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Biodiversity (theme of the month) |
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by Vaishnavi Raut | 15-05-2022 21:47
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Biodiversity and it's conservation are now vital environmental issues of international concern as more and more people around the world begin to realise the critical importance of biodiversity for our survival and well being on this planet.we know how many species in all have been recorded so far, but it is not easy to answer the question of how many species there are on earth according to the ICUN (2004),the total number of plant and animal species described so far is slightly more than 1.5 million but we have no clear idea of how many species are yet to be descoverd and discribed . Let us look st some interesting aspects about earth's biodiversity based on the currently available spacies involuntaries. More than 70% of all spaces recorded are animals, while plants (algae,Dangi,bryophytes). Among animals, insects are the most species rich taxonomic group making up more than 70% of the total.althogh india has has only 2.4 per cent of world's land area,it share of the global species diversity is an impressive 8.1 per cent.that is what makes country one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world. Nearly 45,000species of plants and twice as many of animals have been recorded from india.how many living species are actually there waiting to be descoverd and named? If we accept only 22 percent of the total species have been recorded so far.we estimate that there are probably more than 1,00,000 plant species and more than 3,00,000 animal species yet to be discovered and described. The situation more hopeless when we realise that a large fraction of these species faces the threat of becoming extinct even before we descoverd them .
We may not understand completely how species richness contributes to the well-being af an ecosystem,we know enough to realise that rich biodiversity is not only essential for ecosystem health but imperative for the very survival of the human race on this planet. Loss of biodiversity: the biological wealth of our planet has been declined rapidly and accusing finger is clearly pointing to human activities. Some group of like amphibians appear to be more venerable to extinction presently,12 per cent of all bird species,23 per cent of all mammals species,32per cent of all amphibians species and 31per cent of all gymnosperm species in the world face the threat of extinction.the current species extinction rate are estimated to be 100 to 1000 times faster than the pre human times and our activities are responsible for the faster rates.ecologist warn that if the present trends continu, nearly half of all the species on the earth might be wiped out within the next 100 years. Causes of biodiversity losses: Habitat loss and fragmentation tis is the most important cause driving animals and plants are extinction. The most most dramatic examples of habitat come from tropical rain forests.once covering more than 14 per cent of the earth's land surface, these rainforest now cover no more than 6 percent. They are been destroyed fast Over-exploitation: Humans hve always depended on nature for food and shelter.but when "need"turn to "greed",it leads to over-exploitation of natural resources. Many species extinctions in the last 500 years were due to over exploitation by humans. How do we conserve biodiversity? When we conserve and protect the whole ecosystem, it's biodiversity at all levels is protected we save the entire forest to save the tiger. In India, ecological unique and biodiversity rich regions are legally protected as biosphere reserve, national parks and sanctuaries.india now has 14 biosphere reserves.90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries. India has also a history of religious and cultural traditions that emphas-sised protection of Nature. In ex situ conservation in this approach, threatened animals and plants are taken out from their natural habitat and placed in special setting where they can be protected and given special care.zoological parks, botanical gardens,and wildlife Safari parks serve this purpose.there are many animals that have become extinct in the wild but continue to be maintained in zoological parks Earth's rich in biodiversity is vital for the very survival of mankind.the reasons for conserving biodiversity are narrowly utilitarian, broadly utilitarian and ethical.beside the direct benifits (food, fibre, firewood, pharmaceuticals,etc)there are many indirect benifits we receive through ecosystem services such as pollination,pest control, climate moderation and food control.we also hve a moral responsibility to take a good care of earth's biodiversity and pass it on in good order to our next generation. Reference:https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity
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Former E-gen Ambassador
Vaishnavi Raut
Previous : WHAT MAKES AN ECOSYSTEM COMPLE...
2 Comments
Hello Vaishnavi, this is your mentor Joon.
There are different causes of biodiversity loss, including those mentioned in your article, and that is why we are having hard time controlling it. Everyone, whom received environmental education, knows the seriousness, yet we are still having hard times controlling it. We cannot asses which point to start with on the first place. We could refer this as a non-point source of threats. What we can do, and should do is to protect every specie as possible so with all the resources. It is too late to regret once every species go extinct.
Well read your article, and let's keep up!
Best,
Joon
Posted 22-05-2022 17:21
Hello Vaishnavi, this is your mentor Chelwoon.
As mentioned in this article, it is difficult to answer the question of how many species there are on earth. I would like to add one more thing. We do not know which species play critical roles within the ecosystem among the species which we have yet to know. The extinction of one species can lead to the extinction of one hundred species, or even thousands of species. Of course, we know of some. However, many ecologists warn us of unknown impacts from the consequences of losing biodiversity. Therefore, we aim to protect every single species.
Thank you for the article!
Regards,
Chelwoon
Posted 19-05-2022 11:26