Rudraksh Kapil
Topic Area: Biodiversity
Loss of biodiversity: what are the causes and what can we do?
Biodiversity is the variety of all forms of life on Earth - plants, animals and microorganisms. Biodiversity refers to: Species; Variations within species; and interdependence of species. It is interesting to note that only about 1.2 million worldwide species have been identified and catalogued out of a towering total of about 8.7 million, as of August 2011[1]. A range of factors and processes exist that influence biodiversity. They include climate, endemism and human activity. Climatic elements include temperature, light intensity, wind and precipitation and these are the main factors controlling the distribution of biodiversity. In this essay I will be discussing the human impact on biodiversity.
It is very important for us humans to preserve biodiversity. Without doing so, the result could be mass extinction of several species. Many ecosystems provide important natural functions, for example micro-organisms in an ecosystem are vital in the breakdown of dead plant and animal remains and thus the recycling of nutrients. Also, ecosystems provide mankind with many necessary resources such as wood. Personally I feel that biodiversity should be preserved as there are still …show more content…
I realise now that before I had begun conducting research I knew little about the topic, only that it intrigued me. Now I have a deeper understanding and feel greatly affected by this concerning topic. I feel it is our moral obligation as the superior species to protect the other ones around us, for not only their sake but ours as well. It would be a great shame if we lost out on any potential benefits from these species as well. Through global awareness started on a local or national scale I believe it would be possible to reduce the loss of biodiversity that we are currently
Topic Area: Biodiversity
Loss of biodiversity: what are the causes and what can we do?
Biodiversity is the variety of all forms of life on Earth - plants, animals and microorganisms. Biodiversity refers to: Species; Variations within species; and interdependence of species. It is interesting to note that only about 1.2 million worldwide species have been identified and catalogued out of a towering total of about 8.7 million, as of August 2011[1]. A range of factors and processes exist that influence biodiversity. They include climate, endemism and human activity. Climatic elements include temperature, light intensity, wind and precipitation and these are the main factors controlling the distribution of biodiversity. In this essay I will be discussing the human impact on biodiversity.
It is very important for us humans to preserve biodiversity. Without doing so, the result could be mass extinction of several species. Many ecosystems provide important natural functions, for example micro-organisms in an ecosystem are vital in the breakdown of dead plant and animal remains and thus the recycling of nutrients. Also, ecosystems provide mankind with many necessary resources such as wood. Personally I feel that biodiversity should be preserved as there are still …show more content…
I realise now that before I had begun conducting research I knew little about the topic, only that it intrigued me. Now I have a deeper understanding and feel greatly affected by this concerning topic. I feel it is our moral obligation as the superior species to protect the other ones around us, for not only their sake but ours as well. It would be a great shame if we lost out on any potential benefits from these species as well. Through global awareness started on a local or national scale I believe it would be possible to reduce the loss of biodiversity that we are currently