Biodiversity describes the variety of life on Earth, including the 8 million plant and animal species on the planet, the ecosystems that house them, and the genetic diversity among them.
Biodiversity
is a complex, interdependent web, in which each member plays an important role,
drawing and contributing in ways that may not even be visible to the eye. The
abundant foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the weather
that makes our planet habitable all come from nature.
Scientific Biodiversity Definition
The term “biodiversity” refers to the variety
of living organisms. Biodiversity brings together the different species
and forms of life (animal, plant, entomological and other) and their
variability, that is to say, their dynamics of evolution in their ecosystems.
Traditionally, there are three levels of biodiversity: genetic diversity,
species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. But what does each of these
levels really mean?
Genetic Diversity
Genetic diversity is about the diversity of
genes existing in the living world. Between and within different species
there are different genes and different expressions of genes. And this genetic variability
contributes to the multiplicity of life forms, physical and biological
characteristics and, depending on the interaction with the environment,
phenotypes.
Species Diversity
We speak of species diversity to describe the diversity of living species. There are millions of living species on Earth. They’re all different and divided into groups depending on their specificities (insects, animals, plants, fungi …). Species diversity is often separated into two categories:
Intraspecies Diversity:
Intraspecific diversity refers to the genetic
variation of individuals and populations of the same species. Humans having
white or black skin, blond or brown hair, and blue or green eyes are one of the many
examples of intraspecific biodiversity.
Interspecies Diversity:
On the contrary, inter-specific biodiversity
refers to the diversity of living species among themselves: by their number,
their nature, and their relative importance. Let’s say humans (or sapiens), a
species with currently 7.7 billion organisms, have a
higher diversity than, for instance, the low number of African elephants that are currently
facing extinction.
Ecosystem Biodiversity
Ecosystem biodiversity refers to the variety of ecosystems, by their nature and number, where
living species interact with their environment and with each other. For
example, on Earth, there are different ecosystems, each with its
specificities like deserts, oceans, lakes, plains or forests. And even within
these ecosystems, there are special details like cold or hot deserts,
boreal or tropical forests, warm or cold water coastal regions… Each ecosystem
has its own peculiarities, species, and ways of functioning.
At each level and between them, interaction
is a primordial idea that emphasizes a constantly evolving reality. In fact,
biodiversity isn’t limited to the static inventory of living species at a given
moment. The assessment of biodiversity and its interactions applies to all
types of organisms (plants, animals, bacteria and others) and to the ecosystems of which they’re
part and in which they interact.
Biodiversity in danger: the impact of human
activities on biodiversity loss
It was in the late 1980s that the concept of biodiversity became a major
concern. This attention followed the increasingly obvious recognition of how
human activities had been responsible for the degradation,
fragmentation, and destruction of ecosystems and their biodiversity.
Indeed, humans have been contributing to the disappearance of 60% of the world's species since 1970. Not only because of our industrial, economic or urban activities but also
because of how they all together contribute to climate change and its extreme
events.
At the Earth Summit (1992), an essential step towards the preservation of biodiversity has taken.
Biodiversity was acknowledged as a crucial part of the sustainable development
agenda. Therefore, in the Convention on Biological Diversity treaty, the
signatory nations committed to protecting the diversity of life and restoring
already degraded ecosystems.
Biodiversity loss: what
are the consequences?
The gradual decline in
biodiversity (we are even talking about the extinction of many species today)
has many consequences for humankind. For example, the disappearance of
certain pollinating insects such as butterflies or bees makes some agricultural
productions more complicated. For instance, bees are very important pollinators
of food crops and without them, the spread of biodiversity loses reach. The
disappearance of some species can disrupt ecosystems and make them more
fragile.
For instance, find out in
the 2 videos that follow how the disappearance of wolves changed a whole
ecosystem and how whales have a role in regulating the climate.
Biodiversity protection:
how can we protect biodiversity?
Protecting biodiversity
is a very complex task because most human actions have a negative effect on
ecosystems by weakening them. For instance, human activities generate pollution
that affects living species. Deforestation destroys the habitat of many animals,
insects, and plants.
Our agriculture favours
certain productions neglecting others and leading to the destruction of certain
ecosystems like tropical forests and species like orangutans. In order to protect biodiversity, it would, therefore, be
necessary to change our economic model of consumption to minimize our impact on
the natural environment. Such changes could be, for instance:
Limiting Deforestation ;
§ Reducing the
artificialisation of natural environments and preserving natural areas as much as
possible;
§ Reduce air pollution (by
limiting our use of transport and our energy consumption, by switching to renewable energies )
§ Fighting global
warming by creating regulations for activities that contribute to
the greenhouse effect.
§ Making changes in the way
industrial agriculture works and using more agroecology methods.
