Celebrate biodiversity Environment day special
It has been estimated that more than 50 million species of plants, animals and micro-organisms are existing in the world. Biodiversity
is defined as the variety and variability among the living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur.
The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat, a high level of which is usually considered to be important and desirable. Biodiversity
is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.
Healthy ecosystems clean our water, purify our air, maintain our soil, regulate the climate, recycle nutrients and provide us with food. Biodiversity
is the key indicator of the health of an ecosystem. A wide variety of species will cope better with threats than a limited number of them in large populations. It
plays a crucial role in human
nutrition through its influence on world food production, as it ensures the sustainable productivity of soils and provides the genetic resources for all crops, livestock, and marine species harvested for food.
While there might be
survival of the fittest
within a given species, each species depends on the services provided by other species to ensure survival. It is a type of cooperation based on mutual survival and is often what a
balanced ecosystem
A healthy biodiversity provides a number of natural services for everyone:
1.Ecosystem
services, such as protection of water resources.
2.Soils
formation and protection
3.Nutrient
storage and recycling
4.Pollution
breakdown and absorption
5.Contribution
to climate stability
6.Maintenance
of ecosystems
7.Recovery
from unpredictable events
8.Biological
resources, such as Food
9.Medicinal
resources and pharmaceutical drugs
10.Wood
products
11.Ornamental
plants
12.Breeding
stocks, population reservoirs
13.Future
resources, diversity in genes, species and ecosystems.
Social benefits, such as
1. Research, education and monitoring
2.Recreation
and tourism, cultural values.
Nature can often be surprisingly resilient, often without the need for human interventions. For example, a documentary aired on the
BBC,
described two national parks in Africa where elephant populations had grown quite large within those artificial boundaries. The usual way to deal with this was to cull the population to try and keep the ecosystem in balance. Without this, elephants were stripping vegetation bare, affecting other animals, too.
Many people may support environmental causes to help preserve the
beauty
of Nature. However, that is in a strange way, not really a justifiable excuse as it is a subjective, human or anthropomorphasized view.
For many decades, various environmentalists, biologists and other scientists, have viewed the entire earth as a massive living organism or system due to the interdependent nature of all species within it. Some cultures have recognized this kind of inter-relationship for a very long time. Some have termed this Gaia. While there are disagreements and differences on how this works, it suggests that ecological balance and biodiversity are crucial for all of earth, not just humans.
They supply us with oxygen and clean water. They cycle carbon and fix nutrients. They enable plants to grow and therefore to feed us, keep pest species and diseases in check and help protect against flooding and regulate the climate. These benefits are known as ecosystem services.
Like a chain in while a minimal disturbances can cause a fatal fault, to save our biodiversity is sort of need at this hour of time.
All living things that live on this earth comes under the environment. Whether they live on land or water they are part of the environment. The environment also includes air, water, sunlight, plants, animals, etc.
Moreover, the earth is considered the only planet in the universe that supports life. The environment can be understood as a blanket that keeps life on the planet sage and sound.
We truly cannot understand the real worth of the environment. But we can estimate some of its importance that can help us understand its importance. It plays a vital role in keeping living things healthy in the environment.
Likewise, it maintains the ecological balance that will keep check of life on earth. It provides food, shelter, air, and fulfills all the human needs whether big or small.
Moreover, the entire life support of humans depends wholly on the environmental factors. In addition, it also helps in maintaining various life cycles on earth.
Most importantly, our environment is the source of natural beauty and is necessary for maintaining physical and mental health.
Above all, increasing human activity is exerting more pressure on the surface of the earth which is causing many disasters in an unnatural form. Also, we are using the natural resources at a pace that within a few years they will vanish from the earth.
To conclude, we can say that it is the environment that is keeping us alive. Without the blanket of environment, we won’t be able to survive.
