By Akshita Prakash
“I can't imagine anything more important than air, water, soil, energy and biodiversity. These are the things that keep us alive.” ~David Suzuki
Biodiversity. Many have heard of it, though it doesn’t concern many as well. Biodiversity, or the variety of life in the world or a particular ecosystem, is declining. The levels of biodiversity across the board have significantly lowered to a dangerous amount. According to the World Wildlife Federation, “biodiversity has declined 30 percent since 1970. Biodiversity is in critical condition due to various threats including urban sprawl, deforestation and climate change.” So, it looks like the main cause of the decline in biodiversity is due to still large, but smaller issues like climate change and deforestation. The link between climate change and biodiversity has long been established. Although throughout Earth’s history the climate has always changed with ecosystems and species coming and going, rapid climate change affects ecosystems and species ability to adapt and so biodiversity loss increases. We also know, as per many articles, that the causes of these things are due to human activities. To a lesser extent, the clearing of land for agriculture, industry, and other human activities has increased concentrations of greenhouse gases. The lack of biodiversity puts the food chain, water sources and other resources at risk. Without enough biodiversity, ecosystems deteriorate until they no longer exist. To put it quite literally, the world just can’t afford the cost of biodiversity loss.
Declining biodiversity lowers an ecosystem’s productivity (the amount of food energy that is converted into the biomass) and lowers the quality of the ecosystem’s services (which often include maintaining the soil, purifying water that runs through it, and supplying food and shade, etc.).
Biodiversity loss also threatens the structure and proper functioning of the ecosystem. Thus, the ecosystem loses its ability to recover from any disturbance in its flow. Beyond a critical point of species removal, the ecosystem can become destabilized and collapse. That is, it ceases to be what it was (e.g., a tropical forest, a temperate swamp, an Arctic meadow, etc.) and undergoes a rapid restructuring, becoming something else (e.g., cropland, urban ecosystem, barren wasteland, etc.). Even worse, due to the extensive non-environmental changes caused by humans, many species are quickly facing extinction. As stated in the National Wildlife Federation, “According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), globally about one third of all known species are threatened with extinction. That includes 29 percent of all amphibians, 21 percent of all mammals, and 12 percent of all birds. If we do not stop the threats to biodiversity, we could be facing another mass extinction with dire consequences to the environment, and human health and livelihood.”
In order to create a better ecosystem, not just for us but the many species we share this world with, we can do many things to preserve biodiversity.
For example, we can open up more nature preserves, and allow people to see what we must protect, and allow much more space for animals and plants to live and grow for acres and acres of land.
We can also raise awareness about invasive species. For instance, the tree-of-heaven is a fast-growing and aggressive species native to China. Now, it springs up almost everywhere — and thanks to its dense root structure and quick-growing capabilities, it can quickly swallow up the biodiversity of any particular area or species.
Furthemore, we should reconsider lawns. Though they are easier to maintain, and are aesthetic to a house’s complexion, lawns require fertilization, gasoline and water which wastes resources that could be used for other purposes. Instead, properties with meadow areas are so beneficial to biodiversity.
The ones I have listed above are just the beginning of what we can do. There is so much out there that we can improve, to preserve our planet for future generations.
More on improving biodiversity can be found here:
But how do we stop it permanently? It will take time, but education and protection are keys to conserving biodiversity. Think with a sustainable mind. Make green choices. Spread the word.
Works Cited
“Biodiversity.” National Wildlife Federation, www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Understanding-Conservation/Biodiversity#:~:text=Biodiversity is the variety of,ecosystem or a neighborhood park.
“The Causes of Climate Change.” NASA, NASA, 10 July 2020, climate.nasa.gov/causes/.
Shah, Anup. “Climate Change Affects Biodiversity.” - Global Issues, www.globalissues.org/article/172/climate-change-affects-biodiversity.
Rafferty, John P. “Biodiversity Loss.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 14 June 2019,
www.britannica.com/science/biodiversity-loss.
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