What is Biodiversity? 🐍 🐋 🦈 🐊 🐅 🦍 🕷🌳 🌎
#biodiversity #whatisbiodiversity #geneticdiversity #ecosystemdiversity #speciesdiversity #humanimpactonbiodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of species that exist (animal and plant), bio means life and diversity means a variety of something. The communities into which species assemble themselves and at a landscape scale; the ecosystems, the functioning whole that combines these communities of animals and plants made up of individuals. Basically, biodiversity is everything. You can consider biodiversity as the building blocks of life, a variety of life, and the balance of life. Biodiversity isn’t spread across the planet evenly, with some environments being more biodiverse than others, for example, the coral reefs are particularly biodiverse, as well as the tropics.
There is a massive knowledge gap when examining how many different species we have on earth, especially the ocean - 1.2 million species have been described but according to Robert May, a biologist, a further 10 million are thought to exist, so 86% of species have not been described, and on a bigger scale over 90% of marine species have not been described.
On a basic level there are three levels of biodiversity that are commonly discussed — genetic, species and ecosystem diversity.
1. Genetic diversity is all the different genes contained in all the living species,
including individual plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms.
2. Species diversity is all the different species, as well as the differences within and
between different species.
3. Ecosystem diversity is all the different habitats, biological communities and
ecological processes, as well as variation within individual ecosystems.
Biodiversity has changed dramatically over the years and this is a result of two main factors - speciation and extinction. Speciation refers to events or processes that result in new species. Extinction is the complete loss of a species. These two evolutionary processes can be seen in their destructive and progressive form. For example, due to human activity, some species are declining or have become extinct, and this can have a detrimental impact on the environment. However, some species when goes extinct is part of evolution and could be seen as ‘progressive’ especially if the species plays no part in the ecosystem.
Humans can and have dramatically altered an environments biodiversity, and humanity is having a profound effect on the environment and as such we can also cease such devastating practices and recover the environment. As species evolve, environmental conditions have worsened, so species are having to adapt to these worsening conditions. We are responsible for the decline in population amongst thousands of species. Humans have paved the way for many environmental crises globally. We destroy natural habitats to build roads, buildings, and agriculture.
Biodiversity provides substantial benefits to meet human needs, such
as clean water flows, and a stable climate.
Without biodiversity, there is no future for humanity.
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