Beautiful Nature: Biodiversity

Chapter 5 - Conclusion

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013, Nadine Azzu, FAO "The Youth Guide to Biodiversity" 1st Edition (Chapter 5) Youth and United Nations Global Alliance. Reproduced with permission.

Chapter 5 Conclusion. Verbatim.

In a sense, nature is made up of “big life” and “small life”. The big life cannot survive if small life is not taken care of, or if it is not managed properly. The bits and pieces of small life – and just as importantly, the interactions between them - are what sustain the big life. The small life consists of the species that can be found on the ground, in the skies, in the water and underground – for example, mammals, birds, fish and insects. The big life is the wider ecosystem. As we have seen in this chapter through examples such as rice paddy ecosystems, pollination and soil fertility, it is the small life (species) that not only sustains the ecosystem but also the ecosystem services that ensure a healthy and functioning planet.

Why Should We Pay Attention To Ecosystem Services?

Chapter 5. Verbatim.

An example of ecosystem service: Pollination

Pollination is an ecosystem service that depends to a large extent on cooperation, or symbiosis, between species – the pollinated (the plant) and the pollinator. Some pollinators only pollinate specific types of flowers. At least one-third of the world’s agricultural crops (especially many fruits and vegetables) depend upon pollination provided by insects and other animals. Pollinators are essential for orchard, horticultural and forage production, as well as for the production of seeds for many root and fibre crops. Some examples of pollinators are moths, butterflies, flies, beetles and vertebrates (such as bats, squirrels and birds). Most animal pollination is done by bees. That means that bees are responsible for making sure many of the fruits and vegetables that we eat actually exist!

How Our Health And Safety Depend On Biodiversity

Chapter 5. Conor Kretsch, COHAB Initiative Secretariat. Verbatim.

Biodiversity sustains our health in many ways. In addition to providing us with sources of fresh water and food, it provides important medicines and resources for medical research. Biodiversity also plays a role in the control of pests and infectious diseases, and by supporting healthy ecosystems it can help to protect us against the worst effects of natural disasters.

The Dirt On Healthy Soils

Chapter 5. Verbatim.

Enhancing the provision of ecosystem services can result from a collective effort. For example, creating and maintaining healthy soil in an agro-ecosystem requires farmers and worms to work together.

What Are Ecosystem Services, And Why Do We Need Them?

Chapter 5. Verbatim.

Ecosystem services (sometimes called ecosystem goods and services) are the benefits that the environment, of which humans are a part, obtains from ecosystems. Boxes: “The dirt on healthy soils” and “How our health and safety depend on biodiversity” take a closer look at some of the vital ecosystem services provided by biodiversity. There are four types of ecosystem services. They are:

The Rice Paddy Agro-Ecosystem

Chapter 5. Verbatim.

A rice paddy is an aquatic ecosystem that houses different types of fish, frogs, plants, insects and soil. For more than 5 000 years, humans have actively managed rice paddies to produce high yields of rice; these rice paddies are called flooded rice agro‑ecosystems.

Types Of Ecosystems

Chapter 5. Verbatim.

Terrestrial ecosystems are found on land, and include tropical forests and deserts. The biodiversity found in tropical rainforests is famous for its variety – birds of all types, shapes and colours, different and abundant tree species, and even spiders, snakes and monkeys.

Ecosystems and Ecosystem Services

Chapter 5. Verbatim.

An ecosystem can be considered the house where biodiversity lives – in terms of the physical location and the interactions that occur within this space. An ecosystem is made up of physical and chemical (abiotic) and living (biotic) factors – for example, rocks, air and water are physical/chemical factors, while plants, animals and microorganisms are living factors.

Pollinators in a garden in France.

An ecosystem is a system which contains biodiversity at all levels – including species diversity and genetic diversity – and encompasses the interactions and dependencies of biodiversity.

Saturday, June 3, 2017