Biodiversity is described by Ruth Patrick as, “the presence of a large number of species of animals and plants…”(Patrick 15). In other words, biodiversity is the term for the measure of the variety of different species that do exist still on our plant. These species can range from the simplest bacteria to the very complex primates. Biodiversity can relate locally or globally. For example the Southern New England forest contains 20 or 30 tree species while in the rainforest of Peru there are hundreds of species of trees (Patrick 15). There are also further ways to view biodiversity and that is in levels. These levels can be the “diversity of higher plants, number of species, or expressed as sheer weight (biomass)” (Patrick 15). Biodiversity is different is each part of the world. Not every part of the world contains the same amount of creatures yet there are parts of the world that might contain similar amounts. These regions of the world have similar weather patterns and therefore similar species will develop there but they are not necessarily the same. One of the more important regions of the world that contain a large amount of biodiversity is the tropical rainforest region. “The forests comprise roughly 7% of the dry land surface of Earth and may hold more than 50% of all species” (Patrick 15). Yet us as humans do not know all of the creatures and organisms that live on this planet at all. We only have discovered, in one way or another, about 1.4 million species yet the number that is estimated is about 10-100 million (Patrick 15).
The unknown species that do exist on this world can have many and countless benefits to the human race. A good example can be the rosy periwinkle, which is a plant found on the island of Madagascar, helped cure the Hodgkin’s disease and lymphocytic leukemia. (E.O. Wilson 3). Another can be the cyclosporin that was found in an obscure Norwegian fungus that is the foundation for the organ transplant business (Wilson 3). There also exist countless other potential uses and numerous other benefits that can be found in nature. The only problem is that we do not know even half of the amount of life that exists on this planet and many of them are disappearing faster than we can discover.
With the advancement of technology and the growing population go mankind, nature seems as if it is in the way.
(http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O7-densityfrequencydominance.html) Biodiversity is the number of richness or the number of species in a local area. This happens when someone can look at a species, in order to indicate a degree of uncertainty. This can happen by calculating the number of species given, where the individual is picked at random from the community. In other words, if the diversity is high, then oneself will have a poorer chance of correctly calculating the species of the next individual picked at random. (http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross/bioed/bealsmodules/shannonDI.html) This experiment was a way to find out the diversity of the school parking lot and the possibility to identify the type or model of the student’s, faculties and guest
Political and social chaos has mixed our world for the worst. Known the revolutions of the past and present, class warfare, and calculating of those seeking power, the human race has shown an amazing spirit and managed to survive. The new aspects in the equation of the balance of mankind and the rest of nature are the technological advances that have changed how political and social chaos can develop, and the advances in industry that have the potential to inflict serious environmental alterations. Threats of nuclear war, biological catastrophe, and climate change now bring into question as to how humanity can continue to survive. Personally, I think that with the growth of true threats to survival, there has been growth of human ingenuity as well. Medical research is in a rebirth of moving forward. Climate change remains a concern...
Biodiversity is important for a number of reasons. Humans depend on healthy ecosystems and the plants, animals, fungi, and microbes in these ecosystems for a great number of resources and products. Plants, through photosynthesis, produce the oxygen humans need to breathe. Thriving ecosystems effectively purify
In The Diversity of Life, Edward O. Wilson reflects on how the living world became diverse and how humans are destroying that diversity. In the book’s preface, Wilson defines biodiversity as “the totality of inherited variation in all organisms in a selected area” (Wilson ix). He adds that modern technology will allow for us to find many new species that were previously unknown to be in existence.
Biodiversity is the diversity of all living things: plants, animals living in a particular region or area. Many think Biodiversity is just about animals and wildlife we see every day, but a big part of it is microscopic bacteria. Biodiversity is known to many as a totality of genes, species, and ecosystems of a region. There are three types of Biodiversity, genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. Genetic diversity is the number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It is used to distinguish one animal or specie from another as they are all genetically different. Species diversity is the number of species and amount of each specie in a particular area. This can also be called Species Richness.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (hereafter: “CBD”) is an international treaty adopted by United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 and came into force on December 29, 1993. Initially when it came into force there were 168 members now it is 193 in total. The aim to protect biodiversity and the dramatic steps taken for conservation, sustainable use and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits attracted the world communities to become members (History of the Convention, n.d). In principle the convention on biological diversity changed the ownership concept of biodiversity protection i.e. (“common heritage of humankind”) to the “sovereign right” of each member country (Hirsch, 2012). It is the responsibility of the each member to develop and implement policies in a way that helps in the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources. It also recognizes the knowledge of local and indigenous people for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity (Brahmi et al., 2004).The article 8(j) of CBD has an important provision which gives the member state rights to “respect, preserve and maintain” traditional style and knowledge about the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. The protection must promote the wider application of such knowledge and stimulate innovation and also ensure that the benefits are shared in fair and equitable manner to the communities.
Biodiversity plays a big factor for our ecosystems. It can be negatively influenced by habitat loss and degradation due to human activity, climate change, and pollution. A lot of our basic necessities that we need to survive are provided because of biodiversity. We need food from various species, plants to eat, water to drink, air to breathe, and materials to provide shelter and other necessities. The greater species diversity we have, the more it ensures a natural sustainability for all life forms. Healthy ecosystems can also better withstand and recover from a wide range of disasters.
Biodiversity, the variety of organisms living together in a specific place, is very important in maintaining balanced ecosystems. An ecosystem is a group of organisms that live inter-connectedly in a community (Vogt, 1997). If the community's environment suddenly change, the balance of that community may also change which can cause its destruction. The destruction of an ecosystem can have serious effects on the organisms in it such as loss of different species or even their extinction. Therefore, conserving biodiversity is very significant.
Earth holds a vast diversity of living organisms and immense varieties of Habitat and ecosystem. Biodiversity is the variety and variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic eco¬systems and the ecological complexes; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems (CBD 1992). The term biodiversity, the short form of biological diversity, was coined by Walter G. Rosen in 1985. The fundamental to ecologically sustainable development is conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. An environment rich in biological diversity offers the broadest array of options for sustainable economic activity, for sustaining human welfare and for adapting to change. Global Biodiversity Assessment estimates that a total number of animal and plant species to be between 13 and 14 million (Heywood 1995). It further records that so far only 1.75 million species have been described and studied. UNEP-WCMC (2000) estimated around 2, 70,000 species of vascular plants and 52,000 animals (vertebrates). Nearly 45% of the World’s vascular plant species occur
Biodiversity loss can lead to extinction, and hurt human life. It is our responsibility to take care of the environment. We bring in machines that harm the environment and destroy animal life. We need to limit ourselves on how much land and resources we consume. There are major issues that are causing species to become extinct and hurt our way of life and other animals do to the change in food chain.
Biodiversity is affected by five main pressures: habitat loss and degradation, climate change, excessive nutrient load and pollution, over-exploitation, and invasive alien species. As mentioned before, humans are not the only force that influences the environment. Natural events such as volcanic eruptions can potentially disrupt an ecosystem’s balance as well. However, at least three out of five of the principle pressures are caused by humans, although it is arguable that we do play a crucial role in speeding climate change and transporting invasive species. Ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss is almost like the result of the other issues.
In the original Greek "oikos" means, "house". So ecology is "the study of the house" the place where you live, or the environment which technically includes all those factors, both nonliving and living, that affect an organism. Ecology then is the study of the interactions of organisms in their environment includes both the living (biotic) and physical (abiotic) factors of the environment. It's also the science, which formulates and tests hypotheses about environment. Ecology is the relationships, identification and analysis of problems common to all areas.
It has three main hierarchy which are ecological diversity, organismal diversity and genetic diversity. Agricultural biodiversity also an extension of biodiversity. All species such as crop varieties, animal breeds and other are included. Agricultural biodiversity also included diets, food intake and nutritional to people. Furthermore, habitats and species outside of farming system also involve in agricultural biodiversity. This will benefit agriculture and enhance ecosystem functions. That is also directly managed to supply the goods and services used by a human. On the other hands, it also can affect crops and food production negatively. Agricultural biodiversity is an interaction humans and ecosystem and the species that have. Sometimes this can lead the modification and transformation. Furthermore, the farmer will determine the social, cultural, ethical and spiritual variables at the local community level. Selection and evolution will lead to producing new cultivars or local crops and the methods of grown and managed also will change and evolve. Moreover, the parts of agricultural biodiversity that will directly affect nutrition and health. They will direct managed to give people good and
... present rate of human population growth, we might well be heading for the sixth mass extinction crisis.
Do we all know what biodiversity means? Well I think some of us do not know what biodiversity is, but it is important for us to know is the meaning of biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of life. Most of the people recognize biodiversity by species but biodiversity is more than just species. A species is a group of living organism that can interbreed for example white-tailed deer, blue whales, and bacteria that you cannot even see with your eyes. Species is only one part of biodiversity. Biodiversity can be studied on many levels and at the highest level you can look at all the different species in earth. Biodiversity occurs at multiple scales of ecological organization, from genes all the way up to the entire biosphere. The full range of species that lives in a particular area is included to biodiversity. Here in the Philippines, we are rich when it comes to biodiversity. As a paradise of biodiversity, our country the Philippines’s terrestrial ecosystems