Biodiversity: The Source of Life
In our modern world, there is a fact that nobody can escape. We are in trouble and if we
do not change things, nobody will. We worry about global warming, poverty, hunger,
healthcare, but we neglect one main problem. This problem exists, but nobody sees it. Slowly
but surely, our world is dying. Species by species, life is disappearing because of us. Humans
have to understand that in order to secure our future in this planet we must first help those that
are in trouble because of our greed and unsustainability. Biodiversity is a main factor in the
sustenance and development of the world and human society. The loss of biodiversity is
imminent and if no change is made in the next 35 years,
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According to the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), biodiversity is the
variety of all forms of life, including genes, species, populations and ecosystems (Kasten, Liu
et al.). Biodiversity contains every living thing, including humans. It works in an
interdependent system. Every being depends on each other to survive. If one being disappears,
the web is weakened, but because there is balance, it remains in place (Williams, Scott, et al.).
One example of this is the Nitrogen Cycle. In the cycle, nitrogen is placed in the soil by bacteria.
Plants then use nitrogen to grow into mature organisms. Finally, animals and humans eat plants
and their droppings feed bacteria, which then renews the cycle by placing nitrogen in the
ground. Another well-known example is the relationship between bees and flowers. Bees need
flowers to get their food, pollen, while flowering plants need bees to pollinate them in order to
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reproduce. Humans are an influential part of the web of biodiversity, because they have the
potential to destroy the web entirely or to keep it in balance. This means that in this sense,
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The following step is to support the
regional organizations, such as the WWF and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),
that have already started taking measures to ensure our planet’s life does not end (“Social
Aspects”). The next step is to change the focus of our economic models to one that fully values
the environment and all that it can provide for us (Kasten, Liu et al.). The key is to balance
world needs with the environmental stability of our planet. Failure to protect one species means
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the endangerment of all the species directly and indirectly connected to that one species
(Williams, Scott et al.). The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) recommends the
following solutions to the survival of all life: establishing protected areas; rehabilitating
degraded ecosystems; preventing the introduction of new species; and securing that new
technology does not pose risks to the environment (“Action for Biodiversity”). All solutions
directed towards solving the problem of biodiversity have been provided, now we just have to
act.
In conclusion, the source of all life is dying and we are letting it happen. We
Below is the graph of the cycle. The nitrogen cycle ties into the tropical rainforest also in many ways. One of them being that Nitrogen is a very important factor for all plants and animals. The nitrogen is brought into the soil and water when the plant dies it also can be brought into the soil when herbivores have eaten the dead plants or in some ways they can excrete nitrogen . Humans affect this cycle in many ways by adding extra nitrogen this can happen with fertilizers and this is releases nitrogen into the air with fossil fuel. In fact, humans add way more nitrogen to the air than the what actually comes from natural sources. Without the nitrogen cycle there would be very limited to non growth because the rainforest needs nitrogen in the
Animals attain carbon by feeding on plants and other animals. Animals eat the plants and use the carbon to build their own tissues. The animals get rid of the carbon dioxide in a process called respiration in which an organism supplies its tissues and cells with the oxygen and relieves the tissues and cells of carbon dioxide. Some animals, however, get rid of carbon dioxide only when they breathe, and when they die, the carbon is returned to the soil during decomposition. Carbon items continue to be recycled over and over. For instance the carbon atoms may then be used in a new plant or small microorganisms. Ultimately, the same carbon atom can move through many organisms and even end in the same place where it began. Combustion is another way in which carbon is returned into the atmosphere. Oil, gasses, wood and coal use this process. Molecules combine with oxygen and then convert into water and carbon dioxide and also release light and heat.
The World Wide Web started as an idea that focused around the government’s need to communicate if there was a real war. In 1964 the Cold War was at its peak, the Advanced Researched Projects Agency, or ARPA began researching and developing a way to get computers to “communicate with each other,” this is how it all started (The Internet's History and Development). The government scientists who were, “developing networking technology in the 1960's knew that what they were building would be far bigger than themselves; nobody, however, could have predicted the explosion in Internet access and interest in the past several years” (The Internet’s History and Development).
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
The carbon cycle describes the movement of carbon as it is recycled and reused throughout the biosphere. Due to water, land and air pollution that humans cause, organisms in the ecosystem are harmed, thus decreasing the amount of carbon that is released into the atmosphere. If less carbon is released, photosynthesis in plants would be disrupted too because they need carbon dioxide, chlorophyll, water and sunli...
Lanier, Jaron. "The False Ideals of the Web." New York Times. 30 Jan. 2012. Web. 30 Jan. 2012.
Humans belong to a class of species that can develop technology to support the expanded pyramid of needs of its population. It can grow its own food, devise mechanisms to generate potable water, and even prolong life with the aid of machines and chemicals. Such intelligence and giftedness can also be used to understand that like all the other species, we are bound by the finiteness of earth’s resources and that our lives and decisions can never be extricated from the basic ecological web of life.
Humans are destructive. Not a lot of us think about how what we do affects the world around us. We almost act like we are the only ones on this planet. We go around polluting and destroying our world with no regard for our actions. The things that live out in the wild are paying the price for it. Every day that passes there is another animal or plant that is placed on an endangered list. This is happening at an alarming rate. Because of man’s desire to expand and conquer their surroundings, there are animals and plants that are on the brink of extinction that will not be around for our kids and future generations to enjoy if something is not done about it now. This problem has been going on for hundreds of years. There are animals and plants that can only been seen in paintings or early photography. It is because of our early ancestors that we have this problem today and we have to do more to prevent more animals and plants from disappearing forever.
...rflies, etc. which helps in seed dispersal helps in the production of food and other agricultural goods. An estimated 90% of all flowering plants would not exist without animals and insects transporting pollen from one plant to another. Example: Honeybees in the Himalayan region, people in that region recognize that bees help secure better livelihoods, both by increasing agricultural productivity and by generating direct income from selling honey and wax.
The Internet has become a major tool for communication and access to information for over two and half billion people (Wright 121). Although Internet has become an unavoidable reality that is consuming our planet in a web of information. This process is being shaped by our actions and choices which ultimately drives us together (Deibert 11). Nowadays China has over 538 million netizens, the world’s largest online community (Feng & Guo 335).
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.
Everyone’s all seen those wildlife shows on tv. The shows on National Geographic and such, showing animals in beautiful environments, everything lush and growing and nothing at all wrong that could threaten these creatures and places. But, have anyone seen the other side? The side where all these beautiful creatures and plants starve, are decimated by predators that have never been there before, and sometime even become poisoned by their very own homes and habitats? Of course no one has. That doesn’t mean that its not happening. It is happening, and its happening everywhere. And guess who is to blame? People. Society. Humans as a race pollute the environment, hunt animals simply for their parts, fish way more than humans will ever need just for the sake of money, introduce new species to new places for our own gain, and even purposefully destroy entire regions just for human expansion. And its starting to take its toll. While it is true that nature is constantly in flux and certain species come and go, humans are causing more species to disappear in the past few hundred years then nature has ever caused since the age of the dinosaurs, and therefore it is up to humans to repair the damage caused, be it cleaning the environment and habitats of these creatures, or taking more direct action to protect and preserve the species that are on the brink of extinction.
After going through the details on this topic I started realizing the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem. It would not be wrong to say that it has also bought upon a sense of responsibility and maturity in me towards the sensitive issues surrounding us which generally are ignored or are not given much importance by the students of my age group. I do now believe that even our small contribution can make a difference in preserving this great natural gift of God.
The United Nations designated 2011-2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity. In biodiversity, each species, no matter how big or small has an important role to play in ecosystem. Various plant and animal species depend on each other what each offers and these diverse species ensures natural sustainability for all life forms. A healthy and solid biodiversity can recover itself from variety of disasters. It is estimated that the current species extinction rate is between 1,000 and 10,000
NEED AND PURPOSE FOR CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY: Biodiversity, a contraction of “biological diversity,” generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth. The very existence of human species and sustainable development depend on biodiversity conservation, therefore the need for conservation of biodiversity is basically for this reason that all living creatures need other creatures and plants in one way or the other. At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are mainly derived from biological resources. Biodiversity is necessary for our existence as well as valuable in its own right as it provides the fundamental building blocks for the many goods and services which are essential