Biodiversity: Definition, Types, Importance, Facts
What Is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity maps the total variety of life forms at different levels such as genetic variation in the species, variations in species and finally the variation in the ecosystems in the communities. Ecosystems contain water and serve a very important purpose in the sustenance of human lives. Hence, genetic diversity helps species to withstand ecological shocks and new conditions, while species diversity is a key factor in the stability of the ecosystem and its productivity. Those with ecosystem diversity are also involved in the control of nutrient cycling, climatic moderation, and water treatment. In this respect, awareness and conservancy of the same form the key to the provision of these services, sustenance of people’s livelihoods, and overall conservation of the planet’s ecosystem.
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Genetic Diversity
Genetic diversity is explained below-
Explanation Of Genetic Diversity
The concept of genetic Diversity is related to the variation in genetic information between individuals; this encompasses differences in sequences of DNA, genes and alleles among the species. Such diversity is created due to mutations, crossing over and selection.
Examples Of Genetic Variability Within Species
Even within species, one would observe variations in genetics including colouration, size, resistance to diseases, and ability to survive in certain climatic conditions among others. That is, while inside one species there can be high variation of responses to a particular treatment, for example, drought or pest resistance.
Importance Of Genetic Diversity
In this perspective, genetic variation is an essential component of a species’ stability and ability to respond to evolution processes including climate shifts and ailments. It provides for populations’ reproductive capability and their potential for development as a guarantor of the stability of ecosystems, and also the importance of sustainable agriculture and conservation all over the world.
Species Diversity
Species diversity is explained below-
Definition Of Species Diversity
Resources diversity is used interchangeably with the concept of species diversity, which is the count of different species residing in a given region or habitat. It speaks of the number of species per unit area (density) as well as the distribution of the individuals among the species (proportion).
Measurement Of Species Diversity
Diversity generally measures the total number of species in a given community or ecosystem equitability on the other hand measures the distribution of the organisms among the species.
Examples Of Species Diversity In Different Ecosystems
The tropical rainforests of the world have extreme species density with more than a thousand plant and animal species, and microbial spores. Fish, and other creatures, another illustration of the diverse ecosystems are coral reefs, invertebrates, and coral species. Similar to rainforests, other ecosystems, such as the grasslands, the desert, and the freshwater ecosystems, also have their own different species’ distribution acquiring their respective environments that tend to capture the characteristics of the ecosystems they are in. The conservation of species is therefore very important for shoring up ecological health and balance in the global ecosystem.
Ecosystem Diversity
Ecosystem diversity is explained below-
Definition Of Ecosystem Diversity
Ecosystem diversity is one of the categories of biodiversity that describe the distribution of the different ecosystems in a given area or on the surface of the world. It also includes elements such as the habitat, communities, and eco-processes that take place in those varying terrains.
Examples Of Different Ecosystems
1. Forests: Forest biomes are tropical rainforests, temperate forests, and boreal forests which comprise different animal and plant species that thrive in the conditions set by the climate of their geographical region.
2. Grasslands: From savannahs and prairies to steppes grasslands’ biomes host various mammalian herbivores and carnivores, adequate to the open country with variable precipitation.
3. Aquatic Ecosystems: Some common examples of aquatic biomes include; freshwater biomes which include; lakes, rivers, and wetlands, marine biomes which include coral reefs, estuaries, and deep-sea hydrothermal vents among others. Such an ecosystem sustains many types of water-dwelling organisms and is important in biogeochemical processes and climate moderation.
Importance Of Diverse Ecosystems
Different ecosystems are very vital in offering key resources including food and water, acting as climatic regulators, sources of nutrition, pollinators, and regulators of soil fertility. It contributes to the conservation of species diversity, stability to environmental perturbations, and other species’ homes. Thus, the preservation of ecosystem diversity is significant to retain the services of the ecosystem utilities, improve human quality of life, and maintain Earth’s flora and fauna for the generations to come.
India's Biodiversity
India is one of the world's most diverse countries. It is ranked ninth in terms of plant species diversity. India is home to two of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots. It is the source of several important crop species, including pigeon peas, eggplant, cucumber, cotton, and sesame. India is also a breeding ground for a variety of domesticated species, including millets, cereals, legumes, vegetables, medicinal and aromatic crops, and so on.
Diagram: Different Types of Ecosystems
Importance Of Biodiversity
The importance of Biodiversity is explained below-
Ecological Importance
It is vital to protect biological diversity because it supports the ecosystem processes that are necessary for people’s quality of life. Services like pollination, nutrient cycling, and water purification are very important for such activities as farming, food production, and water treatment. Biodiversity also increases the ability of ecosystems to maintain themselves and to recover easily from challenges such as climate change, disease or pollution
Economic Importance
Bio-diversity sustains matters of food, medicine, and industrial usage. A lot of human food and drugs are obtained directly from the cross-sectional classification bolstering the agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors across the world. Further, biological diversity bolsters ecotourism where people visit areas of conserved biodrural value, for both leisure and learning, which creates income for a nation and employment for its citizens.
Aesthetic And Cultural Value
Other than the utilitarian uses, people associate ecosystems with aesthetic and cultural intrinsic value. They discover how diverse ecosystems and organisms can be depicted in art and can influence peoples’ culture and existence. They give a means of recreation and spirituality to those in the communities as well as teaching spirit of conservation to-do list around the globe.
Threats To Biodiversity
The threats to Biodiversity are explained below-
Habitat Destruction
Habitat fragmentation and loss for various reasons such as urban development, agriculture, timber production, and infrastructural development continue to be the leading cause of the decline in Everett’s biodiversity. Many factors like deforestation and conversion of tracts of land from forests and wetlands to agricultural or built-up land affect ecosystems in such ways as distortion, displacement, and restrictions in the number of habitats available to species.
Climate Change
Global warming is considered an increasing threat to species and ecosystems’ distributions due to shifts in temperature and amount of precipitation. Global warming, enhanced formation of storms, heightening of sea level, and changing weather patterns interfere with the functionality of ecological systems and may affect the creation of life cycles among species besides exposing the most legal species to additional stress.
Pollution
Biodiversity is affected by pollution such as that from industries, agricultural leakages, plastics, and other toxins such as pesticides and heavy metals. Pollutants can bioaccumulate in ecosystems; they can affect the species in the ecosystem by the toxic impact and also by affecting the linkages between the species.
Invasive Species
Some of the invasive species are purposely brought in or they arrive as a consequence of other activities, and they are capable of displacing indigenous species, changing the structure of habitats, and upsetting equilibriums. They generally do not possess their natural enemies or regulators in the new locations, which causes enormous effects on the native species and the function of ecological systems.
Overexploitation
Overexploitation takes place when the rate at which species are caught and killed is beyond their recovery rates. These are through harvesting the stocks in the water bodies such as fish, trading in wildlife products, and cutting down trees in a way that is unprofitable for the species.
Recommended Video On Biodiversity
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
There are three different types of biodiversity:
Animal Diversity
Genetic Variation
Environmental Diversity
Ecosystem productivity is increased by biodiversity because every species, no matter how minor, plays a crucial part. For instance, a wider variety of crops results from a greater number of plant species. A greater variety of species ensures the natural sustainability of all life.
The significance of biodiversity There are several purposes for biodiversity on Earth. These are listed below:
- preserving the ecosystem's balance: Recycling and storing nutrients, preventing pollution, stabilizing the climate, safeguarding water supplies, establishing and protecting soil, and preserving eco-balance are all important.
- Biological resource provision: the availability of drugs and medications, food for both humans and animals, attractive plants, timber products, breeding stock, and a diversity of species.
- Social advantages: Recreation, tourism, education, and research are all related to culture.
Although counting species is perhaps the most popular way for comparing the biodiversity of different locations, other techniques can also be employed, such as looking at the genetic diversity within species, the diversity of the environment, and the presence of endemic species.
As scientific knowledge about the negative effects of biodiversity loss on global health grows, the importance of biodiversity to human health is emerging as a worldwide political problem. Since many of the expected health hazards of climate change are tied to changes in biodiversity, these two issues are intimately related.
According to a study co-authored by Felicia Keesing, an ecologist at Bard College, and Drew Harvell, associate director for Environment of the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) at Cornell University, the species that increase disease transmission, such as that of West Nile Virus, Lyme disease, and Hantavirus, tend to be those that survive. This is because the species most likely to disappear are those that buffer against infectious disease transmission.
Major causes of direct threat to biological diversity include; loss and fragmentation of natural habitats, climate change, and pollutants; for instance, chemicals affecting habitats, increase in the rate of invasive species and excessive use of resources fishing or hunting. These results in habitat destruction, the decline in species numbers, and disturbances in ecosystems, thus putting the world’s biodiversity at risk.
Biodiversity conservation can be achieved through various strategies including:
Creating protected areas and conservation reserves to guarantee the representatives of different biotopes and species.
There are activities like organic farming and responsible forestry that need to be practised to reduce the adverse effects of climate change.
Halting pollution, and enhancing the next steps of habitat improvement.
Raising the level of understanding of people regarding the issue of diminishing diversity in the biosphere and ways to correct this process.
Promoting global conventions and frameworks as a way of enhancing the preservation of biological diversity and the achievement of sustainable development aims.
Biodiversity hotspots are the areas of the richest species’ densities and large numbers of endemics, species that can exist nowhere else. These areas are relevant because they contain a large subset of the global biodiversity and are under immense pressure from anthropogenic forces. Conservation of the biological diversity in biodiversity hotspots is important in conserving species, and ecosystem services and decreasing the rate of species loss worldwide.
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Questions related to
Correct Answer: renowned
Solution : The third option is the correct choice.
The word renowned is fitting in this context as it means well-known or famous, emphasising the widespread recognition of the Amazon jungle for its extraordinary biodiversity.
Therefore, the correct answer is renowned.
Correct Answer: Context
Solution : The correct answer is option 2.
Explanation:
Context is the only word that will fit the blank and make the sentence coherent.
Ambiguous:open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.
Context: the circumstances that surround an event, statement, or idea and allow it to be fully understood.
Sanity:the ability to think and behave in a normal and rational manner; sound mental health.
Conjugal: relating to marriage or the relationship between a married couple.
Correct Answer: Establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Solution : The evolution of global environmental norms has led to the establishment of various international organizations and agreements focused on environmental protection, including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which was established in 1972 to coordinate global environmental activities.
Correct Answer: Education
Solution : The third option is correct.
The passage explicitly discusses how wildlife has aided humans in providing clothing, developing new medicines, and supplying food. However, it doesn't provide information about a direct contribution to formal education. The emphasis is more on the tangible benefits in terms of clothing, medicine, and food than on educational aspects.
Correct Answer: Ravaging
Solution : The correct answer is option 1.
Explanation:
Ravaging is the only word that will fit the blank and make the sentence coherent.
Ravaging: causing great harm and destruction.
Gainsaying: denying or contradicting (a fact or statement).
Darting: moving or running somewhere unexpectedly or quickly.
Ramifying:spread or branch out; grow and develop in complexity or range.