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.
Even now, people are constantly enraptured by the possibilities that science and technology offer, while neglecting their duties towards nature and the earth.
“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous” (Aristotle). Franklin Crabbe is the main character in the novel Crabbe by William Bell. Throughout the novel, Crabbe learns how pleasant, but forceful nature is. In the bush, Crabbe enjoys nature; he feels he’s significant, and realizes that responsibility is compulsory for survival. When people step out of their tedious routine into the nature, they gain higher self-esteem and learn to appreciate their surroundings.
As small mobile groups of hunter-gatherers adopted a sedentary lifestyle, they mastered both agriculture and animal domestication. These small settled groups quickly evolved into cities and towns that encompassed the entire globe. Today the estimated population of the world is over 6.2 million people.1 As the population has grown, it has had several deleterious effects on the Earth. These include climate changes, the spread of diseases, declining food production, deforestation, and environment pollution (particularly air pollution). As people have become more conscious of these harmful effects, they have begun to devise strategies to combat this problem. Among the suggested responses include a switch to renewable energy, a call for zero population growth, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices.
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.
The reality is if we keep at the current pace we are going to ultimately destroy ourselves. Changes are slowly happening to counteract this damage, however. People have taken an interest in solar and wind power as a means to reduce pollution. Conservation efforts have brought back some endangered species from the brink of extinction. Some of
Since the beginning of time, humans have always had some type of relationship with nature, whether it was negative or positive. Adam & Eve were exiled from paradise for eating from the forbidden tree. Neanderthals flourished living in caves while having constant interactions with nature. And now in this day in age the relationship continues. This ever-changing relationship between man and nature is the main focus of two writers, Wendell Berry and Terry Tempest Williams. Both writers have a similar voice and style in some aspects, yet differ in others.
The human population growth rate is an alarming issue that brings with it irreversible consequences, that will likely effect the way of life for future generations to come. With the serious incline in population statistics comes catastrophic processes such as global warming and deforestation that have major ‘knock on’ ramifications. It’s issues such as these that need to be considered when we think about the growth of the human population, and we must take into account why these issues are occurring. We must also explore the options available to us that may assist in limiting the problems, or eliminating them all together, to provide a better place, not only for us in existence now, but also those who will walk this earth in the future decades and centuries to come.
One of the major effects of the huge population increase has been the depletion of natural resources and the destruction of ecosystems. In the 1960's, theorist Paul Ehrlich predicted that, given the skyrocketing figures of human population, the amount of food produced would not grow at a fast enough rate for human survival (Professor Carr Everbach, personal communication). He predicted mass starvation and death by the year 2000 as the result of uncontrolled population growth. Clearly, this did not occur. Ehrlich did not foresee the advancements ma...
"The science of human sustenance is inherently a social science. Neither physics nor chemistry nor even biology is adequate to understand how it has been possible for one species to reshape both its own future and the destiny of an entire planet."(Overpopulation Is Not the Problem By Erle C. Ellis Sept. 13, 2013) Modern technology gives us the opportunity to start an Environmental Revolution. This revolution consists of innovative green technology. Humanity has already taken a step toward this change implementation of solar powered energy and smart cars are only a few examples. The goal that plans to be reached are more efficient advancements of technology, smarter planning both in urban and regional areas as well as policies that support industrial
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.
Human population growth is becoming a huge issue in our world today. The population is increasing rapidly. The reason that it is becoming a concern is because it has affected the economic, environmental, and social aspects of our world. In the film Frontline: Heat, we can see how there might not be a future for our planet unless we are able to reduce the emissions and make our world a safe place. Not only for the present but also for future generations so that they are able to live long and healthy lives.
... present rate of human population growth, we might well be heading for the sixth mass extinction crisis.
One of the problems facing our world is population. It began about ten thousand years ago when the humans settled and began farming. The farming provides more food for the people thus making the population grow. Now we are about 6 billion in population and in a few years we will be around 10 to 11 billion. Therefore, our population will almost double in size. This means that we will need more food to support us. A study in 1986 by Peter Vitonesk, a Stanford biologist, showed that the humans are already consuming about 38.8 of what is possible for us to eat. Thus, if the population keeps increasing, the percentage will increase also, making us closer and closer to the biophysical limits. By studying the earth's capacity, Dr. Cornell, another biologist, believes that we are already crowded for this would. He believes that our world can only support two million people. Not only this, but population can cause complicated problems to the countries with very high population. These countries will need more schools to educate its people, they will need more hospitals and public health to take care of their people, and they will need more water and more soil for farming to feed all the people. In order to solve the population growth problem, the people should be educated. Once the people are educated they will be aware of the problems they ca...
The reduction of the Earth's resources has been closely linked to the rise in human population. For many thousands of years people lived in relative harmony with their surroundings. Population sizes were small, and life-supporting tools were simple. Most of the energy needed for work was provided by the worker and animals. Since about 1650, however, the human population has increased dramatically. The problems of overcrowding multiply as an ever-increasing number of people are added to the world's population each year.
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.