Biodiversity

Biodiversity

What is biodiversity?

• Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.
• Biodiversity forms the foundation of the vast array of ecosystem servicesthat critically contribute to human well-being.
• Biodiversity is important in human-managed as well as natural ecosystems.
• Decisions humans make that influence biodiversity affect the well-being of themselves and others.
• 

The United Nations designated 2011–2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity. In biodiversity, each species, no matter how big or small has an important role to play in ecosystem. Various plant and animal species depend on each other for what each offers and these diverse species ensures natural sustainability for all life forms. A healthy and solid biodiversity can recover itself from variety of disasters.

Biodiversity has three types:

• Genetic diversity,
• Eco system diversity and
• Species diversity

Genetic Diversity

It is basically the variety of species expressed at the genetic level by each individual in a species. No two individuals belonging to the same species are exactly similar. For example, in the species of human beings, each human shows a lot of diversity in comparison to another human. People living in different regions show a great level of variation.

Species Diversity

It is the biodiversity observed within a community. It stands for the number and distribution of species. The number of species in a region varies widely depending upon the varied environmental conditions. For example, it is usually observed that civilizations residing beside water bodies show more species than the one compared to the areas away from water bodies.

Ecological diversity

It defines the diversity observed among the ecosystems in a particular region. Different ecosystems like mangroves, rainforests, deserts, etc., show a great variety of life forms residing in them.

Recently a new aspect has also been added- ‘molecular diversity’.

Biodiversity is unevenly distributed. It varies globally and within regions. The various factors that influence biodiversity include -temperature, altitude, precipitation, soils and their relation with other species. For instance, ocean biodiversity is 25 times lesser than terrestrial diversity. Biodiversity also increases its form as it moves from the poles towards the tropics.

Biodiversity is the result of 3.5 billion years of evolution. It has been subject to periods of extinction. The latest and most destructive stage of extinction is Holocene extinction, which has occurred due to the impact of human beings on the environment.

Why is Biodiversity Important?

Biodiversity has a number of functions  on the Earth. These are as follows:

• Maintaining balance of the ecosystem: Recycling and storage of nutrients, combating pollution, and stabilizing climate, protecting water resources, forming and protecting soil and maintaining ecobalance.
• Provision of biological resources: Provision of medicines and pharmaceuticals, food for the human population and animals, ornamental plants, wood products, breeding stock and diversity of species, ecosystems and genes.
• Social benefits: Recreation and tourism, cultural value and education and research.

The role of biodiversity in the following areas will help make clear the importance of biodiversity in human life:

• Biodiversity and food: 80% of human food supply comes from 20 kinds of plants. But humans use 40,000 species for food, clothing and shelter. Biodiversity provides for variety of foods for the planet.
• Biodiversity and human health: The shortage of drinking water is expected to create a major global crisis. Biodiversity also plays an important role in drug discovery and medicinal resources. Medicines from nature account for  usage by  80% of the world’s population.
• Biodiversity and industry: Biological sources provide many industrial materials. These include fiber, oil, dyes, rubber, water, timber, paper and food.
• Biodiversity and culture: Biodiversity enhances recreational activities like bird watching, fishing, trekking etc. It inspires musicians and artists.

Reason for Loss of Biodiversity

The earth’s biodiversity is in grave danger. In the present era, human beings are the most dangerous cause of destruction of the earth’s biodiversity. In 2006, the terms threatened, endangered or rare were used to describe the status of many species. The “evil quartet” identified by Jared Diamond is overkill, habitat destruction, secondary extinctions and introduced species. Factors identified by Edward Wilson are described by the acronym- HIPPO standing for habitat destruction, climate change, invasive species, pollution, human overpopulation and over-harvesting.

The Environment

The Environment

The environment is something you are very familiar with. It's everything that makes up our surroundings and affects our ability to live on the earth—the air we breathe, the water that covers most of the earth's surface, the plants and animals around us, and much more.

In recent years, scientists have been carefully examining the ways that people affect the environment. They have found that we are causing air pollution, deforestation, acid rain, and other problems that are dangerous both to the earth and to ourselves. 

Environmental Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change.Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants.

Types of environmental pollution

The effects of pollution are undoubtedly many and extensive. Extreme levels of pollution are causing scores of harm to human health, animal health, tropical rainforests, as well as the large environment. All kinds of pollution including air, water, soil pollution, etc. have an impact on the environment. Following are main types of environmental pollution that we must be careful:

1. Air Pollution
2. Water Pollution
3. Land Pollution
4. Noise Pollution
5. Radiation Pollution
6. Thermal Pollution, etc

Water Pollution

One of the most common types of environmental pollution is water pollution. Generally, water pollution is the contagion of any body of water including lakes, groundwater, sea, oceans, etc. A few examples of water pollution include raw sewage running into the lake or streams; Industrial waste drips polluting groundwater, the illicit putting of stuff or items within bodies of water, etc. The most explicit kind of water pollution affects surface waters including oceans, lakes, and rivers. Sewage, Nutrients, Chemical waste, radioactive waste, etc. can make water polluted. Water pollution kills pollutants kill organisms and fish, crabs, birds; seagull.s, dolphins, etc.

Air Pollution

Air Pollution is another main environmental pollution faced by our world today. Air pollution takes place when damaging stuff including particulates and biological molecules are dumped into Earth’s atmosphere. It results in diseases, allergies or premature death in humans. Air pollution can bring harm to other living organisms such as animals and food crops that we eat. In general, air pollution is the pollution of air by smoke and dangerous gases, chiefly oxides of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen. Exhausting fumes from vehicles, the burning of fossil fuels, Radiation spills or nuclear accidents, destructive off-gassing from things such as paint, plastic production, and so on can cause air pollution.

Soil Pollution

Soil Pollution is severe environmental pollution that our world is facing now. Soil pollution takes place when the existence of toxic chemicals, pollutants or impurities in the soil is in high. It presents a high risk to plants, wildlife, humans and indeed, the soil itself.  The surplus, escalating the use of chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, and fertilizers is one of the main features causing soil pollution.

Noise Pollution

Noise pollution has become more of an environmental issue since the industrial age. It is disturbing or extreme noise that can harm the activity or balance of human as well as animal life. The cause of most outdoor noise globally is primarily originated from machines and transportation systems, motor vehicles engines, factory machine sounds, aircraft, and trains. Noise pollution can result from machines, construction activities, and music performances. Noise pollution can cause tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, hypertension, high-stress levels, and other destructive effects on humans. It causes uneasiness and damage to living being’s mental and physical health.

Some other Main types of environmental pollution that we must be careful include:

• Light pollution: It is a broad term that denotes many problems that are caused by the useless, ugly, and pointless use of artificial light. Specific types of light pollution consist of light trespass, over-illumination, glare, light clutter, and sky glow.
• Thermal pollution. It denotes the sudden increase or drops off in the hotness of a natural body of water which may be ocean, lake, river, sea or pond by human influence. A general reason of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and business firms.
• Radioactive pollution: It can happen because of the release of radioactive stuff or high-energy elements into the air, water, or soil on account of excessive human activity, either by mistake or intentionally.

The Environment (Protection) Act,1986

[23rd May, 1986]

An Act to provide for the protection and improvement of environment and for matters connected therewith:

WHEREAS the decisions were taken at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held at Stockholm June, 1972, in which India participated, to take appropriate steps for the protection and improvement of human environment;

AND WHEREAS it is considered necessary further to implement the decisions aforesaid in so far as they relate to the protection and improvement of environment and the prevention of hazards to human beings, other living creatures, plants and property;

Ecosystem

ECOSYSTEM

Ecosystem:

An ecosystem includes all of the living things (plants, animals, and organisms) in a given area that interact with each other, as well as the non-living environments (weather, earth, sun, soil, climate, atmosphere) that surround the living things.

Given that an ecosystem is a community of animals, plants, and microorganisms, a garden makes up small part of an ecosystem. Some indoor growers refer to their indoor gardens as ecosystems, in which case they are referring to their growroom's environment and all of the things that affect their results.

Ecosystem Function:

'Ecosystem function' is the technical term used in the Framework to define the biological, geochemical and physical processes and components that take place or occur within an ecosystem. Or more simply put, ecosystem functions relate to the structural components of an ecosystem (e.g. vegetation, water, soil, atmosphere and biota) and how they interact with each other, within ecosystems and across  ecosystems. Sometimes, ecosystem functions are called ecological processes

Ecosystem Function Category

1.Regulating Functions

Maintenance of essential ecological processes and life support systems.

2.Supporting Functions

Providing habitat (suitable living space) for wild plant and animal species at local and regional scales.

3.Provisioning Functions

Provision of natural resources.

4.Cultural Functions

Providing life fulfilment opportunities and cognitive development through exposure to life processes and natural systems.

Categorised of Ecosystem Function

Regulating Functions:

Gas Regulation:

Relates to the influence of natural and managed systems in relation to biogeochemical processes including greenhouse gases, photo-chemical smog and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Climate Regulation:

Influence of land cover and biological mediated processes that regulate atmospheric processes and weather patterns which in turn create the microclimate in which different plants and animals (including humans) live and function.

Disturbance Regulation:

The capacity of the soil, regolith and vegetation to buffer the effects of wind, water and waves through water and energy storage capacity and surface resistance.

Water Regulation

The influence of land cover, topography, soils, hydrological conditions in the spatial and temporal distribution of water through atmosphere, soils, aquifers, rivers, lakes and wetlands.

Soil Retention

Minimising soil loss through having adequate vegetation cover, root biomass, retaining rocks and soil biota.

Nutrient Regulation

The role of ecosystems in the transport, storage and recycling of nutrients.

Waste Treatment and Assimilation

The extent to which ecosystems are able to transport, store and recycle certain excesses of organic and inorganic wastes through distribution, assimilation, transport and chemical recomposition.

Pollination

Pollination is the interaction between plants and (1) biotic vectors (e.g. insects, birds and mammals) and (2) abiotoic vectors (e.g. wind and water) in the movement of male gametes for plant production. Pollination and seed dispersal are linked.

Barrier Effect of Vegetation

Vegetation impedes the movement of airborne substances such as dust and aerosols (including agricultural chemicals and industrial and transport emissions), enhances air mixing and mitigates noise.

Supporting Functions:

Supporting Habitats

Preservation of natural and semi natural ecosystems as suitable living space for wild biotic communities and individual species. This function also includes the provision of suitable breeding, reproduction, nursery, refugia and corridors (connectivity) for species.

Soil Formation

Soil formation is the facilitation of soil formation processes. Soil formation processes include the chemical weathering of rocks and the transportation and accumulation of inorganic and organic matter.

Provisioning Functions:

Food

Biomass that sustains living organisms. Material that can be converted to provide energy and nutrition. Mostly initially derived from photosynthesis.

Raw Materials

Biomass that is used by species for any purpose other than food.

Water Supply

The role of ecosystems in providing water through sediment trapping, infiltration, dissolution, precipitation and diffusion.

Genetic Resources

Self maintaining diversity of organisms developed over evolutionary time (capable of continuing to change). Measurable at species, molecular and sub molecular levels.

Provision of Shade and Shelter

Relates to vegetation that ameliorates extremes in weather and climate at a local landscape scale. Shade or shelter is important for plants, animals and structures.

Pharmacological Resources

Natural materials that are or can be used by organisms to maintain, restore or improve health (natural patterns can be copied by humans for synthetic products).

Cultural Functions:

Landscape Opportunity

The extent and variety of natural features and landscapes.

Forest Ecosystem

A forest ecosystem describes the community of plants, animals, microbes and all other organisms in interaction with the chemical and physical features of their environment: specifically, a terrestrial environment dominated by trees growing in a closed canopy – a forest, in other words. The organisms involved in a forest ecosystem definition are interdependent on one another for survival and can be broadly classified according to their ecological role as producers, consumers and decomposers.

Producers

Let’s start our look at forest ecology where energy from the sun enters the system: at the producer level, made up of organisms that can manufacture their own energy from this solar input. Green plants conducting photosynthesis serve as the producers of a forest ecosystem, and in the tropical rainforest of the Amazon typically arrange themselves in four layers. The emergent layer includes huge trees towering 165 feet or more that are spaced far apart. Beneath these emergent trees lies the main canopy, composed of closely spaced trees generally 65 to 165 feet tall. They provide fruits, nectar and seeds to many creatures. The understory supports very few plants as it receives very little sunlight. Almost nothing grows on the forest floor as it is devoid of sunlight.

Primary Consumers

Primary consumers can’t manufacture their own energy and instead obtain it by eating green plants. We call such plant-eating animals herbivores. Herbivores may eat a wide variety of different plant materials depending on their physical adaptations and habitat preferences. In the Amazon, the capybara, a semi-aquatic rodent, forages on the forest floor and in wetlands for grasses and water plants. Other primary consumers, such as the red howler monkey, live in the rainforest canopy and feed on the leaves, flowers, fruits and nuts of trees.

Secondary & Tertiary Consumers

Secondary consumers feed on primary consumers (aka herbivores) to obtain the energy originally produced by green plants, while tertiary consumers feed on other secondary consumers. These meat-eating animals are known as carnivores, and many act both as secondary and tertiary consumers depending on the creature they’re preying on. The jaguar – the biggest mammalian carnivore in the Amazon – may prey on capybaras, a primary consumer, but also readily hunts such secondary consumers as caimans, in which case – as a carnivore eating a carnivore – it plays the role of a tertiary consumer.

Decomposers

The decomposers of the forest ecosystem break down dead plants and animals, returning the nutrients to the soil to be made usable by the producers. Apart from bacteria, ants and termites are important decomposers in the Amazon rainforest. Millipedes and earthworms also help to break down dead matter. The warm and moist climate of the Amazon is conducive for the decomposers to work at a rapid pace: Dead matter is broken down within six weeks.

Acid Rain

Acid Rain

ACID RAIN

Acid rain is defined as rain or any other form of precipitation that has elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH), or in simple words is acidic. The cause of acid rain is emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. These react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acidic rain water. Nitrogen oxides are naturally produced by lightning strikes while volcanic eruptions are major source of sulphur dioxide production.

Causes of  Acid Rain

The causes of acid rain are the Sulfur and Nitrogen particles which get mixed with the wet components of rain. Sulfur and Nitrogen particles which get mixed with water are found in two ways either man-made i.e as the emissions given out from industries or by natural causes like how a lightning strike in the atmosphere releases nitrogen ions and sulphur is released from volcanic eruptions.

H2O (l) + CO2 (g) ⇌ H2CO3 (aq)

Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide undergo oxidation and then they react with water resulting in the formation of sulphuric acid and nitric acid respectively. The following reaction will clarify the acid formation reaction:

2SO2 (g) + O2 (g) + 2H2O (l) → 2H2SO4 (aq)
4NO2 (g) + O2 (g) + 2H2O (l) → 4HNO3 (aq)

FORMS OF ACID DEPOSITION

There are mainly two forms of acid deposition as discussed below-

• Wet Deposition:In places where the weather is wet, acids fall to the ground in forms which include fog, rain, mist or snow. It usually happens when the wind blows the acidic chemicals in the air. The acid is removed from the atmosphere and deposited on the earth’s surface. When this acid flows through the ground, it has harmful effects on animal, plant and aquatic life. It also affects marine life because the water from drain flows into rivers and canals and is then mixed up with sea water.
• Dry Deposition:In areas where the weather is dry, if the wind blows the acidic chemicals in the air, the acidic pollutants mix with smoke or dust and fall to the ground as dry particles. These may also stick to the ground and surfaces of trees, buildings or cars. Dry deposition gives birth to almost 50% of the acidic pollutants in the atmosphere. These deposited acidic pollutants are washed away from earth surface by rainstorms.
• 

Effects of acid rain:

• It causes respiratory issues in animals and humans.
• When acid rain falls down and flows into the rivers and ponds it affects the aquatic ecosystem. As it alters the chemical composition of the water, to a form which is actually harmful to the aquatic ecosystem to survive and causes water pollution.
• Acid rain also causes the corrosion of water pipes. Which further results in leaching of heavy metals such as iron, lead and copper into drinking water.
• It damages the buildings and monuments made up of stones and metal
• Acid rain is very harmful to agriculture, plants, and animals. It washes away all nutrients which are required for the growth and survival of plants. Acid rain affects agriculture by the way how it alters the composition of the soil.

Real life examples:

• Taj Mahal, one of the 7 wonders of the world, is largely affected by acid rain. The city of Agra has many industries which emit the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen in the atmosphere. People continue to use low-quality coal and firewood as domestic fuel, adding to this problem. Acid rain has the following reaction with the marble (calcium carbonate):

CaCO3 +  H2SO4 → CaSO4  + H2O + CO2 

* Statue of Liberty which is made of copper has also been damaged by the cumulative action of acid rain & oxidation for over 30 years and is, therefore, becoming green in colour

How to prevent Acid Rain?

The only precaution that we can take against acid rain is having a check at the emission of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur. We have so far seen the details of acid rain and its harmful effect on animals, plants and the monuments. Being responsible citizens, one should be aware of the harmful effects they cause and of the industries which give out nitrogen and sulphur compound wastes unethically.