i need 1 minute speech on importance of biodiversity
Answers
Threats to biodiversity have been increasing and they have been recognized by scientists and environmentalist groups. Biological diversity is the term used to describe the complete array of species-plant, animal and insect-that live on land and under water. It is very essential for the normal functioning of ecosystem and the biosphere as a whole. It has a great significance for its ecological, social, economical, cultural and ethical values and so its conservation becomes very important for survival and sustainable development.
Since the dawn of life, species have been dying out as a result of disease, lack of food or failure to adapt to environmental change. Fossil remains suggest that 5 billion species, from micro-organisms to dinosaurs, have spent some time on earth. The extinction of species have accelerated over years. Scientists believe that by 1990, the rate had accelerated to one per hour and by 1992 to one every 12 minutes. And because of the interdependence of life on earth, the impact of loss of so many species can be disastrous as damage to any part of the vast, delicate web of life carries the risk of eventual, widespread harm to the whole.
The greatest cause of species extinction is the disappearance of natural habitats-forests, wetlands and coastal regions-through deforestation, urban sprawl, rural development, air and water pollution, overpopulation and other pressures linked to human activities. Humans have been transforming natural ecosystems since they became agriculturalists 10,000 years ago. Human use of land and other natural resources has kept on increasing.
`Alien invasion’ is also important cause of species loss. Plants and animals carried willingly or unwillingly by humans from one ecosystem to another can flourish if the pests, predators or diseases which usually live with them are absent. Alien species are causing havoc in Africa’s Lake Victoria, where introduction of the Nile perch has caused the number of smaller native species to plummet. In Hawai, native flora are being decimated by imported animals such as cattle, goats and rats.
Global warming can also cause to the loss of Biodiversity. If the world’s climate changes as many scientists predict it could over the next 50 years, many plants and animals will no longer be suited to their environments. This could affect the world’s ability to produce food. Plants, being immobile, cannot adapt as quickly as animals. Even if climate pattern change only slightly, rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are likely to affect plant growth. Increases in harmful ultraviolet radiation associated with depletion of the ozone layer could also alter or finish species.