We find ourselves in a more critical situation as far as the richness of our planet's biodiversity is concerned. Despite the initiatives that are being carried out, and which have made great progress in this area, the reality is that even today there are still many threatened species (both animals and plants), as well as other species that, if they continue the current dynamics of destruction of natural environments could soon enter the lists of threatened species.
One of the problems that it has to face is the general ignorance that the loss of biological diversity implies and its terrible consequences for the environment and for ourselves as human beings. If you want to delve a little deeper into why biodiversity and its care is important, keep reading Green Ecologist and we will tell you.
What is biodiversity or biological diversity
In a generic sense, biodiversity, also called biological DiversityIt is the biological wealth that exists on our planet due to the great variety of species that exist. In other words, biodiversity is the breadth of genetic material that makes up the biosphere.
In this sense, biodiversity refers to the "quality" of the life existing on our planet. To understand it with a simple example, if we think of a forest, we will probably be facing an example of great biological diversity, since the organisms that make up this ecosystem are many and varied. However, if we think of a tree plantation that will be destined for the timber industry, we will probably also be facing an ecosystem of similar dimensions to those of the normal forest, but in this case, the number of species that will inhabit this ecosystem will be greatly reduced despite the fact that the "amount" of living matter may be similar.
In this way, to speak of biodiversity is to speak of the genetic and biological quality of ecosystems, which will be better the greater the genetic wealth they contain, since they will have more species.
Why is biodiversity and its care important?
Biodiversity is important because it involves a series of factors intrinsic to it:
Genetic wealth
Biodiversity or biological diversity guarantees the existence of a greater number of species from a genetic point of view. In other words, greater biodiversity implies more genetic variants in an ecosystem, which is positive for it.
Species interdependence
Natural ecosystems develop over millions of years. This creates relationships of interdependence between the species that comprise it (for example, the one between bees and flowering plants with pollen). In this way, greater biodiversity allows these relationships of interdependence or mutual dependence between species to be more and better established, which leads to a stronger and more connected ecosystem.
Ecosystem balance
In the same way, these interdependent relationships of species allow a balance to exist within ecosystems. This balance of ecosystems is what allows all species, and the ecosystem as a whole, to survive and develop in a positive way for all species that are in harmony within the ecosystem in question.
Scientific uses
In addition to the aspect of biological balance that the greater biodiversity of ecosystems entails, humans can benefit from biological diversity. Biodiversity guarantees greater possibilities of obtaining drugs and food, since most of these elements come, to a greater or lesser extent, from certain plant species that, in many cases, are not yet even cataloged by botanists.
Greater beauty
On the other hand, although also from a human perspective, an ecosystem with greater biodiversity is more beautiful than one that is poor in a variety of species, both animals and plants. In this way, it is an added value, an intangible wealth and a natural heritage that must be conserved. Not because it has a "practical use", but because it has value on its own.
How to protect biodiversity
There are several ways to protect biodiversity of our planet:
Avoid actions that promote the extinction of species
Even today there are certain actions that directly harm those species that are most threatened, such as poaching, cutting down of primary forests (for example the Amazon), consumption of ivory, consumption of exotic meats, etc. .
Favoring actions to protect endangered species
In this sense, one of the best options is to collaborate with NGOs that work actively for the preservation of the biodiversity of the various ecosystems of our planet. Discover in this other article by Green Ecologist a Map of world biodiversity to conserve endangered species.
Reducing consumption and pollution
One of the main problems for which the richness of biodiversity is being threatened is because of consumerism and the pollution that it entails. By reducing our consumption we reduce pollution and, consequently, the impact that human actions have on various ecosystems.
Consumption to local and sustainable markets
In the same way that consumerism is harmful, if our consumption is redirected to consuming only what is necessary and, especially, consuming what can favor respect for biodiversity, we will be doing a great job. A good example is opting for organic and fair trade products, which is the best way to ensure that the consumption we carry out has minimized its impact on the environment in which the production takes place.
Talking to the Public Administration
Public bodies are the ones with the greatest capacity to protect biodiversity because they are the ones with the capacity to define protected areas, which is the best tool to guarantee the security of biological diversity, both terrestrial and aquatic.
Awareness and education
One of the fundamental factors is to create awareness of the importance of biodiversity. It is essential that society is educated in respect for nature so that the protection of biodiversity is put before economic benefit. In this way, they will create a society that is sustainable and sustainable at the same time.
If you want to read more articles similar to Why is biodiversity important?, we recommend that you enter our Biodiversity category.
