Sunday, September 26, 2010

Humans vs Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the basics of continuing life in the environment.Without biodiversity, species of organisms during the whole of the world would be affected to events such as diseases and environmental accidents that would most likely wipe out the whole population. By way of having biodiversity, protected organisms would be able to survive, and will continue a population by passing on the protected DNA. Except how are humans affecting biodiversity? Humans are affecting biodiversity in a way that could be certain negatives. We know that humans have been on Earth for thousands of years or more, and have been affected by the same things as animals, like natural choice and changes. Distant other organisms, we do not let the weak to fall to predators because they prevent the rest of society, but we show tender feeling and shelter them from dangers that nature would regularly act. While animals increase to change to new environments influence by global warming, humans easily develop tools to battle their changing environments. The truth is that everything we do changes other organisms everywhere, which is leading to a failure in biodiversity.


Individual way that humans have greatly changed biodiversity is through  forestry worldwide. Regular forestry, we limit the number of natural habitats available to animals. Planting seedlings where trees had just been cut down may help, but not the animals that need larger trees to survive. With declining habitats, smaller organisms begin to become more centered, and become changed by limiting factors. These limiting factors cause high selection, and remove the weaker organisms from the species. By removing many of the weak at the same time, in some important historical information is lost forever, breaking the biodiversity of the species.


Although organisms lower on the food chain are not the only ones influenced by habitat loss. Organisms higher up are also affected, more to a higher level. As habitat is lost, the population of smaller organisms decreases, so will the animals above it. This  highly changes the biodiversity of a species, and places the species at risk of death from just one disease. 

Agriculture is one area that is highly affected by biodiversity. The human race is bent on  completing  work rate and effectiveness, no matter the cost. That's why crops nowadays are being bred and naturally  become to be bigger, have a shorter growing season, and become protected to common fungi and diseases. You might think that it's okay, since they're helping become protected to certain things, but it leaves the crops to be weak to others.


Us humans have a negative effect on biodiversity with the growth of our land. Habitats are lost, and animals of all trophic levels are being affect through the loss of historical material. By breeding plants and animals to fulfill the needs of humans. Biodiversity is a block upon which the world strands, and we're slowly letting it  wear  away. Soon enough, we will all realize what we've done to this world and what the future will hold.

Sources:

"Scientific Facts on Biodiversity and Human Well-being"

"Defining species: The indirect impact of humans on biodiversity"

What is Biodiversity?

Comments:

Claudia Luk

Vanessa Lee


2 comments:

  1. I complete agree with you when you say how humans can easily develop tools to battle their changing environment. We are able to lash back by destroying living organism’s environment, or even technology to better accommodate ourselves. By cutting a larger amount of trees then needed can greatly harm animals who use these types of trees as their home. When we do this, we are drastically changing the population amount by killing homes. I am very surprised to find out that even the animals towards the bottom of the food chain are also affected by habitat loss. I cannot believe that we are starting to put chemicals in the food we eat to speed up the process of food growth. That not only will come back to harm humans, but the chemicals will also eventually make it’s way to the animals and around the food chain.

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  2. Your explanation on how individual ways on how humans can help forest diversity is put in a negative way. Instead you explain how human interaction can decrease the biodiversity of forests. Although the limiting factors you talk about are very true and is something we need to change in order for our ecosystems to sustain healthy environments. I very much agree with you when you say that humans have a negative effect within our biodiversities. Thank you Mae for educating me in the state of our forest biodiversity.

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