Why Do We Need Biodiversity - Essay Example

Why Do We Need Biodiversity Name Institution Why Do We Need Biodiversity It is a fundamental installation of providence that ecological systems exist through a mixture of diverse living things. The importance of the varieties of living things on the face of the earth and their significance to life cannot be overstated. Humans and the various activities they engage in especially in the past decades have had adverse effects on biodiversity even though they continually are appreciating its significance in contemporary times. Due to the damage already caused and the risks this pauses to the quality of life presently and in future, it is vital to explore the need for the protection of nature, the ecosystem and biodiversity. This is with a view to point to the fact that biodiversity is a vital indicator of sustainability of the planet that can contribute positively to enrich life for the benefit of all living things. Living things are created to be interdependent one on another (Cary et al. 2003, 94). This includes humans who play the sole role of damaging the ecosystem and rendering it hostile to life for other living creatures and ultimately theirs too (Sharma et al 2014, 2348). However, the existence of various living creatures is responsible for the creation and maintenance of ecosystems that supply a basis for the relationship of interdependence. Living creatures have different habitats depending on the biomes they belong to (Cary et al. 2003, 94). The distinction among biomes is only possible through the existence of various living creatures in their rightful habitats and among their rightful species. Biomes refers to the existence of living creatures in the major communities of living things and the habitats they live in including the various features that adapt them to their habitats or ecologies (Woinarski 1999, 96). The biomes on earth are broadly composed of Aquatic, Grasslands, Tundra and deserts. When each of these biomes has distinguished communities of living things to occupy them for survival and existence, their differences and significance in the entire ecological systems can be appreciated (Noble et al. 1990, 119). Conversely too, if the various biomes did not have living things to occupy them depending on the various adaptive features, these landscapes would not be appreciated and distinguished one from another. Biodiversity also helps in facilitating evolution of species to the changing ecological conditions (Briggs & Taws 2003, 73). According to the evolutionary theory, when there is a greater variety existing within a family or genus, the chances of surviving adverse environmental changes are enhanced (Briggs & Taws 2003, 73). This means that adaptability and thus evolution hinge on the variety of living organisms and their various strengths in staving extreme weather and hostile environmental changes. When ecosystems are destroyed, plants and animals that rely on them in effect die and for lack of the all significant diversity to help them survive the adverse changes, become extinct. The erosion of the favorable ecosystem to life is attributed to human activities that are encroaching on ecosystems. While it is true that ecosystems can change and evolve without human influence necessarily, humans exacerbate or catalyze the change to extremely adverse levels (Cutbush 2006, 159). The change is occasioned in such a short time that organisms have no allowance to correspondingly adapt to the change (Sharma et al 2014, 2348). This means that biodiversity is necessary in order to advance adaptation and evolution to changing environmental circumstances to avert species extinction. Reining in further, biodiversity is responsible for the stabilization of ecology (Cutbush 2006, 168). Every living thing occupies a certain position in their natural order of existence. In their space, they struggle for their survival at the same time facilitating the survival of others in various ways. For instance, a bee while seeking for flowers to obtain sugary pollen, they facilitate pollination unawares. The plant in question is therefore able to reproduce due to the existence of other living creatures. This sort of interdependence helps to ensure that there is a balance in the ecosystem (Noble et al 1990, 115). There are naturally sanctioned means of taming certain organisms by means of the existence of others. This is through preying and predator ecological existence (Briggs & Taws 2003, 78). This sees to it that certain organisms do not overwhelm others in existence and hence a state of balance and stability is occasioned. Various organisms perform different roles that help to facilitate consumption and perpetuate conducive and balanced ecological conditions for survival (Wild River 2006, 43). They help in the processing of organic material, decompose, participate in cycling water as well as nutrients in the ecosystem, help in the control of pests, facilitate the fixation of useful atmospheric gases or have a role in determining the climatic conditions. For food, biodiversity is known to be the primary supplier of organic food. (Symth et al 2003, no pagination) In various biomes, seas, grasslands, and deserts, organisms that are of importance to humans as food can be found. Vegetation provides supplies food. As if this is not enough, humans benefit from biodiversity with pharmaceuticals too. There is a host of living organisms naturally existing that are a source of medicine to heal various human pestilences (Patel 2014, 2466). Quinine one of the ultimate malaria treatments, is a derivation from the bark of cinchona tree in Amazon (Saunders & Briggs 2002, 73). Morphine that is gotten from the poppy plant is used for painkilling purposes. So is digitalis derived from foxglove plant and is consumed medicinally for relief of chronic heart trouble. USA’s, National Cancer Institute suggested that a great deal of the anti-cancer drugs to the tune of 70% is actually acquired from tropical rainforest plants (Symth et al 2003, no pagination). Besides this, thousands of plant and animal species are used in medical researches. Biodiversity is also the hinge upon which industrialization is tailored (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. 2003, 34). Most food processing industries, timber, clothing and energy industries are formed around the exploitation of biodiversity. The products that are the characteristic of today’s industrialized world such as lubricants, dyes, waxes, paper, poisons, cork, oils and fragrances just to mention a few, are derivations from diverse species of plants (Takele et al 2014, 2518). This demonstrates that humans benefit directly from diversity to meet their daily basic needs as well as gratify their luxurious desires (Saunders & Briggs 2002, 73). This can be further demonstrated by the role biodiversity plays in tourism and recreation. Tourism has been known to earn countries economic wealth as long as natural parks and forests are well conserved to appeal to the eye (Wild River 2006, 43). This captures the aesthetic value of biodiversity to appeal to the eye and to fill the world with clamor and beauty of visual appeal (Takele et al 2014, 2518). Ecotourism is advanced on such lines as long as wonderful and fascinating varieties of plants and other living organism are conserved such as to make up awesome sceneries for people to behold. There are also intrinsic reasons as to why biodiversity has to be conserved (Hughes 2003, 59). It is not just because of the benefits that the many varieties of living confers to humans but because they are simply part of the created order that should be left to exist by right. We need biodiversity because it was created to exist and by which existence contribute to the working of factors that promote life on earth. By the fact that humans did not create biodiversity and are not separate but part of it makes it imperative that biodiversity should be related to by humans in a sustainable and respectable way (Patel 2014, 117). Conserving the environment and having to let other organisms enjoy their right to be part of the ecosystem is irrespective of the role they play there (Saunders & Briggs 2002, 84). In the intrinsic view, it is put forward that our need for biodiversity should not be centered on self-interest to benefit (Saunders & Briggs 2002, no pagination). If our need for biodiversity was solely to be based on the way various organisms are useful to our existence and existential needs, those that humans do not find useful would be justified to be rendered extinct by the various human activities. On the whole biodiversity is a central part of support to life on earth. It is the way the world works to maintain stability and continued existence when various living things occupy their space in the ecosystem. Exploring how biodiversity is necessary, it comes out that humans are logically the biggest beneficiaries of this natural ecological set up. The preoccupations of humans on earth in terms of their economic sustenance and meeting their basic lifestyle needs rely on biodiversity and how they exploit it. This is the basis upon which conservation campaigns are drummed up to mobilize efforts and action that go along way towards advancing sustainability. This is through adopting exploitation practices that do not endanger species or render others extinct much to the detriment of human life in effect. Bibliography Cary, G., Lindenmayer, D. & Dovers, S. (eds.) 2003. Australia Burning: Fire Ecology, Policy and Management Issues, Melbourne: CSIRO Publishing. Briggs, S. V. & Taws, N. 2003. Impacts of salinity on biodiversity – clear understanding or muddy confusion? Australian Journal of Botany 51:609–617, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne. 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Takele G, Nigatu L, Getachew A (2014) Ecological and Socio-Economic Importance of Indigenous Multipurpose Fodder Trees in Three Districts of Wolayta Zone, Southern Ethiopia. J Biodivers Endanger Species 2:136. doi: 10.4172/2332-2543.1000136. Wild River, S. 2006. ‘The role of local government in environmental and heritage management’, paper prepared for the 2006 Australia State of the Environment Committee, Department of Environment and Heritage, Canberra. Woinarski, J. 1999. ‘Fire and Australian birds: a review’, in Gill AM, Woinarski, JCZ and York A (Eds) Australia's Biodiversity – Responses to Fire. Plants, Birds and Invertebrates Biodiversity, Technical paper no. 1, Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra. Read More