Environment – Protection and Concern

9 Simple Steps to Preserve Biodiversity

Introduction

Biodiversity is the collection of diverse plants, animals, and other species in an environment at a point in time. It is the basis and critical link to all the life forms in the ecosystem. It helps all the life forms by providing clean air, potable water, transfer of pollen grains, and so on. Genetic, species, ecosystem are the 3 types of biodiversity. All living beings are equally important in the biodiversity structure except human beings. It is very important for the nourishment of all the life forms, the productivity of the soil.  On the other hand, lack of biodiversity may lead to diseases and climate change as well. The world has identified more than 30 biodiversity hotspots there are 2 in our country too: the East Himalayan region and the Western Ghats. 

Current scenario

Biodiversity varies across regions and the globe due to factors like rainfall, weather, and soil. It should be maintained to protect the variety of flora, fauna, and many other life forms. Currently, it is in trouble due to excessive use of natural resources, pollution, climate change, epidemics, and the ever-increasing human population. Deforestation, burning of fossil fuels has lead to soil erosion and deteriorated water quality. All these have resulted in habitat getting scrapped or making it worse to live. An excellent example of this is: in the last 30 years, 18 floras, 4 faunas have gone extinct.   It includes species of Cheetah and Rhinoceros. The pace at which species are getting disappeared is alarming. Loss of biodiversity threatens food varieties as they are prone to diseases and insect attacks affect marine life and livestock too. 

We are the generation that continued to mess up with nature at a greater scale and now we are seeing the impact in the form of storms, heatwaves, floods, and droughts. But we continue to live as if we are the only species entitled to live on this planet and carrying on the exploitation of the biodiversity at a very high speed. It seems like we are pulling out the foundation stones of this structure. In the last 100 years, 1/3 of the world coral reef, almost    1/4 of the mammals, and 1/8 of the birds are on the brink of extinction. If we continue to exploit it, there are chances the human race would be wiped out of this planet. 

We need to protect biodiversity as we are also part of this structure and all living organisms have a mutual dependency for survival. Besides for the last few decades, our governments have established and maintained many wildlife sanctuaries and national parks to protect a variety of trees and animals. This measure hugely helps in the study of ecology, conserving species and their habitats. Several initiatives by various governments of our country have increased forest cover. Forests play the role of air purifiers by normalizing the carbon dioxide through oxygen supply, also helping in controlling soil erosion.

Biodiversity has offered several free benefits which save an enormous amount of money.

Following are 3 main benefits studies have shown:

1) 1/3 of crops we use depend on pollination, 

2) Natural pest control increases food productivity, 

3) There are microbes in the water which act as a detoxifier.  

Steps to preserve Biodiversity

1) Imparting biodiversity awareness by the governments and enforcing laws to preserve biodiversity in the longer interest of ourselves and other life forms. 

2) As individuals, we can contribute to preserving biodiversity by starting to buy from local farmers.  Thereby, your help would save locally grown plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables. 

3) Save water by turning off taps, switch off electrical appliances when not in use, reuse water, cloth, paper, say no to paper wherever possible go the digital way. 

4) Use eco-friendly appliances for your home, reduce and recycle all plastic, glass items, dispose of the hazardous material in a prescribed way. 

5) Population control, slowing down urbanization, industrialization is also an equally important step.

6) Switching to an alternate source of energy instead of fossil fuels saves money and maintenance is low as well in most cases.

7) Grow plants in your garden without the use of chemicals, prefer organically grown fruits and vegetables, avoid genetically modified crops.

8) Support biodiversity initiatives like protecting plants and animals in their natural habitat as they blossom with the environment easily 

9) Know more about biodiversity stop polluting deliberately and educate others in your neighborhood.

Biodiversity is life. It means the whole variety of life on earth. Starting from your small garden at your home, ranges till evergreen rainforest to the desert, from the birds to the insects. Largely biodiversity resources are guzzled by humans, so it is our key duty to safeguard and defend rich biodiversity to protect and hand over the earth for the generations to come.

 Conclusion

Now that you are aware of the importance of biodiversity, I hope you will take the necessary steps to preserve the same. If you have ideas and initiatives that must be taken to protect our biodiversity, feel free to share them in the comment section

Written by: Pavan Madahavamurthy, Digital Writoprenuer

Evaluated by: Rajinder Soni, Writer’s Coach, Digital

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