catalogs logo
catalogs.com logo

What is biodiversity and why is it important

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Learn what biodiversity is and why it is an important piece of the sciences

Learn what biodiversity is and why it is an important piece of the sciences

News reports concerning environmental issues often devote some amount of time to the discussion of biodiversity. If you have never taken a college course in biology, botany, or environmental science the term biodiversity might be unfamiliar to you. 

To answer the question of what is biodiversity, let’s explore the idea of biodiversity and why it is so important to environmental issues like sustainability and climate change. This subject of biodiversity is vast and will not be able to cover the subject holistically here, but the basics are simple enough to be explained in short order. This is a fairly important concept that is worth taken just a bit of your time to better understand.

The first thing to know about biodiversity is that in many ways it is what it sounds like. It is a portmanteau of the words biology and diversity that refers to the diversity of living organism with a given area; the area in question could be as small as a pond or as large as the entirety of earth itself. It all depends on the scale of biodiversity in question. 

~

There are four main categories of biodiversity: 

  • Taxonomic diversity, or diversity of different species of plants or animals  
  • Ecological diversity, or diversity within a certain ecosystem  
  • Morphological diversity, or the genetic diversity within a species  
  • Functional diversity, or the diversity of functionally different species within a given area  

Here functionally different has a broad definition (think predator v. prey or bi-ped v. quadruped). 

Ecological Diversity

When we hear biodiversity referred to, people are, in most cases, referring to ecological diversity.

Ecosystems tend to suffer from a lack of biodiversity because a population of animals and plants that are all similar to each other are likely vulnerable to similar threats. If you have an ecosystem where the animal and plant populations can be wiped out with the proliferation of one or two diseases, then it is only a matter of time before the ecosystem becomes desolate and degraded. If that happens then there is a sort of domino effect because many ecosystems are interconnected and interdependent. 

The degradation of one ecosystem can lead to a chain reaction which affects everything from climate change to the food supply. 

So, now that we have an idea of what biodiversity is and why its important. 

There are many non-profit organizations working to sustain biodiversity a number of different ways. Some try to reintroduce members of declining species back into habitats which once held larger populations of them. Others try to increase biodiversity by introducing new species into ecosystems where they might thrive. Many are focused on education, information, and resource-sharing, with programs for both children and adults.

Some of the best work being done is by organizations simply trying to preserve biodiverse ecosystems such Florida Bay and the Everglades. Unfortunately, in North America, our most biodiverse ecosystems were wetlands which have been largely overrun by commercial expansion, leaving less than ten percent of the wetlands which existed before the European colonization of the Americas. 

Today, more than ever, biodiversity is essential to the survival of not only animals, but human beings as well. 

 

Popular Savings Offers

 

cc

Top Deals

See All

Recent Posts

Get Free Catalogs When You Sign Up

Don't wait, sign up and get Free Shipping Offers, Discount Codes and lots of Savings Now!

Categories

Saving Tools

Follow Us

Logo

Since 1996, Catalogs.com has been considered the web's catalog shopping authority. Our trends experts have carefully reviewed thousands of catalogs and online stores and have featured only the most respected, distinctive, and trusted ones. From popular favorites to new discoveries, you'll shop and save with exclusive coupon codes!

Invitations for applications for insurance on Catalogs.com are made through QuoteLab, LLC and transparent.ly. Submission of your information constitutes permission for an agent to contact you with additional information about the cost and coverage details of health and auto insurance plans. Descriptions are for informational purposes only and subject to change. Insurance plans may not be available in all states. For a complete description, please call to determine eligibility and to request a copy of the applicable policy. Catalogs.com is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. By using this site, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.