Understanding of biodiversity and its importance

Biodiversity or biological diversity is a wide-ranging concept that includes innumerable species of plants and animals, present on the planet. Environmentalists believe that there are more than millions of such species found on earth. Did you know that the Amazon rainforest in SA is home to more than a million species of animals and plants? As all these living organisms depend on each other for one reason or another, the concept of biodiversity arises. People should recognize the fact that any loss incurred on the planet is actually a loss to humanity, and it is our responsibility to try to save Earth's biodiversity.

Biodiversity is that branch of biology that is very important in the ecosystem. As already mentioned above, all living creatures on this planet are interdependent on each other for their existence, and the very concept of biodiversity orbits around this fact. When we speak of all living creatures, we are actually referring to each and every organism on the planet, including species of microscopic bacteria, humans, plants, and blue whales.

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Biodiversity also has a very important role to play when it comes to the evolution of species. Earth has already witnessed the extinction of five massive species, which were enough to wipe out ninety-nine percent of the species of plants and animals known to inhabit the planet. The last mass extinction took place 65 years ago and wiped out the planet's dinosaurs. When old species go extinct, new species develop, and this is how the balance is maintained. This may sound simple enough, but the change takes around millions of years.

Biodiversity is also very important for the stability of food webs. Disruption of food webs can cause disaster for the entire ecosystem. The extinction of a single animal species often puts enormous pressure on many other species that depend on it. There are many examples of alterations in the food chain that have caused the extinction of animals.

biodiversity also has an important role to play in human society. In addition to being the most intelligent species on planet earth, humans are also the most dependent species. Since our evolution, we have depended on nature to meet our basic needs. By altering the balance of nature to create great cities and achieve technical breakthroughs, we knowingly and unknowingly cause great damage to the ecosystem. This must be understood and the damages must be reversed in different ways to ensure that the balance of the ecosystem is maintained save forests.

If you are interested in this branch of biology, then you may consider taking this as a career choice and helping save our planet. There are several private biology tutors available to help you understand the subject in detail.