Archive for the 'Biodiversity' Category

Marine biodiversity is the variability of life in marine ecosystems. Marine ecosystems include oceans, salt marshes, estuaries, lagoons, coral reefs, shores, and some of the tropical ecosystems (like mangrove forests). They are part of a larger, world ecosystem, and are characterized by having a much greater salinity level than fresh waters.

Even though marine ecosystems are teeming with life, the species diversity is much lower than that of other ecosystems. Only about 230,000 species have been identified, and that number includes both plants and animals.

Much of marine biodiversity resides in ecosystems based around coral reefs and/or areas of underwater tectonic activity. They hold over a quarter of the world’s marine species. One third of the coral species are currently threatened with extinction. This is a rise over the last decade from less than two percent. Unfortunately, coral reefs all over are dying due to many forms of damage, all originating from one source: human beings. Snorkeling, commercial fishing and overfishing, fuel leaks from both commercial and recreational boats all contribute to the damage or outright destruction of both the coral reefs and marine biodiversity in general. Climate change can also affect coral reefs, the rising temperatures making them reject the algal growths that help the process of photosynthesis. 1998, one of the warmest years, saw mass die-offs of coral reefs all over the world.

Given that life originated in the sea, it is not surprising that there are fourteen endemic animal phyla in the sea, as opposed to the one phylum endemic to land. The situation is much different for plants, however. Almost all algae type plants can appear in both marine and fresh water, with the higher classes of plants only growing on land. The diversity of life-history strategies in marine organisms has proven to be remarkable to the point where scientists are expecting that the total of genetic resources and physiological marine biodiversity will be much greater than that of land organisms.

Without marine biodiversity, humankind would suffer greatly since marine organisms are crucial to almost all biogeochemical processes of the biosphere. They also help provide a variety of products and services essential to man’s survival and well-being. Without marine biodiversity the production of food, ingredients for biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, and even the composition of some parts of land would be either severely diminished or depleted altogether.

For all of the above reasons, as well as for the fascination and great beauty it provides, marine biodiversity is one of our greatest treasures and must be protected and shepherded accordingly.

Sadly, there is no one solution to the loss of biodiversity. And, even if such a solution existed, the adversarial nature of the relationships between governments, businesses, and environmentalists would probably keep it from being implemented.

Any solution to the loss of biodiversity must take multiple factors into account: How will this solution affect the animals of the region? The plant life? Humans? The region itself? Plants, animals, humans and the earth itself are intertwined in a number of complicated ecosystems, dependent on each other for survival. So far, thirty-four separate biodiversity hotspots have been identified, each with its own particular ecosystem, problems, and needs.

In addition to no one solution to the loss of biodiversity being a good fit for every biodiversity hotspot, there is the additional problem of convincing the local population of that area that preventing such loss is desirable. In many of these areas, day-to-day survival is an issue, and convincing the local government to consider what are clearly expensive, and long-term solutions to an immediate problem is almost impossible. Further, globalization has created the monster of one area being used to feed the demands of other continents and their peoples. Pesticides that are deemed to dangerous for use in the West are shipped to other continents further weakening the ecosystems there.

Governments need to start addressing issues such as climate change, water pollution, melting polar ice caps, and the rapidly escalating extinction of various species for any real advances toward a solution to the loss of biodiversity to be made. They can also stop the destruction of forest land through road building, to which governments usually add a colonization policy and/or concede large tracts of the deforested land to corporations for mineral extraction. The destruction of much of the Amazon rain forest and its indigenous species of plants, animals, and humans was accomplished by just such government actions.

One step toward a solution to the loss of biodiversity is education. There are many small steps that, in and of themselves, seem far too simple to work but which, if practiced by everyone, would go a long way toward solving some of the problems. Walking or bicycling instead of driving, using reusable carry-alls instead of plastic grocery bags, limiting the issuance of hunting and fishing licenses, using energy-efficient appliances, cutting down our dependence on fossil fuels are part of a solution to biodiversity that almost anyone can put into practice easily.

If we are ever to find a permanent, workable solution to the loss of biodiversity, we must give up our private agendas, and work together, putting the well-being of the whole race and, indeed, the whole planet ahead of any lesser goals.

The purpose of biodiversity mainstreaming is to have biodiversity principles included at every stage of the planning of projects by businesses and governments. The idea is to incorporate biodiversity considerations into all human activities.

There are currently biodiversity mainstreaming projects going on in many parts of the world, which are focused on increasing involvement in implementing biodiversity principles in an effort to preserve the remaining natural resources.

Part of biodiversity mainstreaming involves working with all sectors of a government in order to have them be aware of biodiversity issues, and make sure that biodiversity issues are not overlooked in the resolution of the problems each sector deals with. Agencies concerned with agriculture, public health, science and technology, the environment, and forests, fisheries and water resources are often the first agencies that biodiversity reformers and conservationists turn to during the planning of civic projects, with other sectors, such as transportation, energy, and mining being brought aboard as the project develops. As you can imagine, getting consensus from all these groups is not an easy task.

Another part of biodiversity mainstreaming is making the concept appealing to the very people who feel threatened by the concept of biodiversity. Lumber or coal workers, for example, are two groups that historically are against those they call “tree-huggers” because of a perceived threat to their livelihoods. Getting these and other groups to see the benefits of conserving the biodiversity of a region is often difficult.

In Brazil, for example, conservation of biodiversity will require significant efforts from both the public and private sectors. There are many barriers to biodiversity mainstreaming because of a lack of information and priority among key parties. Other barriers include unsustainable development initiatives and poor coordination between public and private participants. Brazil’s huge geographical size and ecological differences, and a generally low public awareness of the issues seriously compound the difficulties.

In Africa, on the other hand, innovative thinking along with the formation of cooperative partnerships between industry local governments has helped achieve early successes in mainstreaming biodiversity concerns. Efforts to remove barriers to biodiversity mainstreaming consisted of building institutional and policy-level capabilities and partnerships, identifying and fixing market failures, and showing that different practices in all production sectors will contribute greatly to biodiversity management and preservation.

Biodiversity mainstreaming is very important, but implementing it is a very delicate and time-consuming process. If, however, the major players in governments and businesses do not begin to accept it, as they have done in Africa, the consequences for everyone will be an increasingly less habitable world.

Sadly, there is no one solution to the loss of biodiversity. And, even if such a solution existed, the adversarial nature of the relationships between governments, businesses, and environmentalists would probably keep it from being implemented.

Any solution to the loss of biodiversity must take multiple factors into account: How will this solution affect the animals of the region? The plant life? Humans? The region itself? Plants, animals, humans and the earth itself are intertwined in a number of complicated ecosystems, dependent on each other for survival. So far, thirty-four separate biodiversity hotspots have been identified, each with its own particular ecosystem, problems, and needs.

In addition to no one solution to the loss of biodiversity being a good fit for every biodiversity hotspot, there is the additional problem of convincing the local population of that area that preventing such loss is desirable. In many of these areas, day-to-day survival is an issue, and convincing the local government to consider what are clearly expensive, and long-term solutions to an immediate problem is almost impossible. Further, globalization has created the monster of one area being used to feed the demands of other continents and their peoples. Pesticides that are deemed to dangerous for use in the West are shipped to other continents further weakening the ecosystems there.

Governments need to start addressing issues such as climate change, water pollution, melting polar ice caps, and the rapidly escalating extinction of various species for any real advances toward a solution to the loss of biodiversity to be made. They can also stop the destruction of forest land through road building, to which governments usually add a colonization policy and/or concede large tracts of the deforested land to corporations for mineral extraction. The destruction of much of the Amazon rain forest and its indigenous species of plants, animals, and humans was accomplished by just such government actions.

One step toward a solution to the loss of biodiversity is education. There are many small steps that, in and of themselves, seem far too simple to work but which, if practiced by everyone, would go a long way toward solving some of the problems. Walking or bicycling instead of driving, using reusable carry-alls instead of plastic grocery bags, limiting the issuance of hunting and fishing licenses, using energy-efficient appliances, cutting down our dependence on fossil fuels are part of a solution to biodiversity that almost anyone can put into practice easily.

If we are ever to find a permanent, workable solution to the loss of biodiversity, we must give up our private agendas, and work together, putting the well-being of the whole race and, indeed, the whole planet ahead of any lesser goals.

Measures to preserve biodiversity are not necessarily huge steps that must be enacted by governments or consumer protection agencies. Everyone, at least in our society, can take small steps toward a more green-friendly, sustainable lifestyle.

Even city dwellers can take small measures to preserve biodiversity. Things like using a ceiling fan rather than an air-conditioner, or using compact fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent ones can save energy and generate less waste heat. Homeowners can insulate their houses more effectively, and utilize natural light to cut power usage. Water can be conserved by taking shorter showers, using low-flow toilets, and not letting water run unattended.

Even thinking about what you want to take out of the refrigerator before you open the door saves energy, since standing there with the door open while deciding what you want forces the appliance to work that much harder. Running an air conditioner at a few degrees higher than you are used to will have the same effect. Using a timer on an air conditioner will also lower the amount of energy used. If your older air conditioner is still working well but does not have a timer, you can buy one at your local hardware store. If you are in the market for a new one, be sure to read the energy efficiency labels and get one that is the right size for the area you want to cool.

Not only will these measures conserve resources and lower our monthly costs, they will help our utility services better serve us by reducing or preventing the occurrences of blackouts and brownouts caused by massive overloads to the power grids.

Measures to preserve biodiversity don’t just include conserving power and water. Instead of driving four or five blocks to the convenience store for that quart of milk, walk or bicycle there. When you do go shopping, bring your own bags. These days there are many varieties of reusable shopping bags, from the expandable string bags our grandmas used to the fashionable and pretty printed bags made of 100% post-consumer recycled products that many major supermarkets offer for sale. Priced between $1 and $2, they pay for themselves many times over, and two or three of them will hold an entire week’s shopping for a two family household.

While in the supermarket, check out some of measures to preserve biodiversity that businesses are taking. Take notice of the new green-friendly cleaners and the news ways of packaging old, familiar products. They are designed to be biodegradable or recyclable, and leave little imprint in the form of trash.

Progress and biodiversity can, and must, coexist in balance. Taking measures to preserve biodiversity does not have to mean destroying the lifestyle we are accustomed to. In fact, it means making wiser choices in order to maintain that lifestyle.

Biodiversity conservation is one of the most important issues we face today. If we do not take steps to prevent further losses of our natural resources, we will not be able to sustain life as we know it.

Given the importance of biodiversity conservation, it would seem that every government on the planet would have it on their list of top issues. Many do, but biodiversity conservation does not come cheap. In addition to conserving resources going forward, which involves things like reengineering projects so as to minimize negative impacts on the biodiversity of a region, there is the astronomically expensive prospect of repairing damage done to regions over centuries; damage done by both humans and nature itself.

Further, people often think you cannot have biodiversity conservation and development at the same time. They are not aware that the two can go hand in hand, and create a better environment for all.

For example, industrial development, agriculture, and urban development threaten the biodiversity of the Florida Everglades by changing not only the distribution, quantity, and timing of the water flow, but by changing its nutrient levels, specifically the levels of phosphorus. This caused an influx of algae, led to a loss of marshland to sustain varying flora and fauna, and the species of plants and animals that had been living on that marshland. It also led to an influx of non-native (exotic) plants, like Melaleucca and Brazilian pepper. Part of the solution to this particular biodiversity issue is to acquire land to recreate flood plains and to reclaim land being used by agribusiness and return it to as close to its original state as possible. Neither of these actions are cheap.

It takes participation at all levels of society to enact and continue biodiversity conservation, and this is often problematic because each group of people has its own agenda.

Another problem is that, given the scale of the problem in each biodiversity hotspot, technical knowledge may be the easiest thing to acquire. The greater challenge to those wanting to fix the problems may very well be acquiring and continuing support and funding from both individuals and agencies, and creating the political will to address these situations. Areas involving private land and resources will further require consultation and negotiation to create and sustain shared resource management goals, and ways of implementing and monitoring them, or necessitate land land acquisitions by the overarching management institution by federal and state governments. This makes the task of biodiversity conservation even more cumbersome.

If, however, individuals, corporations, and governments do not begin to act together to implement biodiversity conservation, the planet as a whole will lose.

Biodiversity is one of “those” terms. Everyone thinks they know what it means, but asked to define it, they often can only do so in the broadest, most general terms. If you don’t know what something is though, there is nothing you can do to protect it.

According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, biodiversity is defined as “the variety of all forms of life, from genes to species, through to the broad scale of ecosystems.” The term was coined as a contraction of “biological diversity”but has acquired its own meaning.

Since 1986 the term biodiversity and the concepts it covers have achieved widespread use among scientists and civilians alike, as a shorthand term for a very grave and complicated set of issues. Its current usage merges a concern for nature conservation and the natural environment with a concern over the increasing extinction of plant and animal species. Briefly, there are three main types of biodiversity:

Genetic Diversity: Differences of genes within a species. For example this is why you might have red hair and green eyes while your best friend has brown hair and blue eyes.

Species Diversity: Differences among both plant and animal species in an ecosystem.

Ecosystem Diversity: Differences at the ecosystem level. Some areas of the planet are deserts, and some are marshes. Each has its own particular characteristics and species of flora and fauna

Biodiversity is what keeps our air and water clean. It regulates our climate and weather, and provides us with sources of food, shelter, clothing, and is the basis of most modern medicine. It improves our quality of life by creating lovely natural spaces where we can refresh ourselves by relaxing, playing, and admiring nature’s great beauty and variety.

Over the years, the biodiversity of such regions as the African rain forests have provided science with the basis for much of the medicine we take for granted. Belladonna, horse chestnuts, pineapple, and many other plants, both exotic and domestic have all played a part in maintaining our health and well-being.

A diverse population of insects for pollination—which helps with the growing and development of much of our food—can be, and are, harmed by pesticides. And much of our industry (and financial well-being as a nation) is dependent on fibers, building materials, and other natural resources .

The decisions we make, both as individuals and as a nation affect the web of life all over the planet, therefore it is our responsibility to maintain and sustain biodiversity.
It is only by understanding these relationships that we can ensure our decisions will preserve Earth’s biodiversity for the generations that follow us.

Biodiversity conservation is one of the most important issues we face today. If we do not take steps to prevent further losses of our natural resources, we will not be able to sustain life as we know it.

Given the importance of biodiversity conservation, it would seem that every government on the planet would have it on their list of top issues. Many do, but biodiversity conservation does not come cheap. In addition to conserving resources going forward, which involves things like reengineering projects so as to minimize negative impacts on the biodiversity of a region, there is the astronomically expensive prospect of repairing damage done to regions over centuries; damage done by both humans and nature itself.

Further, people often think you cannot have biodiversity conservation and development at the same time. They are not aware that the two can go hand in hand, and create a better environment for all.

For example, industrial development, agriculture, and urban development threaten the biodiversity of the Florida Everglades by changing not only the distribution, quantity, and timing of the water flow, but by changing its nutrient levels, specifically the levels of phosphorus. This caused an influx of algae, led to a loss of marshland to sustain varying flora and fauna, and the species of plants and animals that had been living on that marshland. It also led to an influx of non-native (exotic) plants, like Melaleucca and Brazilian pepper. Part of the solution to this particular biodiversity issue is to acquire land to recreate flood plains and to reclaim land being used by agribusiness and return it to as close to its original state as possible. Neither of these actions are cheap.

It takes participation at all levels of society to enact and continue biodiversity conservation, and this is often problematic because each group of people has its own agenda.

Another problem is that, given the scale of the problem in each biodiversity hotspot, technical knowledge may be the easiest thing to acquire. The greater challenge to those wanting to fix the problems may very well be acquiring and continuing support and funding from both individuals and agencies, and creating the political will to address these situations. Areas involving private land and resources will further require consultation and negotiation to create and sustain shared resource management goals, and ways of implementing and monitoring them, or necessitate land land acquisitions by the overarching management institution by federal and state governments. This makes the task of biodiversity conservation even more cumbersome.

If, however, individuals, corporations, and governments do not begin to act together to implement biodiversity conservation, the planet as a whole will lose.

There is no question as toe of biodiversity the importance of biodiversity. Without it, we would be much poorer in many ways.

While overwhelming, the question of the importance of can be brought into focus by looking at how we value people. Supposed a beloved relative or friend moves or dies. We look at the hole left in our lives by their passing, and reflect on the ways they enriched our lives. We look at what they valued, and possibly decide to adopt some of their values, but primarily, we reflect on how much we have lost by their not being there any more. In short, to quote an old Joni Mitchell song, “Big Yellow Taxi,” “Don’t it always seem to go/You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone./They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot.”

There are very few people who don’t believe in the importance of biodiversity, but most of them are not conscious of what they can do on an individual level to help preserve it. While governments and societies dither about what to sane, what to fix, and what to allocate money, time and effort to, the devastation continues at an alarming rate. Entire species are becoming extinct at rates never seen before. Rivers, lakes, and even oceans are becoming more shallow, or drying up entirely, changing the entire ecosphere and endangering the lives we are accustomed to leading.

In fact, as a society, we are ignoring the importance of biodiversity. We destroy animal and plant species before discovering new ones. We deforest acres of land, without studying them first to see what, other than “trees” is there. Other than crop rotation, we take no note of how removing diverse plant life from an area depletes the soil and water of a region. And we do all of this faster than nature can remedy the damage. Further, we don’t worry about what we have done until it is too late, the resources are gone, and replacing them would carry an astronomical cost.

Plants that provide medicines and animals that provide foods are vanishing, only to be replaced by scrub and vermin, creating devastating epidemics. Ingestion or absorption of contaminants make these vermin resistant to medical intervention, thereby making it even more difficult to cure or control the diseases being spread. Further, these more resistant germs are crossing from species to species, and, like bird flu, making the jump to humans.

This is just one example of how the importance of biodiversity (and the preservation thereof) is relevant to human survival. The internet is full of organizations dedicated to educating people, businesses and governments about the importance of biodiversity, and it behooves us to do so before we have lost much of what makes life precious to us.

Steps for conserving biodiversity are not just something for national governments to legislate into action. There are many steps for conserving biodiversity that can be taken at local (both organizational and individual) levels.

Let’s first look at steps for conserving biodiversity that governments can take. First and foremost, they can acknowledge that the rights of local populations take precedence over development projects that strip an areas resources with little or no benefit to the people the area sustains. They can require businesses to recycle and reuse things. They can require megafarming corporations, lumber companies, and other agribusinesses to allow parts of their land to lie fallow for specific amounts of time, or require crop rotation so that the land is not depleted and has time to recover. They can set aside areas where no farming or cutting is done, to preserve at least some of our natural heritage. They can address pollution of our bodies of water by drug companies and penalize those who dump toxic wastes into our waters. They can regulate overfishing and farming of seafood.

Additionally, governments should also be addressing the role played in the destruction of forests and biodiversity by international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, who act as if they were a law unto themselves. They can better supervise aid organizations to ensure that aid delivered actually gets into the hands of the people it is intended for.

Steps for conserving biodiversity that locals can take include organizing to fight encroachment by megacorporations and to educate people to the particular threats to their areas. Such education would also include things that individuals can do to lessen their impact on the planet.

Local businesses can enforce and encourage recycling measures, and not replace equipment just because there is something new and trendy on the market. They can encourage their employees to learn about biodiversity and fund internships within the communities they serve.

Individuals can take many steps for conserving biodiversity. They can support local wildlife organizations, or volunteer at their local wildlife preserve or botanical garden. They can reduce their use of energy and gasoline. They can avoid using plastic grocery bags or recycle paper that has been used on one side only into scrap pads.

While many of these steps for conserving biodiversity seem too small on their own to be effective, the cumulative effects are considerable. With education, these are things that can and should be done by us while we try to get our governments to take the steps they can. If an entire populace is practicing biodiversity conservation, it becomes that much harder to ignore.