a project on bio-diversityeggs; feeding of the baby by the mother; giving training of flight and...
TRANSCRIPT
A Project on
BIO-DIVERSITY
Salwan Public School, MV III
1
2
3
Biodiversity among leaves
Leaf Munchers
Part A- Understanding biodiversity in our environment
Environment as a shared space
INDEX
4
5
Interview
What have we learned?
Electives
Build your own terrariumI
Compulsory Activities
Part B- The world of Biodiversity
INDEX
biodiversity@salwanpublicschool
Part A- Understanding biodiversity in our environment
Compulsory Activities
A1 Environment as a shared space
A1 -
En
vir
on
men
t a
s a
sh
are
d s
pa
ce
Objectives
1. To become familiar with the plants and animals of our vicinity.
2. To understand the various interactions between the living and
non living components of our environment .
3. To raise awareness about biodiversity and its role in the health of
our surroundings.
4. To identify the key aspects of local habitats and ecosystem.
5. To make connections between human action and the level of
biodiversity.
A1-
En
vir
on
men
t as a
sh
are
d s
pace
Instructions
1. Distribution of resources like hand lens, petridish, white sheet,
forceps and camera.
2. Individual observation at area of research.
2. Observation by the teams.
3. Recording of observation in the form of Sketches, Notes,
Photographs, Story weaving, Poems.
4. Discussions and comparison of habitats.
5. Learning outcomes at school.
A1-E
nvir
on
men
t as a
sh
are
d s
pace
Resources and Evidences
1. Hand lens, petridish, white sheet, forceps and camera.
2. Smriti Van, School Campus, localities around the schools.
3. Stationary.
4. Internet, Mobile Phones, Camscanner, Observation Sheets.
A1-E
nvir
on
men
t as a
sh
are
d s
pace
Evidences –Observation and research at Smriti Van
En
vir
on
men
t a
s a
sh
are
d s
pace
Evidences – Development of baby Pigeon at Physics lab
A1-E
nvir
on
men
t as a
sh
are
d s
pace
Evidences – Observations in School Campus
A1-E
nvir
on
men
t as a
sh
are
d s
pace
Evidences – Story Weaving
A1-E
nvir
on
men
t as a
sh
are
d s
pace Evidences – Poem
En
vir
on
men
t a
s a
sh
are
d s
pace
Evidences –Observation Sheets
A1-E
nvir
on
men
t as a
sh
are
d s
pace
Reflections
The ecosystem is definitely influenced by the presence of
organisms, as the trees bind the soil and prevent erosion their fallen leaves rot and keep the soil enriched with humus. A myriad of food chains and
foodwebs are operational.
A2 Biodiversity among leaves
A2-B
iod
ivers
ity a
mo
ng
leaves
Objectives
1. To become familiar with the way leaves are used by living
beings.
2. To explore the variety of services leaves provide for different
organisms, including human beings.
3. To recognize different type of leaves.
4. To explore the use of leaves for various purposes like medicine,
food, fiber, utensils, oxygen and many more.
A2
-Bio
div
ers
ity a
mo
ng
leaves
Instructions
1. Collection of leaves from various sources like home, garden,
localities, school campus, potted plants, temples, bird sanctuaries,
nurseries etc.
2. Observation and discussion of smell, taste, texture, colour and size
of the leaves.
3. Identification of plants and leaves.
4. Listing the leaves used by different organisms.
5. Dry the leaves for project file.
6. Pasting the leaves and making of Herbarium.
A2 -
Bio
div
ers
ity a
mo
ng
leaves
Resources and Evidences
1. Leaves .
2. Newspapers.
3. Scrap file.
4. Internet, Mobile Phones, Plantsnap app.
5. Books, heavy weights and stationary
A2 -
Bio
div
ers
ity a
mo
ng
leaves
Evidences – Plants and leaves
A2 -
Bio
div
ers
ity a
mo
ng
leaves
Evidences – Herbarium
A2-B
iod
ivers
ity a
mo
ng
leaves
Reflections
A3 Leaf Munchers
A 3
-L
eaf
Mu
nch
ers
Objectives
1. To develop and acquire a basic understanding of composting.
2. To obtain a good quality compost and raise environmental
awareness by promoting use of organic manure.
3. To promote recycling of waste and reduction of organic waste in
landfills.
4. To understand the process of decomposition and role of
decomposers and detritivore diversity.
5. To explore organisms found in the soil, their interrelationships
and their role in keeping the environment clean.
A3
-Le
af
Mu
nch
ers
Instructions
1. Gather completely dry (brown) leaves
2. Selection of a pot and shredding of leaves
3. Mixing of leaves with soil and filling it in the pot
4. Collection of materials for observations
5. Observation by the students and taking photographs.
6. Recording of observations and analysis of results.
7. Turning of the pile after 2nd week and recording changes in the
different layers of the compost pile.
8. Discussion of the learning outcome in the school.
.
A3 –
Leaf
Mu
nch
ers
Resources and Evidences
1. Pot, soil, dry leaves, water, thermometer, litmus paper, test
tubes, spatula, petridish, weighing scale
2. School campus
3. Internet, mobile phone, camera, observation sheets
4. Photographs
A3 –
Leaf
Mu
nch
ers
Evidences – Observation Tables
Date Soil Color/Smell Organisms Present Eggs/ Webs01/10/2018 Light brown/ normal No No05/10/2018 Light brown/ normal No No09/10/2018 Light brown/ normal No No11/10/2018 Light brown/ normal No No15/10/2018 Light brown/ normal No No17/10/2018 Dark brown/stingy No No22/10/2018 Dark brown/ smell like humus No No25/10/2018 Blackish brown/smell like humus No No
Physical Examination
Date Topmost Level Middle Level Lowest Level01/10/2018 25 24 2605/10/2018 23 24 2609/10/2018 27 26 2411/10/18 23 22 2615/10/18 25 25 2417/10/18 25 25 2322/10/18 24 25 2425/10/18 24 24 22
Temperature Record – in degree centigrade
A3 –
Leaf
Mu
nch
ers
Evidences – Observation Tables
pH Records
Date Topmost Level Middle Level Lowest Level01/10/2018 7 7 705/10/2018 7 7 709/10/2018 7 7 711/10/2018 7 7 615/10/2018 7 7 617/10/2018 7 7 622/10/2018 7 7 625/10/2018 7 7 6
A3 –
Leaf
Mu
nch
ers
Evidences – Photographs
A3 –
Leaf
Mu
nch
ers
Evidences – Photographs
A3-L
eaf
Mu
nch
ers
Reflections
Bacteria convert atmospheric
nitrogen into useful nitrates to
increase soil fertility. Microbes also
decompose dead plants and animals
under pressure for million of years to
form fossil fuels used in our daily
lives. They also decompose organic
waste into simple substances like
co2, water, minerals which can be
used by the green plants during
photosynthesis. Thus they clean the
environment and replenish back the nutrients in the nutrient pool.
Decomposers: Yes, decomposers are important in
our ecosystem because they break down the
organic waste into harmless and useable
substances. Some bacteria also fix nitrogen from
the atmosphere to enrich soil with nitrogen to
increase its fertility
A4 Interviews
A4 -
Inte
rvie
ws
Objectives
1. To understand the relationships between biodiversity and
livelihoods.
2. To understand the factors that bring about changes in biodiversity.
3. To understand the attitude of people towards conservation.
4. To know the importance of biodiversity for people engaged in
different occupations.
5. To know the relationship of biodiversity in health and daily life.
6. To study the challenges for biodiversity in future.
7. To know natural and man made challenges to biodiversity today.
8. To know the advancement of technology affecting the occupation.
Inte
rvie
ws
Instructions
1. Selection of community i.e. Farmer, Mahout, Gardner, Vegetable
vendor, flower vendor.
2. Discussions to frame the questionnaire.
3. Analysis of the questionnaire made by the students.
4. Contact and visit the interviewee.
5. Collection of responses and interpretation.
6. Learning Outcomes.
A4 -
Inte
rvie
ws
Resources and Evidences
1. Photographs
2. Questionnaires.
3. Possible people i.e. Farmer, vegetable vendor, flower vendor,
mahout.
4. Internet
A4 -
Inte
rvie
ws
Evidences – Photographs
A4 -
Inte
rvie
ws
Evidences – Excerpts of different questionnaires
• Can you name any natural or man-made challenges to
biodiversity today?
• Which challenges to biodiversity do you think are the most
important for us to address over the next ten years?
• Do you think that biodiversity has a direct relationship to your
health and your daily life? How.
• How have advances in technology affected your profession?
• Are there any differences in the way your father or grandfather
practiced and the way you do it now?
• What is the impact of climate and weather on your profession?
• How do you deal with weeds and pests? What is your view
about organic farming?
• Would like to continue your profession or have you thought of
giving this up for another career? Why?
A4 -
Inte
rvie
ws
Reflections
Advances like
ploughing fields using
tractors etc have
made me more
productive in less
time. Now get less
tired than before”
-Hari Singh, Farmer
Yes, if there is more
variety of flowers, then
I would have more
options to sell them.
Methods like grafting
and inter breeding
could be used. It is
good to have balance
in biodiversity
- Basant, florist
A5 What have we learned ?
A5 –
Wh
at
hav
e w
e learn
ed
?
Objectives
1. To test the learning about biodiversity.
2. To use the characteristics to identify organisms using card game.
A5-
Wh
at
have
we learn
ed
?
Instructions
1. Make the cards of different organisms.
2. Tell the rules of the game to the students.
3. Divide them into 2 groups.
4. Start the game, choose one representative from group .
5. His team members give hints of the characteristics of the organism
displayed on the card to him.
6. The representative identifies it, in 10 hints; or out.
7. Recording of Learnings
A5 –
Wh
at
hav
e w
e learn
ed
?
Resources and Evidences
1. Cards
2. Students
3. Internet
A5 –
Wh
at
hav
e w
e learn
ed
?
Evidences – Photographs
A5 –
Wh
at
have
we learn
ed
?
Reflections
Biodiversity is a measure
of health of the
ecosystem. Greater the
biodiversity, greater will
be the stability of
the ecosystem..
This statement is true but not
complete as biotic and abiotic factors
of an ecosystem are directly related
to each other. If the soil is fertile then
it can support a variety of flora and
fauna. Similarly if there is huge
variety of birds and animals then they
will support flora through dispersal of
seeds, pollination and adding humus.
A5 –
Wh
at
have
we learn
ed
?
Learnings
It was a great opportunity for us to take up this project on biodiversity, and study the biodiversity not only in our
school but in the surroundings of the school as well. During school visits, varied kinds of flora and fauna and their
interactions were observed. The most interesting was to study the life stages of a pigeon viz laying and hatching of
eggs; feeding of the baby by the mother; giving training of flight and teaching basic life practices to the baby. The
pigeon’s continuous visits to take care and keeping a vigil over the eggs even from a distance were extremely
interesting. Although it was not easy to capture all the activities taking place in the nest between baby and its mother
but still we were able to observe the bird’s behavior and motherly instinct with a great success. This whole episode
was so amusing that a young student of class 7 composed a poem on the same.
Other interactions that were seen inside and outside the school campus were like mushrooms growing on the tree
trunks, spider webs where in insects were caught, lizard feeding over insects, lady birds breeding in the school
ground, squirrels nibbling the left over food near the canteen area. Holes made by the rats and mongoose;
butterflies, fruit flies, honeybees feeding on nectar. We could also capture the moments when the birds would take
over the school ground after the children leave and seen dunking their bodies and flutter their wings in water poodles.
Squirrels were seen hopping from one branch to another and enjoying their freedom in the absence of the children.
We could never imagine that the school grounds burgeon with so much of life after dispersal of students. It was
captivating to view such great diversity in the school premises.
Studying diversity among plants was a different experience altogether. Parasitic plants like Cucuta all over the trees
near the boundary wall of the school were observed, along with many other plants like Ficus, Palm, Aero Caria,
Syngonium, Kadamb, Ashoka, Bottlebrush, various flowering plants like china rose, rose, dahlia lily, etc. Tulsi,
Jamun, Peepal and numerous other trees in our school campus. Many small animals like beetles, bugs, millipedes,
ants, dragonflies, honeybees, mosquitoes etc also find their habitat in the school as well as outside the school.
A5 –
Wh
at
have
we learn
ed
?
Learnings continued…
We collected leaves of different plants; dried them in the folds of newspaper. When they dried they were pasted
along with their scientific classification in a scrap file, which serves as herbarium.
Our next activity was taken up by the primary students, to make compost. They actually learnt how dry leaves can be
used to make something useful. Out of fun of learning, they called this activity as “best out of waste”.
They studied different parameters during the formation of compost viz. color and odour of the soil, temperature,
moisture level of the soil. They learnt that decomposers play an important role in the formation of compost.
Interview – which was another enthralling activity for us. We ourselves conducted interviews of saviors of our
environment i.e. gardener, mahout, vegetable and flower vendor etc. For this activity we prepared different
questionnaires and asked questions accordingly from these people. We observed that under the prevailing scenario
and some loopholes in our country’s system these people are losing interest in their profession , moreover they are
not willing to allow their children to opt for the same profession which is little alarming for us. We need to work out
some solutions or maybe some advanced technologies which can help these saviors to bring back their interest in
their professions.
Part A- Understanding biodiversity in our environment
Elective Activity
Build your own terrarium
Components
Objectives
Instructions
Resources
Reflections
Bu
ild
yo
ur
ow
n t
err
ari
um
ObjectivesTo learn
1. A terrestrial ecosystem through setting up and maintaining a terrarium.
2. Some commonly found organisms in this ecosystem.
3. The connections between physical and biological elements of the environment.
4. To teach students the growth requirements for plant species and how to plant
their very own portable garden.
5. What terrariums need in order to survive.
6. To explore relationship between water cycle and life cycle of plants.
7. How Terrariums can bring the outdoors in, especially in modern city apartments
with no gardens.
Bu
ild
yo
ur
ow
n t
err
ari
um
Instructions
1. Take a transparent glass bowl and put a layer of gravel.
2. Put a net on the gravel, add some more gravel and sand.
3. Add a layer of wood charcoal.
4. Add a thick layer of a mixture of vermiculite and coco coir in place of
ordinary soil.
5. Place the plants carefully in the soil.
6. Water the plants.
7. Decorate Terrarium with colourful stones, small pieces of wood,
animals and plants.
Bu
ild
yo
ur
ow
n t
err
ari
um
Resources
1. Sand
2. Compost
3. Gravel
4. Moss
5. Activated Charcoal
6. Animals
7. Plants
8. Glass Jar
9. A Water spray bottle
Bu
ild
yo
ur
ow
n t
err
ari
um
Evidences – Photographs
Bu
ild
yo
ur
ow
n t
err
ari
um
Evidences – YouTube link
https://youtu.be/Hua9Pv5JPyE
Bu
ild
yo
ur
ow
n t
err
ari
um
Evidences – Tabular Data
DAYS ABIOTIC CONDITIONS STATUS OF PLANTS Actions Taken toSet-up
General Observations and Inferences
Day 1 The habitat was humid. The plants were already in a growing stage when they were put into the terrarium.
Terrarium was made by making a layer of gravel, sand, gravel, sand and vermiculite in a glass bowl and growing plants mostly succulents were put in.
The water was seen to have seeped into the sand and even the gravel. This means it is sufficiently watered.
Day 4
Day 10
Day 16
Habitat was not moist. Soil seemed dry.
Soil looked quite dry.
Soil looked dry.
The plants seemed a little wilted.
Plants seemed perfectly healthy. No signs of wilting. Their leaves looked turgid and healthy.
More water was added to the terrarium with the help of a funnel.
Frequent watering is needed
Small insects could be seen which probably got in with the vermiculite.
This means they have rooted and anchored themselves well.
Bu
ild
yo
ur
ow
n t
err
ari
um
Learnings Students could relate the working of Terrarium with that of functioning of Earth. They reflected
how our earth, like the terrarium, is a closed system. The terrarium was also used as model to
understand the global water cycle. They understood how the terrarium water cycle works in
miniature the same way as the water cycle works on a large scale for our planet. The plants
take up the water through their roots and release it through their leaves by transpiration. The
water molecules will condense on the glass, and run down the sides of the terrarium. Some of
these water molecules will also be evaporated by the sun. The plants will use the moisture in
the soil for photosynthesis, a process that occurs in the plants’ cells and provides energy for
the plants’ growth. At the end of the activity the students could define the terms like
Condensation, Evaporation, Precipitation, and Transpiration.
Bu
ild
yo
ur
ow
n t
err
ari
um
Reflections
No particular growth is seen
in the plants as winter is
approaching and the
weather is not conducible
for growth…
As the terrarium is kept in
Bio Lab where fans are on…
May be evaporation is faster
due to this…Bio-lab is also well illuminated with
plenty of sunshine. May be due to
this water is evaporating quickly and
soil is turning dry.
Part B- The World of Biodiversity
Compulsory Activities
Th
e W
orl
d o
f B
iod
ivers
ity
Our school organised a day long visit to Smriti van,
adjacent to our School, to study its Biodiversity. The
park was established for the recreation of the local
people and is spread over several acres. It hosts a wide
variety of Flora and Fauna. The park has Ficus
Bengalenses (Banyan), Ficus religiosa (Peepal),
Azadirachta indica (Neem), Cassia fistula( Amaltas),
Lagerstroemia speciosa (Jarul), Syzygium cumini
(jamun), Mangifera indica to name a few. On our visit
we saw a wide variety of animals too in the park. It is an
ecosystem where we got to learn a myriad of
interrelationships between the organisms.
Location Map : Smriti Van
Kondli Gharoli Complex,
Mayur Vihar III,
Delhi 110096
Th
e W
orl
d o
f B
iod
ivers
ity
An ecosystem is self sufficient as it contains producers which prepare food, consumers which
depend on others for their food and decomposers which act on the dead and decaying
bodies and return back the nutrients to the soil.
Some consumers are predators; they hunt, catch, kill, and eat other animals, they prey.
The prey animal tries to avoid being eaten by hiding, fleeing, or defending itself using various
adaptations and strategies. If the prey is not successful, it becomes a meal and energy source
for the predator.
We could catch this prey-predator relationship live in the park when a toad was found
feeding on ants and mosquitoes, the Squirrels nibbling on juicy fruits of Ficus trees. If the
prey is successful and eludes its predator, the predator must expend its precious energy to
continue the hunt elsewhere. Predators can also be prey, depending on what part of the food
chain we are looking at.
It all depends on the specific details of the interaction. For example the toad which is a
predator of ants and mosquitoes in the park becomes a prey for an eagle which often stray
into our area due to presence of Ghazipur landfill in the vicinity. We sighted herbivores like
grasshoppers feeding on plants, fruguivorous birds like parrots, squirrels and omnivores like
mynahs, crows , grain eaters like pigeons etc.
Th
e W
orl
d o
f B
iod
ivers
ity
Competition is an interesting example of interactions. When two organisms compete or fight for
the same limited resource such as food, shelter, a mate, or sunlight, there is usually a winner and
a loser (+ -), but if the competitors fight literally to the death and kill each other, the interaction
becomes negative for both (- -). Competition is also an interesting example because it is just as
likely to be intraspecific as interspecific.
We could also observe competition between these different species. For example we found that
when crows were feeding grain then other birds like sparrows and mynahs were seen waiting for
the crow to complete its meal and only then they would feed.
This was very amusing for all of us to watch. As the birds would patiently watch from a distance
and sometimes a pigeon would dare to approach the grain and then would quickly retreat as the
crow would come charging towards it. This visit really gave us a rare opportunity to watch these
kinds of interesting interactions between the living organisms.
In parasitism, the parasite does not usually kill its host, but just feeds on it for a long time while it
is living. We could see parasitic interactions between plants in the park. Amarbel or Cuscuta was
found growing intertwining the plants and we could see its haustorial association with the plant
stems. We collected these specimens and cut their transverse sections to observe the haustorial
associations under the microscope in our Biology Laboratory.
Th
e W
orl
d o
f B
iod
ivers
ity
Another category of interaction between organisms has to do with close, usually long-term interaction
between different types of organisms. These interactions are called symbiosis. The impacts
of symbiosis can be positive, negative, or neutral for the organisms involved. Organisms often provide
resources or services to each other; the interaction is mutually beneficial. These “win-win” symbiotic
interactions are known as mutualism (+ +). For example, birds living on a tree help in the dispersal of
fruits and seeds whereas the tree provides them with fruits, ovipositors in the ovaries of their flowers and
also shelter. We tried to look for another symbiotic association “Lichens” but could not find any on the
tree barks. Lichens must have disappeared from the trees of the park due to excessive urbanisation,
traffic and congestion in this area and soaring air pollution due to Ghazipur land fill in the area.
A few mounds of termites and ants were found. Mushrooms were growing on the trees as the soil was wet
under the shade of trees. Fungal growth was observed on the soil and on the tree barks. Colonies of
millipedes were also seen. Even mating was observed in groups of beetles, riding over each other. On the
bark of the trees many black ants and spiders were thriving. Leaves were eaten by insect larvae and we
could see the caterpillars above and below the leaves munching them.
We chased a chameleon and noted its camouflage with the surroundings. It turned brown when on the
tree trunks and green when on the stems with leaves. In the midst of flowers it assumed an orange colour.
The grasshoppers too were an example of camouflage as their colour “Green” merged with the colour of
the grass. Similarly we sighted parrots which when perched on the trees could not be spotted due to
camouflage.
Th
e W
orl
d o
f B
iod
ivers
ity
Except for the pigeons we could not see any other bird nesting and hatching in this season. As the
breeding season for cuckoo is over we missed on an important interaction between crow and the
Cuckoo “Brood Parasitism”.
We studied tree ecosystem. The large Ficus Bengalenses tree hosted a large number of fauna viz.
Ants, beetles, moths, squirrels, different species of birds, Geccko lizards, etc. We observed a
myriad of food chains and food webs operating in this ecosystem. We could also understand why
the tree ecosystem is represented by an inverted pyramid.
All organisms play a part in the web of life and every living thing will die at some point. This is
where scavengers, detritivores (which eat detritus or parts of dead things), and decomposers come
in. They all play a critical role that often goes unnoticed when observing the workings of an
ecosystem. They break down carcasses, body parts and waste products, returning to the
ecosystem the nutrients and minerals stored in them. This interaction is critical for our health and
health of the entire planet. Without them we would be literally buried in dead stuff. Fungi and
bacteria are examples of these important clean-up specialists. The role of decomposers cannot be
undermined. They are the most important biotic component of an ecosystem. We could also
observe the process of partial decomposition in the areas of the park which were shaded and were
wet with lot of leaf litter collected.
These are the many different kinds of interactions between organisms in an ecosystem and it is
not unusual for any particular organism to play multiple roles at different times. For example, we
humans are consumers and predators when we hunt, kill, and eat animals like fish, or when we
consume chicken at a restaurant.
Th
e W
orl
d o
f B
iod
ivers
ity
We have also many mutualistic relationships with other organisms, such as our pets. Competition also occurs
between humans for resources. Interactions between organisms, including humans, are the nature of life
and have tremendous impact on the functioning and health of ecosystems.
We calculated species richness by counting the different types of plant species, tracking the different types of
animal species and by recording our observations.
The park is frequented and thronged by many people from all age groups. Children are seen playing, men
and women are sighted doing Yoga and walking. The pathway of this park is also used by office goers. With
so much of human interference, the biodiversity here must have been greatly affected and what we could
find here now must be very nominal. In a city which has very high concentration of particulate matter, the
importance of a biodiversity park is immense.
The Delhi Government which takes care of this park has also started a gymnasium for the locals. Now the
park is frequented by many more people leading to further decline of the diversity. We also interacted with
the caretaker, gardener and old people who are regular visitors of the park. When we asked an 80 plus
gentle man who was feeding the ants with sugar powder, how long he had been visiting the park, he said for
the past 30 years he was a regular to the park. Then he lamented about the rich biodiversity it hosted earlier
and how gradually it plummeted. He expressed his deep concern about this development and its future
repercussions on the quality of life around it.
Th
e W
orl
d o
f B
iod
ivers
ity
Biodiversity continues to decline in every region of the world significantly reducing nature's capacity to
contribute to people's well-being. In every region, biodiversity and nature's capacity to contribute to people
are being degraded, reduced and lost due to a number of common pressures -- habitat stress;
overexploitation and unsustainable use of natural resources; air, land and water pollution; increasing
numbers and impact of invasive alien species and climate change, among others. Human-induced climate
change, which affects temperature, precipitation and the nature of extreme events, is increasingly driving
biodiversity loss and the reduction of nature's contributions to people, worsening the impact of habitat
degradation, pollution, invasive species and the overexploitation of natural resources. This alarming trend
endangers economies, livelihoods, food security and the quality of life of people everywhere. The best
available evidence, gathered by the world's leading experts, points us now to a single conclusion: we must act
to halt and reverse the unsustainable use of nature -- or risk not only the future we want, but even the lives
we currently lead.
Biodiversity is the pillar that allows ecosystems to function and humans to thrive. Without biodiversity in an
ecosystem we would not have the many plants and animals we find in our world today, including us. This
includes the number of different species and genetic variation within the same species. The different plants
and animals in an environment work together to maintain balance in the ecosystem. These interactions
create functioning systems that provide food, medicine, and new technologies for us.
Governments have the power to control what is done to the habitats within their country. Legislation that
protects natural habitats by outlawing development, harvesting of natural resources, or other human
exploitation has a huge impact on maintaining natural biodiversity.
Th
e W
orl
d o
f B
iod
ivers
ity
Protecting habitats before they have been altered is the best form of biodiversity conservation and is most
successfully implemented by government regulations.
Invasive species are sometimes introduced to an area on purpose, but also sometimes by accident. To limit the
number of invasive species moved by accident planes, ships, and cargo must be thoroughly checked before it is
offloaded in a new country.
Captive breeding is when animals in captivity (often at zoos) are bred. This is seen as somewhat controversial,
as it requires the capture of animals that are often near extinction. On the positive side it provides the
opportunity to increase the population of the species which can be reintroduced into the wild.
Seed banks are areas where huge varieties of plant seeds are stored. This provides a failsafe if a species goes
extinct in nature. The plant can be grown from a saved seed and reintroduced back into its habitat.
As we know, climate change has disastrous consequences for living things on earth. We use huge amounts of
fossil fuels, which directly cause climate change. We need to switch over from fossil fuels to alternative energy
sources and natural or sustainable products. Reducing the effects of climate change requires a worldwide
effort.
Th
e W
orl
d o
f B
iod
ivers
ity
Many products are now labeled with ecolabels that state they are environmentally friendly. Some
of the most prominent ecolabels are Energy Star, USDA organic and Rain forest Alliance
Certified. Our consumption of natural resources is one of the main reasons for biodiversity loss,
so it is our responsibility to consume products that are produced in the most sustainable way
possible. Additionally, when we consume these goods it increases demand for environmentally
conscious products pushing more producers to make them.
Sustainable living is something that we can each choose to do on a daily basis. Whether by taking
shorter showers, riding bike to work or buying ecolabeled products, it helps reduce the amount of
resources we use.
Educating people about the importance of biodiversity increases public awareness of the issue. As
public awareness increases, people become more involved and eventually influence their
government representatives, pushing for more environmental protection.
Currently science and technology are two of the most important tools in conservation biology.
We use science, and specifically ecology, to understand the web of interactions in our biomes. By
understanding these interactions scientists are able to pinpoint the key species in ecosystems. This
information is used to guide conservation efforts.
Th
e W
orl
d o
f B
iod
ivers
ity
It is also used to understand pollution and its cascading effects within an ecosystem. Bio-
magnification of toxins in a food chain can cause huge problems for top predators. This is an
ever adapting field of science and these two examples are just a few ways to implement the
information it uncovers.
Technology is becoming more and more important in conservation biology. Sustainable
technologies, like renewable energies, biodegradable packaging, and recycling, help reduce our
impact on the environment.
Additionally, technologies like cloning give scientists the ability to bring back species that are
already considered extinct.
Biodiversity in natural ecosystems is of the utmost importance. It helps provide the resources
and services that we rely on every day. The development and urbanization of humans poses a
serious risk for natural biodiversity.
If nothing is done to reduce these changes, there will be disastrous consequences. There are
many things we can do in politics, science, and even in our daily lives to help fix these issues. As
humans, we need to understand the risks associated with our consuming lifestyles and work
hard to fix what is already damaged and prevent future harm.
“In every walk in with nature one receives
far more than he seeks.”
-John Muir