Protecting biodiversity is a condition of our survival because nature is the basis of all our food, half of our medicines and other essential goods. The disappearance of a single plant or animal can lead to the chain extinction of a multitude of species, of which humans are always the last link…
When we talk about loss of biodiversitywe have the reflex to immediately think of the most popular endangered species such as the giant panda, the polar bear, the Asian elephant or the Komodo dragon… This is obviously the tip of the iceberg… to which our polar bear is finding it increasingly difficult to hold on.
But, according to the assessments of the World Resource Instituteat least 150 wild species (fauna and flora combined) disappear every day, some of which have not even been listed yet.
But then, is it still possible to protect biodiversity?
What is biodiversity?
On Earth, life is almost everywhere. All living beings that inhabit the planet is called biodiversity. It is therefore all living beings and natural environments, but also all the relationships that are established between them. Man does so integral part of biodiversity.
The disappearance of a single plant or a single animal can lead to the chain extinction of other species, of which humans are the last link. Today, species are disappearing at a rate much higher than the natural rate. It is the rate of fastest disappearance since the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
The report Living Planet 2018 WWF believed that since the early 1970s, 60% of animals on the planet have disappeared. We do not realize these disappearances, since the majority of species that disappear are insects, plants or birds.
The impact of Man is today so strong and generalized that it generates a loss of life wild on Earth. But then, is it serious Doctor?
It is even tragic because the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems is largely based on the diversity of life forms that compose them. Each species participates in the functioning of the global ecosystem. When a species disappears, its role is no longer assured and this necessarily has (or will have) consequences on the ecosystem and therefore on humanity.
Disappearance of biodiversity: 4 consequences
We must do everything to protect biodiversity because its disappearance has, at least, four dramatic consequences on the environment and humanity.
1. Fewer food resources
The more an ecosystem is rich in biodiversity, the more it is nutritionally productive. The more animal and plant species there are in an environment, the greater its ability to transform mineral resources into organic resources.
Plants transform minerals into organic matters and are, themselves, converted into nutritional elements denser and more complex by herbivores.
The diversity of species also contributes to maintaining the nutritive qualities of the soil and therefore to ensuring the development of different species. The less biodiversity there is, the less humans can take nutrients (plants and animals) from it. The development of fruits or vegetables becomes difficult, sometimes impossible, without pollinating insects.
2. Sanitary reasons
Biodiversity also promotes conditions for better health. Maintaining a variety of foods increases the diversity of nutrient sources. Biodiversity also affects health risks: the more an ecosystem is rich in biodiversity, the less easy it is for viruses and bacteria to spread.
3. Oxygen and water quality
The air quality that we breathe depends greatly on biodiversity because oxygen is produced by living species (bacteria, plankton and plants).
Plankton, phyto-plankton and forest trees are the primary producers of oxygen on the planet. When marine biodiversity decreases, the ability of plankton to produce oxygen is affected. In the case of deforestation, we can obviously make the same observation!
Plants, whether aquatic or terrestrial, act as environmental purifying filters. Through them, biodiversity promotes air quality and water quality.
4. A weakened natural environment
Biodiversity is a stability factor for ecosystems. When it weakens, the environments lose richness and density and become more vulnerable.
When certain plant species disappear, the soil is exposed to erosion, floods, landslides. When certain herbivores disappear, the multiplication of shrubs makes the land more fragile in the face of fires.
For the man, protecting biodiversity is a matter of survival. Its disappearance, at an accelerated rate, affects all areas of life: our ability to eat, our health, the air we breathe, the water we drink, etc.
