Question

Why is biodiversity important for ecosystems and for humans?

Answer 1

Biodiversity is the amount of variety of life on Earth. It is the number of different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms. It includes organisms from Earth’s vastly different ecosystems, including deserts, rainforests, coral reefs, grasslands, tundra, and polar ice caps.

Our biodiversity is very important to the well-being of our planet. Most cultures, at least at some time, have recognized the importance of conserving natural resources. Many still do, but many do not.

 

 

Healthy ecosystems and rich biodiversity:

Increase ecosystem productivity; each species in an ecosystem has a specific niche—a role to play.

Support a larger number of plant species and, therefore, a greater variety of crops.

Protect freshwater resources.

Promote soils formation and protection.

Provide for nutrient storage and recycling.

Aid in breaking down pollutants.

Contribute to climate stability.

Speed recovery from natural disasters.

Provide more food resources.

Provide more medicinal resources and pharmaceutical drugs.

Offer environments for recreation and tourism.

Answer 2

Answer:

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on earth at all the levels. It is important for the following:

• An ecosystem is more stable when it has a high species diversity when compared to a low species diversity ecosystem

• Higher biodiversity causes the ecosystem to more stable in productivity, hence more resistant to any disturbance such as floods or alien species invasions

• The ecological balance in an ecosystem rich in biodiversity remains unchanged

• As different tropic levels are connected through food chains, illness of one organism at any tropic level would disrupt the whole food chain. For instance, if plants are destroyed in a food chain, then it would create an imbalance in the world of herbivores due to scarcity of food. Eventually, if all deers die, the tigers will also die soon.

Thus, if an ecosystem is rich in species, each tropic level will have other food alternatives which would increase the life expectancy rate of entities. Therefore, biodiversity has a significant role in preserving the ecological health and balance of an ecosystem.