Biodiversity

What is biodiversity?
It is the variety of organisms and the ecological diversity of which they exist. Diversity could be defined as the number of different items and their relative frequency. These are organized into levels, categories ranging from complete ecosystems to anatomical and chemical structures that are the basis of heredity.



Extinction:
This is a natural event where a catastrophic event devastates the species and their environments with mass destruction. Over 5 of these had happened since Earth was formed. For example, the Permian Extinction occurred about 252 million years ago. This devastated 95% of marine species, and over 70% of vertebrae. 83% of all genera became extinct. However, new species still arise to adapt to the newly introduced ecosystems.

Human Actions:
First, humans could be an important factor in accelerating the loss of species and ecosystems. The ever growing population of humans is going to hit the mark of 10 billion people. We roughly destroyed or transformed over 50% of the world's forests. Over half of these plant populations are appropriate for industrial uses. Most of the Earth's fresh water reservoir is running dry.
Second, over-hunting has been the main reason for the disappearance of many species. Whales and many large African mammals are victims to cater the needs of humans. These animals are being utilized as food, fashion, and most importantly, profit. Though sport or recreational hunting has no negative effects due to heavy regulations, poaching or illegal hunting still plays a devastating role in this crisis.
Third, the "cause" of species extinction is the destruction or alteration or degradation of natural habitats of many organisms. Deforestation is the main example for this phenomenon. Forests are being appropriated for agricultural land, wood, livestock, or urbanization. Humans are usually uninformed on how important forest habitats are. Over 50% of the world's biodiversity is harbored in forests. We humans are destroying them everyday. Originally, there are 15 million km square and currently, in 2015, we only possess about 7.5-8 million km square. Near 2% of our forests disappeared annually.

Finally, climate changes are also contributors to this crisis. We have polluted the water, air, and light sources presented in the environment. Global warming brought upon by air pollution has changed many habitats by raising their temperatures significantly. Ocean acidification has contaminated many marine habitats, killing many calcium dependent species.
What are our solutions?
We should reduce the amount of forest consumption by human beings. We should look for alternatives for wood. Urbanization, though an essential for society development, is detrimental to the biodiversity. Is it really worth it?

Moreover, finding solutions to overpopulation would directly change the cause for the protection of our bio diversity.
Since we are the main cause of biodiversity destruction, it is our duty to restore what we have done.
















































Current information: