What is Biodiversity?


What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity refers to the natural biological diversity and variation of living things on Earth. The word biodiversity was first used by the scientist Sir Alfred Wallace in 1874. Today, Biodiversity has become an integrated part of all the concepts we use in the study of nature, including ecology, anthropology, and conservation.

In recent years, interest in and understanding of Biodiversity has increased significantly. In fact, it has become one of the key elements in managing the processes of biodiversity, particularly global environmental change. Biodiversity refers to the natural biological variation and adaptation of living things on Earth. It also involves the difference between eco-systems and individual ecosystems and the role of humans in affecting these ecosystems through activities such as habitat loss, invasive species, climate change, and other human interventions.

What is Biodiversity?
What is Biodiversity?

The concept of biodiversity originated from the scientist’s observation that the distribution of species across a landscape is not random but depends upon factors such as their genetic characteristics and the factors that separate them from one another. For example, species that are geographically isolated from one another will tend to become extinct or disappear from the face of the Earth in a very short period of time if they cannot be relocated. Similarly, some species have relatively independent distributions and although they may form relationships with other closely related species, they often go extinct without any inter-species interactions. These observations led primatologists to conclude that biodiversity relies upon a complex network of relationships among organisms, both within and between the Earth’s ecosystems.

Today, the rate of deforestation is rising at an alarming rate, which threatens the existence of many types of animals and plants. Human activities are the main cause for deforestation since they clear the land for farming and other purposes. In addition, people cultivate crops for their own consumption and as an additional source of income, resulting in massive environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions. A great deal of biodiversity occurs within the earth’s ecosystems, where plants and animals are united in the common need for food, shelter, and other necessities. This means that human activities can seriously impact on the survival of many flora and fauna. This phenomenon is referred to as anthropogenic global warming (AGW) and the gradual destruction of our planet’s environment.

Studies have shown that biodiversity can be seen in the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, rivers, snow and ice and in the global biogeochemical cycles. The study also showed that biodiversity plays a major role in climate change mitigation. Scientists believe that if some areas of the planet experience increases in temperature, for instance, there could be changes in the atmospheric circulation that affect the eco-systems of different ecosystems. The process of climate change may be slowed down if drastic reduction in the population of some species can be achieved in certain ecosystems.

A number of factors contribute to the decline of our world’s biodiversity. Human activities are one of these factors. People are the most potent force shaping the dynamics of the earth system, since they alter the existing norms of how things occur. Other factors include global warming, ozone layer depletion, and nuclear proliferation, which have led to the recent rise in defense strategy and military spending. These factors have created imbalances in the ecosystems; some of which are threatened with extinction.

Evidence has shown that over the last half century, the rate of extinctions has increased dramatically with no decrease in the rate of evolution. Extinction occurs when a species’ population density declines to below the carrying capacity of its environment. When this happens, the species may die off as the ability of oxygen to sustain their existence declines. Examples of these are coral reefs and other underwater plants.

The evidence of this environmental disaster paints a grim picture. If something is not done to reverse or slow down the rate of extinction, it will soon lead to annihilation of all life on earth. This mass extinction event is currently playing out in the Earth’s atmosphere, oceans, ice sheets, and land surfaces at a very fast pace. It is being described as the sixth mass extinction in the history of the planet. The good news is that we have the power and knowledge to stop this from happening.

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