Question: Which natural resource is considered the ‘biodiversity hot spots’ and why ? Suggest what may happen when there is a loss of biodiversity.
Forests are called as biodiversity hot spots, because they contain high levels of species diversity that are threatened with extinction.
The ways in which individual conserve wild life and forests :
(i) One should protest against the cutting of trees (deforestation).
(ii) One should protest against the poaching of wild animals.
(iii) One should stop the annexation of forest land for personal use.
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem which can be aquatic or terrestrial. India is one of the world’s richest countries in terms of its vast array of biological diversity, and has nearly 8 per cent of the total number of species in the world (estimated to be 1.6 million). Direct advantages of the forests is that they act as lungs of the terrestrial ecosystem. The forests are useful for direct and indirect consumption as well.
Loss of biodiversity make us devoid of many benefits that we get due to it. There are many reasons as to why we should conserve biodiversity like
- Humans derive countless direct economic benefits from nature like food (cereals, pulses, fruits), firewood, fibre, construction material, industrial products (tannins, lubricants, dyes, resins, perfumes ) and products of medicinal importance.
- Biodiversity plays a major role in many ecosystem services that nature provides
- The ethical argument for conserving forests relates to what we owe to millions of plant, animal and microbe species with whom we share this planet.
- We need to realise that every species inhabiting the forests has an intrinsic value, even if it may not be of current or any economic value to us.
- We have a moral duty to care for their well-being and pass on our biological legacy in good order to future generations.
Regards.