy-companies-that-are-destroying-the-planet-and-dont-seem-to-care/.

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Invasive species found in not 1, but 3 Minnesota lakes!!!

Photo: Jason Wachter / AP

When you hear the term “invasive species” what pops into your head? For me, I think of bugs or some type of animal. However, invasive species can be both an animal or a plant. Today’s ESPM Guru post will be about an invasive species that has made it’s home in not 1, but 3 Minnesota lakes.In August of 2015, an invasive algae species by the name of starry stonewort was found in Minnesota’s Lake Koronis. It was then found for a second time in Rice Lake and just this year in August, it has been discovered in Lake Minnewaska. Although only 3 lakes have been confirmed by the MN Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR ), there have been reports made of a similar species in other lakes.

What is it?

Starry stonewort, also known as nitellopsis obtusa, is an algae native to Eurasia. So far it has infected Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Wisconsin lakes (4). Starry stonewort looks similar to other Minnesota algae like stoneworts and musk-grass. However, what makes this plant different from others are it’s star-shaped bulbils that grow from the weed. It’s been said by the MN DNR that it is spread through the “unintentional transfer of plant fragments and bulbils” (4). This means that if boats, nets, or anything else the plant can get stuck on are not cleaned thoroughly after encountering starry stonewort it can contaminate other bodies of water.

Photo: www.dec.ny.gov/images/lands_forests_images/aisssprog.jpg

Dangerous?

Starry stonewort isn’t technically considered “dangerous” and there has never been reports of it harming humans or other aquatic animals, BUT it’s massive spread is still a problem due to the fact that there is so much of it and it’s very hard to kill off. When starry stonewort spreads, it creates weed mats on top of the lake’s surface (3). This can be annoying to boaters and anglers who are trying to have a good time. Scientists also voiced their concern about starry stonewort killing/damaging native species of plants, but there has been no research made to confirm the matter.How can you stop the spread of starry stonewort?As stated earlier, starry stonewort is very hard to kill off. Other infected states have used herbicides to try and restrain it or have had divers come and hand picked the plant out of the water. The most helpful thing to do is to simply try and prevent the spread of this invasive species.According to the MN DNR, the best way to prevent contamination is to “Clean, Drain, Dispose” (4).

  “Clean all vegetation, animals, mud and debris from your watercraft and any water-related equipment before you move it from one body of water to another. Drain all water from your watercraft and bait bucket, keep drain plugs out during transport, and Dispose of any unwanted bait in the trash. Clean, Drain, Dispose is required by law in Minnesota” (MN DNR)

Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” and we actually have about 11,842 lakes so it’s no surprise that some of our lakes are infested by invasive species. Despite this, it’s best to keep the amount of invasive species in our waters to a minimum. Having a non-native species can affect and change the ecosystem that the lake already has, as well as harm the species already living in the area. The next time you go fishing or boating remember to clean everything that touches the water thoroughly, because you never know what’s going to hitchhike with you to a different lake.

Sources:

1. Starry stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa) - FactSheet, nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.aspx?SpeciesID=1688.

2. Johnson, Allie. “Starry stonewort confirmed on 1 new Minnesota lake.” KMSP, www.fox9.com/news/starry-stonewort-confirmed-on-1-new-minnesota-lake

3. Tribune News Services. “Invasive aquatic weed, starry stonewort, creeps across Great Lakes region.” Chicagotribune.com, 5 Feb. 2017, www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/midwest/ct-starry-stonewort-great-lakes-20170204-story.html.

4. “Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis obtusa).” Starry Stonewort: Minnesota DNR, www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/aquaticplants/starrystonewort/index.html

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Could This Be the End to the Biodiversity of The Great Barrier Reef?

The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) resides off the coast of eastern Queensland in Australia and is the world’s largest coral reef. Being one of the seven wonders of the world, GBR is about 1800 miles long and the home to over 1500 different species of marine animals, making it one of the most biodiverse areas in the world (1). Through this biodiversity, the reef is able to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Each species of marine life has a job to do and the reef relies on all the different animals.

For example, sea turtles are one of the many species that reside in The GBR. Being an herbivore, sea turtles are one of the only species to eat seagrass off of the sea floor. To help the seagrass thrive, it is important that something keeps it from overgrowing as this can result in excess of “microorganisms, algae, invertebrates and fungi” (2) within the grass. Without the help of sea turtles in the reef, big problems will come about.

However, most sea turtles are part of the endangered species list and have a risk of going extinct. In fact, the Great Barrier Reef does not look as well as it did years ago. With it’s growing tourism and risk of being a waste site the GBR is also in danger of dying off. Last year in 2016, “warming oceans caused the worst coral bleaching event in history on the Great Barrier Reef and almost a quarter of the Reef’s coral died” (3).

Photo: GreenPeace

Photo: CNN

The Great Barrier Reef and all of the creatures that inhabit it depend on each other for survival. With over 1500 different species, where will they go once the reef is gone? Although the reef still has time to heal and go back to the way it was before, with the increasing mining of the coal company and dangers of climate change, the reef is at great risk. Will we still have our most bustling biodiverse ecosystem 100 years from now or will it be gone? The answer lies in our actions.

Sources:

1. Mischa. “Biodiversity of the Great Barrier Reef.” Curious, 25 Sept. 2017, www.science.org.au/curious/great-barrier-reef.

2. “Ocean Animal Encyclopedia.” Oceana, oceana.org/marine-life/sea-turtles-reptiles.

3. “The Great Barrier Reef is on the brink of destruction.” Reef at Risk, www.greenpeace.org/australia/en/what-we-do/climate/reef-at-risk/.

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Alligators eating sharks???

Photo: Judy Cooke

For centuries alligators have been know to be a freshwater species and usually consume things like fish, raccoons, birds, muskrats, and other animals (usually smaller than the alligator). However, scientists have noted that American Alligators that reside in coastal states such as Florida, have been seen swimming into saltwater and eating sharks and stingrays.

Kansas State University ecologist and leader of the study, James Nifong, “confirmed four separate instances in which an American alligator ate a lemon shark, a nurse shark, a bonnethead shark, and an Atlantic stingray” (1).

What’s unusual about this situation is that there has been close to no other known instances where freshwater alligators have swam into saltwater to seek prey (1). Alligators are known freshwater predators and while it’s certainly not impossible for them to do so, it is quite unusual and is now the hot topic of research.

So what does this mean and what does it have to do with biodiversity?

Much more research has to be made concerning the new diet of American Alligators, to see if sharks are really on their new prey list. However, with the instances that have already occurred, scientists are starting to ask the question, WHY is this happening? When discovering new information like this, each species comes into concern. What will the species of sharks in the area be like now that there is a new predator? Will the sharks attack back and affect the alligator population? Both species usually travel in groups so will there be instances where groups battle each other?

These questions cannot be answered without further examination and research, but they are interesting to think about.

Sources: 

1. Bittel, Jason. “Alligators Attack and Eat Sharks, Study Confirms.” National Geographic, National Geographic Society, 20 Sept. 2017, news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/09/american-alligator-sharks-predators-stingrays/.

2. Wang, Amy B. “Alligators are out there eating sharks, no big deal.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 17 Oct. 2017, www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/10/17/alligators-are-out-there-eating-sharks-no-big-deal/?utm_term=.3d215d323f17.

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How can you help protect biodiversity?

I am a 19 year old junior in college and I love the environment, but I get discouraged sometimes because the earth seems like a never ending ball of trash and no one seems to care. That was me voicing my opinion, but do you relate at all to that sentence? I feel like most of us do. With being young and a student, sometimes it’s hard to be taken seriously when voicing your concerns about environmental issues. This can result in feeling discouraged and powerless, but what if I told you that there are many ways you can help to protect biodiversity just by slightly changing your everyday routines?

Here are 5 things you can do to help preserve biodiversity!!!

1. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

We all know the three R’s, it’s been implemented to us since kindergarten. It can seem like something really small, but reducing, reusing, and recycling can help the environment a ton. Imagine if just half the population on earth started slowly reducing the resources they used and recycling more, we could probably have a cleaner earth in just a matter of years! With reducing your consumption, you can preserve land and build richer environments for other species to thrive in. This would mean less deforestation, pollution, and overall trash that is going into the earth. This doesn’t mean that you have to limit everything you use and only recycle things, it just means that you should keep an eye on what you’re putting into your trash as it is all just a big landfill.

2.  Buy local and organic foods!

This can be hard for students since we never seem to even have time to eat between studying, working, and sleeping, but buying local and organic foods will not only help the environment, but it can improve your health as well. Buying from your local farmers market or growing your own produce makes it easier to know where your food is coming from and to make sure that it doesn’t have any harmful pesticides. If you don’t have access to a local farmers market or tons of money to buy organic foods, you can always start small. Just go to the grocery store and pick out a few organic vegetables that you can start putting into your diet.

3. Volunteer to help!

Another simple thing that you can do to help the biodiversity in your environment is to volunteer to help. This can be from cleaning parks, rivers, and lakes, advocating for biodiversity, or even just picking up trash that you see outside. There are probably a lot of clubs and other organizations around you that you could look into a join! Most colleges have eco-friendly clubs. It can be a great way to meet new people who also care about the environment as much as you do!

4. SAVE THE BEES!!!!

I think almost everyone knows by now how important bees are to our ecosystem, but in case you didn’t….. THEY ARE SUPER IMPORTANT. Bees and other pollinators like butterflies and moths are very very important to biodiversity, because they are what keeps plants alive and growing. There are lots of ways you can help your fuzzy winged friends! Growing a diverse species of flowers or vegetables in your garden, putting out bee boxes, or rescuing any fallen bees by giving them some sugar water are just some ways to help the bees. Buying honey from local beekeepers also helps keep the bee industry alive. Remember to keep your garden natural and free from harmful chemicals so they don’t hurt pollinators.

5. Reduce your use of energy!!

This goes with the whole reduce, reuse, recycle thing, but I thought this was important enough to have a section of it’s own. Reducing your use to energy can reduce the amount of fossil fuels burned and thus make the levels of greenhouse gases in our ozone go down. This can help with a lot of things that affect the environment like climate change. Doing small things like riding your bike or taking public transportation instead of driving, turning off lights when they aren’t in use, or if you’re really feeling it, you can even use solar power energy!

These are just 5 simple things you can implement to your everyday routine that will help protect biodiversity! Remember that every action you make comes with a consequence and since we all inhabit this earth together, why not work together to make it a better place? I hope you’ll take these 5 small ways to help into consideration.

Sources:

“11 Things You Can Do To Protect Biodiversity.” The Unfolding Earth, 29 Sept. 2015, theunfoldingearth.com/10-things-you-can-do-to-protect-biodiversity/.

Photo: www.mystudycorner.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/KNIOF-logo1.jpg

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Biodiversity hotspots! What and where in the world are they?

Did you know that biodiversity isn’t distributed equally around the world? Certain areas have a vast majority of endemic species, which are plants or animals that reside only in one specific location. Those regions are called ‘biodiversity hotspots’. According to Science Daily, a biodiversity hotspot is “a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction” (1). There are 35 biodiversity hotspots in the world and they make up only 2.3% of the planet! That means that some of the world’s rarest species can only be found on 2.3% of the world. That’s half the size of America!

According to Conservation International, to be a biodiversity hotspot, the region must meet two criteria:

1. “It must have at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics” (3)

2. “It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation. In other words, it must be threatened” (3)

Basically, what this is means that to be considered a biodiversity hotspot, the area has to have an abundance of rare species that are not found in any other regions and the area must be in danger of disappearing

The photo above identifies hotspots around the globe. As you can see, the hotspots are pretty spread out from each other. This means that each region contains unique species to that area due to the diverse habitats that they each live in. 

Did you know what a biodiversity hotspot was before reading this post? I sure didn’t know what it was until I started doing research and posting on this blog. I don’t think many people know what the term refers to unless they have studied environmental science. It’s important for people to be informed so they can help preserve these special regions.

Ok, so what? Why is it important to protect hotspots? 

We must preserve these areas because they have an abundance of the world’s rarest resources and species. Since these species and habitats are irreplaceable, if the biodiversity hotspot is damaged or destroyed, the area will be at risk and could result in extinction of a species. Locals of the each area also depend on the resources that are produced from these hotspots. Therefore, if we don’t continue to protect said regions, many people will be forced to migrate and make a home somewhere else. We as humans depend on biodiversity to survive. That being said, if the world’s most biodiverse areas were to perish, the human race would die out as well.

Thanks for reading today’s post! I hope you learned something new. My next blog post will be about what you can do to help protect biodiversity, so be sure to check that out!

Sources:

1. ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, www.sciencedaily.com/terms/biodiversity_hotspot.htm.

2. “Biodiversity hotspots.” Department of the Environment and Energy, www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/conservation/hotspots.

3. “Why Hotspots Matter.” Conservation International, www.conservation.org/How/Pages/Hotspots.aspx.

Photo: http://temp.biodiversitya-z.org/system/images/W1siZiIsIjIwMTQvMTAvMDkvMDgvMzUvNDcvMTQ3L2NpX2hvdHNwb3RzLmpwZyJdLFsicCIsInRodW1iIiwiODAweCJdLFsicCIsInN0cmlwIl1d/ci_hotspots.jpg

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Threats to biodiversity

Hey, welcome back to my blog! For my first blog post, I talked about the different kinds of biodiversity and why it’s important for the earth. This week’s topic is going to focus on the major threats to biodiversity and what you can do to help. 

   Some threats to biodiversity include: climate change, removal of habitat, invasive species, pollution, and overexploitation of resources (1).

1. Climate change

Climate change has been an ongoing issue for years and has seem to only gotten worse as the population raises. Although the life cycle of ecosystems are inevitable and natural, manmade sources of climate change such as deforestation and high emissions of greenhouse gases can result in detrimental effects for many of earth’s species, meaning they can go extinct faster.

2. Removal of habitat

Removal of habitat is probably the biggest threat to biodiversity. Deforestation is a widely used example. As the population rises every year, more space has to be cleared in order to house all of us. Deforestation can result in the destruction of habitats and loss of species. Removal of habitat can happen anywhere, whether that be on land, oceans, rivers, or lakes.

3. Invasive species

Introducing a new species to an ecosystem is always a risk, but if the species becomes an invasive species, this can result in competition of resources and new predators in the area.

4. Pollution

Tying in with climate change, most of the pollution on earth is due to humans. This can be from throwing trash into the oceans to releasing excess greenhouse gases.

5. Overexploitation of natural resources

Taking too many resources from the environment can result in the loss of that ecosystem as a whole. As animals of the earth, we all coexist and if humans are taking too many resources, it doesn’t leave enough for the other species. An example would be overfishing.

What can you do to help?

This is the question that I’ve been itching to get to. Now that we know what’s threatening biodiversity, what can we as humans do to help the environment? Well, there isn’t one clear answer, but everyone can play their part by reducing their carbon footprint, eating less meat, and just simply treating the environment better. We sometimes feel helpless, because the earth is so big and you are just one person, but I believe that you can make a big difference just by trying to make a difference. Most of the issues that threaten biodiversity come from humans so if we humans try and reduce, reuse, recycle more we can help sustain the earth for years to come.

A more in depth blog post about what you can do to help protect biodiversity will be posted soon so look forward to that!

Sources: 

1. “Overexploitation.” Overexploitation - Biodiversity Information system for Europe, biodiversity.europa.eu/topics/overexploitation.

2. Petronzio, Matt. “5 major threats to biodiversity, and how we can help curb them.” Mashable, Mashable, 23 May 2015, mashable.com/2015/05/23/biodiversity-threats/#oZVBawcF8ZqK.

3. “Threats to Biodiversity and Ecosystems.” Center for Health and the Global Environment, chge.hsph.harvard.edu/threats-biodiversity-and-ecosystems.

Photo: www.easybiologyclass.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Major-Threats-to-Biodiversity.jpg

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What is “biodiversity” anyway?

ESPM Guru here, this is the first of many posts on this blog focusing on biodiversity. So, what is biodiversity anyway? According to Merriam-Webster, biodiversity is “biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals.” What this basically means is that biodiversity contains different species with different traits and genes co-existing with each other in an ecosystem. This could mean animals, plants, and even microorganisms as well.

   Why is biodiversity important to the environment? Well, to put it simply, every creature on this earth depends on one another. Different species of animals, plants, and microorganisms all play a role in the ecosystem whether that be big or small. Without biodiversity we would not such a diversely populated earth like we do today. Let’s take us humans for example, we depend on crops and animals for food as an energy source. The animals depend on other organisms (other animals or plants) to give them energy and so on. If we didn’t have the array of species we do, the earth would all just have all the same creatures living on it. Having a wide range of organisms means many different options of resources. Below is a list from Globalissues.org of some of the many benefits that can come out of biodiversity:

Protection of water resources

Soils formation and protection

Nutrient storage and recycling

Pollution breakdown and absorption

Contribution to climate stability

Maintenance of ecosystems

Recovery from unpredictable events

Food

Medicinal resources and pharmaceutical drugs

Wood products

Ornamental plants

Breeding stocks, population reservoirs

Future resources

Diversity in genes, species and ecosystems

Research, education and monitoring

Recreation and tourism

Cultural values

Biodiversity is used as an umbrella term to describe the diversity within an area. To dive even further into biodiversity, there are three different types: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecological diversity.

1. Genetic Diversity

Every living creature on earth has a unique genetic makeup that makes you who you are. We all have different alleles and genes that give us our different physical appearances. Yet, the genetic material within each species is very similar each other. We all came from the same ancestors so of course some of our genetic material is similar. As we evolved and developed, certain animals had to mutate in order to survive. Different animals branched off and became a new type of species. Most animals today vary in the genetic diversity that they share within their species. However, some animals have more genetic diversity than others. Taking domesticated animals like dogs and cats for example, there are so many different breeds to choose from but when you look at an animal like the koala, there isn’t much diversity.

2. Species Diversity

This may sound similar to genetic diversity, but species diversity refers to the different amount of organisms residing in a certain area. For example, different countries will have different types of species unique to that region. If we look at the rainforests in China, we can expect there to be a wide variety of animals from pandas to tigers. Rainforests are usually high in biodiversity due to all the different species that live there.

3. Ecological Diversity

Relating to species diversity, ecological diversity refers to the contributions of different species within an ecosystem. Taking the food web for example, the sun gives nutrients to plants, the plants give energy to herbivores, the herbivores give energy to carnivores and etc. This is when biodiversity is very important. Too many of the same organisms can cause an outbreak and lead to the death of the ecosystem. Each animal plays a different role within the ecosystem to help it thrive.

Sources: 

1. “Information about topics and careers in bioscience for teachers, students and everyone else.” About Bioscience, 16 June 2017, www.aboutbioscience.org/topics/biodiversity/.

2. Preshoff, Kim. YouTube, YouTube, 20 Apr. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_vRtHJZu4.

3. Shah, Anup. “Why Is Biodiversity Important? Who Cares?” Global Issues, 19 Jan. 2014, www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-important-who-cares.

Photo: www.everestfoundation.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/wildlife-all.png