Biodiversity: its conservation and Importance for human lives

What is biodiversity?

It is a variety of organisms in different ecosystems. It includes different life forms which are formed by biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem. Plants population in an ecosystem is called Flora. While animal’s population in an ecosystem is called fauna.

Important of biodiversity

It provides food for humans
It provides drugs for humans.
It provides dyes, fibers, gums and rubber.
It helps in nutrient recycling

Effect of Human activities on Biodiversity

Due to human activities decline in biodiversty is approaching to the dangerous level. It results in a threat of a species extinction or its total extinction from an ecosystem. This not only breaks links between food chain or food webs but may also lead to collapsing of an ecosystem. Removal of a single species from an ecosystem may raise question for the survival of that ecosystem. For example if sea star (star fish) is removed from ocean, Mussels will increase in number which will become dangerous for other small animals.

Endangered species: is a species which is at the risk of extinction e.g Indus dolphin.
Extinct species: When the last individual of a species has died in an ecosystem it is called extinct species. e.g. dinosaurs. Causes of species extinction are habitat loss, deforestation, over hunting, pollution etc.