Introduction
According to the Oxford Dictionary, biodiversity is the variety of plant and animal life in the world or a particular habitat. While this definition is accurate, biodiversity encompasses much more than what it suggests. It is what we humans have evolved from, out of which we get our food, shelter, and livelihood, where we see all sorts of majestic creatures and get breathtaking views. We cannot survive without it. These are not the only things biodiversity gives us. The list is endless. Therefore, it is our prime duty to conserve this beautiful biodiversity and protect our nature’s treasure.
Biodiversity in Today’s World
There are approximately 8.7 million species on this planet, and most of them remain undiscovered. However, this hasn’t helped in saving them from extinction. Human activities and habitat loss have been harming so many more species than we know. Animals like the Amur Leopard, Black Rhino, African forest elephant, and Orangutan are critically endangered, while many others face vulnerability.
Did you know that the Asiatic Lion is now found only in India? There are hundreds of animals which are in similar situations.
If we humans don’t start protecting and conserving the species of planet Earth, soon all of them will start disappearing one by one and shortly we humans will be next.
Why should we conserve Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is what keeps our ecosystem stable. Everyone knows that we get food and oxygen from plants but nobody understands the fact that every little organism plays a part in the ecosystem, for example, bees. If bees happened to go extinct, our food would be compromised, seeing that a third of the world’s food production depends on them. In the same way, all organisms play their own roles.
Not only this, but the food cycle would also be disrupted. The previous trophic level would increase in number and die due to lack of food and the next trophic levels would cease to exist, which eventually would lead to our extinction.
Steps to conserve biodiversity
We have talked about what biodiversity is and how we have to protect it in order to live long and peaceful lives. But how exactly do we do that?
The first thing we need to do is reduce climate change. This can happen if more people start using sustainable products, start being energy efficient decrease the use of plastic products and plant trees in their neighbourhoods.
The next thing is habitat restoration. This can be done by organizations like NGOs, governments, the UN etc. We can certainly help by joining such forces but at the end of the day, the main goal is to spread awareness about such issues and encourage other people to join the cause, no matter what way they do it.
Whether it is by planting a tree in your neighbourhood or by just posting an Instagram story about climate change, every person needs to play a part. Regardless of how small the contribution is, for real change to happen, every individual’s participation counts in making the world a better place for every species. Only then can the beautiful diversity of Earth be saved and only then do we stand a real chance at survival.
Citation:
- https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/biodiversity/
- https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/what-is-biodiversity
- https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-60823267
- .https://www.oneearth.org/category/biodiversity/
