Flora and fauna constitute the world's biodiversity. The human being is causing a biodiversity loss worldwide that is causing real problems for the planet. We think that the only thing that matters are cities and buildings when we are losing all our natural environment.
Here we are going to explain what the loss of biodiversity is and the main causes and consequences it has on our planet.
What is biodiversity
When we are talking about biodiversity, we will be referring to all the variety of living beings that exist on the planet. That is, in an ecosystem, for example, there are a whole number of species of living beings that inhabit it. This total number of species is what we call biodiversity. Regardless of the number of individuals, an ecosystem can be higher or lower in biodiversity depending on the number of species. If we are not referring to the number of individuals that inhabit that ecosystem of each species, we will say that it is its abundance.
As for living beings, they can live in any type of ecosystem that is between prairies, forests, jungles, different ecosystems of fresh and salt water. The importance of biodiversity lies in its intrinsic value. And it is that, although many do not know it, Biodiversity offers a large number of services and goods to human beings that are vital for survival. Among these goods and services we find food, water, raw materials and others natural resources.
Many communities that live in rural environments are fully dependent on these services that biodiversity offers.
Causes of biodiversity loss
The problem of biodiversity loss is very serious in the natural environment. It is being produced more and more by leaps and bounds. It is estimated that around 36% of all species are in danger of extinction. It must be taken into account that the reduction of biodiversity is taking place at a faster rate in the aquatic environment.
The main reasons why living beings are succumbing to the hand of humans are:
- Overexploitation of natural resources. The human being is depleting the sources of natural resources and leaving behind huge traces of pollution. Pollution of all kinds that causes, in turn, a worse regeneration of ecosystems and more damage to other species that depend on it.
- Loss and degradation of natural habitats. In order for species of living beings to live they need a natural habitat. With the same overexploitation of natural resources that we have mentioned before, habitats are fragmented, degraded and do not have the necessary conditions for living beings to develop.
- Pollution. Due to the above causes, there is contamination of water, soil and air. This pollution reduces the quality of life and ecosystems causing damage.
- Introduction of invasive species. Invasive species have the special characteristic of being able to survive in the natural environment that does not belong to them. This is due to the fact that natural predators are minor or non-existent or that the climate and environmental conditions are totally favorable for their growth.
- Climate change and its negative effects. The sum of all the above causes is causing and increasing the effects of climate change. Changes in the climate that in turn favor the above causes to occur with greater intensity and frequency.
Consequences of biodiversity loss
Given all the causes that we have previously analyzed, now it is time to see the consequences that biodiversity is looking like. Something that is difficult for people to think about is the importance of biodiversity and the consequences of its disappearance. The consequences are generally quite serious and have, above all, impacts on ecosystems.
The extinction of species is what causes impacts on ecosystems. This is mainly due to the breakdown of the ecological balance. The different species constitute certain links in the food chain that function in a balance. If that balance is broken because species are missing, the rest of the species will also be negatively affected. It is as if it were a puzzle. If pieces are missing, the rest of the puzzle cannot be completed.
It is known to many people the current problem we are having with bees. Bees are of crucial importance in plant species, as they are pollinators. Although they are not the only pollinating insects that exist, they are very important in all ecosystems.
On the other hand, there are also imbalances in the trophic chains that trigger the appearance of different pests. This occurs when a predator of a certain species diminishes or disappears and the prey species can grow without any type of control. These pests can cause the destruction of large plant areas and the consequences of these pests can be very serious.
The extinction of a species has no possible solution. For this reason, the survival of the human being is threatened by the disappearance of these living beings. This endangers our health, well-being, since many of the pharmacological substances have a natural origin, both animal and vegetable. With the loss of biodiversity, unknown plant species are eliminated, making it impossible to find cures for different diseases that we cannot cure today.
So much the soil, as the water and the air also depend on the biodiversity of the planet. Vegetation plays a fundamental role in these elements of the climate. Thanks to it, CO2 can be absorbed and part of the heat retained by greenhouse gases can be eliminated.
As you can see, the loss of biodiversity is something that is growing more and more and its damage is having more impact. I don't know when the human being is going to think of something to really fix it and stop rambling. The planet is not going to wait for us to think of the solution, the solution must be given NOW.