The Importance of Biodiversity

On a small, local scale, biodiversity is essential for improving the stability, versatility, and resilience of an ecosystem. The more abundant life that an ecosystem inhabits the more likely it is to be able to withstand environmental stressors such as climate change (Lindwall, 2022). Biodiversity also relies on codependency between species and if species start to die out then the balance of the ecosystem is off (Lindwall, 2022).

On a larger, global scale, biodiversity contributes many benefits to humans around the world. Human health depends on the products given to us by the ecosystem such as food, water, medicines, and fuel (WHO, 2015). Many medicinal discoveries such as penicillin and aspirin have been developed from various plants around the world (Lindwall, 2022). Food security is also highly dependent on biodiversity as having plants that are resilient to things like climate change and disease is important to providing sustainable food production (Lindwall, 2022). Healthy soils that are rich in bacteria and fungi are also beneficial in preventing flood damage and protecting ecosystems. Certain environments with healthy, diverse wetlands can filter out pollutants, sediment, or excess nutrients which helps to keep out contaminants from our waterways and oceans (Lindwall, 2022). Biodiversity is important both locally and globally as it improves genetic diversity within species, species diversity across a region, and overall ecosystem functionality which can help combat global issues such as climate change, and pollution. Restoring biodiversity is a process that requires change at all levels of society from individuals to government but is essential in all regards in conserving and restoring our planet.  

 

Citations:

WHO (2015, June 3). Biodiversity and Health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/biodiversity-and-health

 Lindwall, C. (2022, April 22). Biodiversity 101. Natural Resources Defense Council. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/biodiversity-101#:~:text=At%20its%20most%20essential%2C%20biodiversity,disease%2C%20or%20a%20changing%20climate

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