Beautiful Nature: Biodiversity

Showing posts with label Biodiversity - Chapter 4. Show all posts

Friday, June 2, 2017

Chapter 4 - Conclusion

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Kathryn Pintus, IUCN , "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 4) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 4. Verbatim.

In this chapter we looked at the importance of speciesdiversity, particularly in relation to human livelihoods, and at the current status of the world’s species. Despite the fact that the outlook seems less than bright, with many species currently at risk of extinction, there is still hope. There have been several success stories to date, with species being brought back from the brink of extinction through the careful application of conservation strategies. By implementing conservation tools such as the IUCN Red List, and using them to their full capacity to influence decisions and to inform action, biodiversity loss can be halted, if not reversed.

Alpine Ibex: A Conservation Success Story!

Chapter 4. Verbatim.

The alpine ibex is endemic to Europe, and this once abundant species used to roam freely across the Alps of France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany and northern Italy.

Red For Danger

Chapter 4. Verbatim.

Species already driven to extinction include the famous dodo, as well as the lesser-known hula painted frog, woolly-stalked begonia and pig-footed bandicoot. Unfortunately, there are thousands of species set to follow in their footsteps, all of which are in danger of being wiped out completely as a result of habitat destruction, pollution, overexploitation, climate change, invasive alien species or any combination of these.

The Status Of Species

Chapter 4. Verbatim.

Just as genes make up species, species make up ecosystems, which we will learn more about in the next chapter. Whether directly or indirectly, the survival of a species within an ecosystem often depends on the presence of several other species, and as such, the conservation of biodiversity is of utmost importance.

In Chapter 2 we had a look at some of the main causes of biodiversity loss, including habitat loss and fragmentation, overexploitation, climate change, invasive alien species and pollution. Each of these can place enormous pressure on species, leading to many being driven to extinction (see adjacent figure).

Conservation Efforts

Chapter 4. Verbatim.

Species are also important units in terms of conservation efforts. We often identify, prioritise and monitor biodiversity in terms of species, as we tend to understand them better than genes or ecosystems. As a result of the strong public interest in species, they also play a key role in engaging people in biodiversity conservation.

Animal Pollination

Chapter 4. Nadine Azzu, FAO. Verbatim.

Pollination is a very important ecosystem service, without which many of the plants that we use for food could not grow. Pollination can occur in three main ways: self-pollination, wind pollination and pollination by animals.

Species Biodiversity And Services

Chapter 4. Verbatim.

Services provided by species include water purification, which is carried out by molluscs such as clams and mussels. These molluscs are very common in river systems, and purify the water by filtration, making it safer to drink. Dragonflies also play an important role in freshwater ecosystems, by acting as indicators of water quality. If pollution becomes a problem in an area, dragonflies will be the first to be affected, and so a reduction in their numbers could indicate a reduction in water quality. This early warning mechanism could prove vital, as action can then be taken to resolve the problem before other species (including humans) become affected.

Species Biodiversity and Goods

Chapter 4. Verbatim.

Many of the goods we obtain come from domesticated species, including cows, pigs and sheep, and various agricultural crops such as wheat, rice and corn. All of these domesticated species originally descended from wild ones, which were selected and bred for specific purposes. The food produced from domesticated species sustains the lives of billions of people around the world, by forming the essential components of our daily diets. Despite there being thousands of species that we could potentially eat, we routinely consume only a small handful of these!

The Importance of Species

Chapter 4. Verbatim.

Now that you have a better idea of what a species is, you might be asking yourself the following question: why are species important? Species play a vital role as building blocks of biodiversity, interacting to form the ecosystems upon which we all depend for survival, and providing us with what are known as ecosystem goods and services (discussed extensively in the next chapter).

How Does Taxonomy Help Biodiversity?

Chapter 4. Junko Shimura, CBD. Verbatim.

Biodiversity, or life on Earth, is disappearing at an unprecedented rate as a result of human activities. Decisions must be taken now to reverse this trend. But how do decision-makers decide where to establish protected areas, places that receive special protection because of their environmental or cultural value, if they don’t know what needs protecting?

Species: The Cornerstone of Biodiversity

Chapter 4. Verbatim.

So far, we’ve had a look at genetic diversity, and we’ve learned that genes are responsible for the wide variety of species that exist on Earth. But what exactly is a species?