What is Biodiversity?-Importance and Causes of Destruction

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms found on Earth. The variety of living organisms in an ecosystem is called biodiversity. The exact number of species in the world is not known. The taxonomists have described 1.4 million species. But taxonomists estimate that there are 4 to 30 million more species. Many of these species are unnoticed.  It has become a major concern because of its impact on our environment.

Importance Of The Biodiversity

There is the following importance of biodiversity:

(i) Forests hold back flood waters and recycle CO2 and nutrients.

(ii) Insects pollinate crops and control insect pests.

(iii) The subterranean organisms promote soil fertility through decomposition.

(iv) Many of these undescribed species will provide new food crops, petroleum substitutes, new fibers, and pharmaceuticals. All of these functions require large healthy populations.

(v) Large populations promote genetic diversity. This diversity is required for the survival of the species in the changing environmental. Genetic diversity is lost forever. The zoologists are trying to save endangered species. But they can save only a tiny portion of the genetic pool.

Causes of destruction of biodiversity

Biodiversity is threatened all over the world. Acid rain, pollution, urban development, and agriculture are present everywhere. The expanding human populations destroy the habitat. It is the main threat to biological diversity.

Humans are exploiting about 40% of net primary production on the earth. They convert the natural areas into agricultural land. They destroy the native species. The loss of habitat destroys thousands of native plants and animals.

Threatened Natural Areas

Some of the most important threatened natural areas are tropical rain forests, coastal wetlands, and coral reefs. The tropical rainforests are the most important forests. Tropical rain forests cover only 7% of the surface of the earth’s land. But they contain more than 50% of the species of the world. Tropical rain forests are destroyed rapidly.

They are mostly destroyed for agricultural purposes. About 76000 km² of these forests are cleared each year. Thus most tropical rainforests will disappear in this century. It is estimated about 17,500 rainforest species are lost each year. The soil of the tropical rainforest is thin and nutrient-poor. Therefore, clearing tropical gives little benefits