Types of Biodiversity and Its Importance

Introduction to Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microbes such as bacteria that make up our natural environment.

Each of these species and animals work together in ecosystems to preserve balance and support life much like an elaborate web.

Biodiversity is made up of all those species, from the tiniest bacteria to the deadliest protists, the strangest fungi, the most beautiful plant, and the largest mammal.

Facts About Biodiversity

• According to the scientists, about 1.9 million species are alive today.  New species are continuously being discovered by scientists. As a result, they have no idea about how many species exist today.
• Estimates put the number of species at 5 to 30 million. The count of species in a region is known as species richness. Colombia and Kenya, for example, each have over 1,000 breeding bird species. The woodlands of the United Kingdom and eastern North America only have about 200 bird species.
• A coral reef off the coast of northern Australia may have 500 species of fish, but Japan’s stony shoreline may have only 100. The tropical region contains more biodiversity than the temperate regions—but it does reflect some of the distinctions across areas.
• Furthermore, biodiversity includes both the genetic diversity inside each species and the environmental diversity created by those species.

Comparison of Biodiversity

Although counting species is likely the most frequent way for comparing the biodiversity of different regions, biodiversity is weighted differently for different species in practice. Because there are so many terrestrial bug species, the number of animal species living on land is substantially higher than the number of animal species living in the oceans.

Some species have no close relatives and are the only ones in their genus, while others are found in genera with hundreds of species. The unique biodiversity of those ecosystems with few species but uncommon ones is a second way to weight species biodiversity.

Extreme habitats like active Antarctic volcanoes’ peaks (e.g., Mt. Erebus and Mt. Melbourne in the Ross Sea region), hot springs (e.g., Yellowstone National Park in the western United States), and deep-sea hydrothermal vents provide dramatic examples.

Although the number of species found here is lower than practically anywhere else, the species are quite unique. The bacteria Thermus aquaticus, discovered in Yellowstone’s hot springs is one of these species.

Types of Biodiversity

There are three types of biodiversity: Genetic biodiversity, species biodiversity, and ecosystem biodiversity.

Genetic Biodiversity:

It refers to the variations in an organism’s genetic resources.

In terms of the genetic constitution, each individual of a species differs from the others. That is why each and every person is unique. In the same way, rice, wheat, maize, barley, and other grains all have distinct variations.

Because there are many different combinations of genes that give each individual distinct features, each member of each animal or plant species differs greatly from other individuals in terms of genetic makeup. This genetic diversity is necessary for a species’ proper reproduction.

Species Biodiversity

A group of similar creatures that generally mate to create offspring is referred to as a species’ diversity.

They usually come from the same family. The most basic classification unit is species diversity, which covers everything from plants to microbes. Furthermore, two individuals belonging to the same species group are not identical; they contain diversity. Two other individuals, for example, are not the same.

‘Hotspots of diversity’ are defined as areas having a high diversity of species. The more species present in a place, the more biodiverse it is, and the more biodiverse the ecosystem becomes.

Ecological Biodiversity

The complex network of diverse species present in a particular ecosystem as well as their dynamic interactions is referred to as ecological diversity.

An ecosystem is made up of organisms from various species living in a given area as well as their relationships via the flow of energy, nutrients, and matter.

Plant and animal species living together and connected by the food chain and food webs make up ecological biodiversity. Ecological diversity is found in diverse environments such as deserts, rainforests, mangroves, and so on.

Measurement of Biodiversity.

In most cases, the variety of diverse species in a landscape is quantified on three separate scales. Alpha diversity, beta diversity, and gamma diversity.

Alpha Diversity

The sort of ecological diversity present within a region, community or an ecosystem is known as alpha diversity.

More specifically, alpha diversity refers to the diversity of species within a community on a local or small scale, often the size of a single ecosystem. In general, the total number of distinct species (or species richness) in a given region is used to represent it.

Beta Diversity

It is a metric for the degree of change in the species composition over time and across an environmental gradient. If the species makeup of moss communities varies successively at higher elevations on a mountain slope, then the beta diversity is high. If the same kind of moss covers the entire slope, the beta diversity is limited.

Gamma Diversity

Gamma diversity usually refers to the abundance of species across a big area (at a vast scale).

It is the measurement of the total diversity of diverse ecosystems within a region. Simply said, it is frequently researched as a biome where species variety is observed across many environments.

This typically covers large areas such as the entire mountain slope or the entire littoral zone of a shoreline.

Alpha diversity refers to the diversity of species found inside each grassland or forest patch on the slope. All species diversity found between any two patches and their related communities is referred to as beta diversity. Finally, the gamma diversity of a given landscape refers to all of the species’ variety there as well as the slope’s full range.

Explanation:

• Is it possible to picture our planet without plants and trees?
• What would happen if there were no animals or vegetation on the planet?

This is where biodiversity comes into play. Biodiversity is responsible for the diversity of nature, biosphere, richness, and life on Earth. It serves as a reminder to value natural diversity. Without it, life on Earth would perish.

Different species, plants, animals, and bacteria as well as their frequencies in this sphere are included. A high level of biodiversity is generally regarded as beneficial and desirable as it leads to community stability and increased productivity. Biodiversity is essential for the survival of our planet.

Importance of Biodiversity

Biodiversity’s importance can be classified as follows:

1. Ecological importance
2. Economic importance
3. Social importance
4. Ethical importance
5. Scientific importance

Ecological Importance

1. Controlling Soil Erosion:

Soil organisms help to prevent erosion by optimizing water entry and storage which keeps soil and roots in place.

2. Soil Quality Improvement:

A healthy biodiversity will boost the soil’s resilience to environmental stresses. Soil must be balanced in terms of biological, physical, and chemical factors. Agriculture thrives in good soil. The value of biodiversity in agriculture is the most important classification of all.

3. Biodiversity is crucial for maintaining a healthy ecosystem that provides oxygen, clean air and water, plant pollination, pest control, wastewater treatment, and many other ecosystem services. Plants generate oxygen through a process known as photosynthesis.

Humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide which plants absorb. This creates a cycle that demonstrates how all animals in this ecosystem are interconnected.

4. Protection of species in the ecosystem: Biodiversity aids in the improvement of a healthy ecosystem in which all species can survive and thrive.

A wide number of plant species can supply a diverse range of crops. A diverse range of species ensures that natural processes run smoothly for a healthy ecosystem. It also aids in the preservation of species variety and ecosystems.

5. Pollution Control: Biodiversity has a critical role in pollution control. Trees and other plants contribute to enhance air quality by absorbing pollutants such as excessive nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particle matter.

6. Nutrient Recycling: Biodiversity plays an important role in nutrient recycling. Plants, for example, receive nutrients from the ground and the air which can then be utilized to build food chains that are used by a variety of other life forms.

7. Knowledge Source: Biodiversity is a valuable source of information. Many ecologists and scientists base their studies on the structure of biodiversity in ecosystems.

8. Natural disaster danger reduction: Healthy biodiversity is critical in reducing the risk of a natural disaster. We can lower the risks of natural disasters and climate shocks by limiting deforestation and regulating soil erosion.

Economic Importance

1. Source of food: Biodiversity is necessary for all living organisms in this environment to have nourishment. Agriculture is a source of food for people as well as trees and plants for animals. Other microscopic species in this environment receive their sustenance from a variety of food sources.

Biodiversity provides a wide range of resources for food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and other industries. Crops, animals, fisheries, and forests are all good sources of food. Various wild plants (such as Cinchona, Foxglove, and others) can be used for pharmacy and medical purposes. Most resources including wood, fiber, lubricants, resins, toxins, and others are derived from various plant species.

2. Source of fuel: Biodiversity aids in the production of fossil fuels, gasoline, and natural gas.

It also contributes to the long-term growth of forests which is a common type of wood fuel utilized in daily life.

3. Biodiversity helps to protect natural resources: Biological wealth is abundant in areas with high biodiversity. It’s also a sign of a plentiful supply of natural resources. Clean air, water, good soil, and a healthy ecosystem are all protected.

4. Medicine development: Our scientists have produced a number of medicines using plants and other living species present in this ecosystem that has aided in the treatment of a number of incurable ailments.

5. Economic development and poverty reduction: Biodiversity is essential for economic development and poverty reduction.

Biodiversity is a major source of raw resources for industry. Food and herbs are critical to the economy’s development. It also helps farmers, fishermen, and the needy in rural areas by offering work possibilities that assist in reducing poverty.

6. Source of tourism: Biodiversity is critical to the growth of tourism. Wildlife watching, scuba diving, walking, hiking, bird watching, and camping are examples of natural tourist attractions.

Social and Ethical Importance

• Biodiversity is essential for social advantages such as improved employment and social assistance for vulnerable rural communities.
• The ethical value of healthy biodiversity is to protect all forms of life. Every single species on this planet has the right to exist. Morality and ethics instruct us not to do unnecessary harm to any organism; however, some individuals like killing animals.

Scientific Importance

• The scientific value of biodiversity is that it allows scientists to conduct trials and study of plants and organism genes in order to develop new crops and therapies.
• It also assists scientists in uncovering information on the evolution of life in specific species.
• Humans expand their knowledge by doing scientific studies on many species and plants. It is a collection of ecological information that assists us in understanding the natural world and its origins.

Uses of Biodiversity

1. Productive Use

Products are commercially harvested from biodiversity for exchange in the market.

The productive value of biodiversity is concerned with national income.

It provides timber, fuel, fish, fodder, honey, cereals, medicinal plants, etc.

2. Direct Use Values

Consumptive uses include hunting and direct consumption (e.g., collecting berries, mushrooms, and plants).

Observation, photography, and ecotourism, on the other hand, are all non-consumptive uses.

3. Indirect Use Values

These are environmental services such as pollination, habitat for other species, food chain sustainability and etc.

Methods to Increase Biodiversity

Building Wildlife Corridors

This entails establishing links between wildlife habitats. To put it another way, many creatures are unable to cover large distances. As a result, they are unable to cross the barrier and reproduce. So various engineering techniques can be used to create wildlife corridors. Also, it helps animals to move from one location to another.

Set up Gardens

The simplest way to boost biodiversity is to plant gardens in people’s homes. In the yard or on the balcony, you can cultivate a variety of plants and animals. This would also assist in improving the amount of fresh air in the house.

Protected Areas

Protected sites such as animal sanctuaries and zoos help to conserve biodiversity. They, for example, preserve the natural environment of plants and animals.

These locations are also remote from any human civilization.

As a result, the ecology is well-kept making it an ideal breeding ground for flora and wildlife. Furthermore, these habitats are the only reason that some animal species do not become extinct. As a result, protected areas should be expanded all over the world.

Rewilding

To restore centuries of damage, rewilding is required. Furthermore, re-wilding involves reintroducing endangered species to places where they have become extinct.

Various human activities such as hunting and tree cutting have put biodiversity at danger in recent years. As a result, we must take the appropriate actions to protect our wildlife and plant species.