Biodiversity, why we should card

Can you imagine a world without chocolates? Children surely cannot. Well, chocolate is made from cocoa that grows on, cocoa trees, mostly in the wild in the Amazon in South America. But for commercial cultivation varieties of cocoa trees are derived from the wild plants and these have now traveled to other tropical countries as well. 

 These commercial cocoa varieties are often attacked by pests and diseases such as "Pod bores" and "swollen shoot". Growers try to overcome this problem by constantly cross-breeding the commercial cocoa varieties with wild varieties, which are naturally resistant to these diseases. So every time a new disease appears, breeders run back to the wild. That is the power of biological diversity.

 Similarly in Ireland farmers used to depend on a single variety of potato. But in 1845 and 1846 this variety of potato was suddenly attacked by a new fungal disease, called potato blight. This lead to an horrific famine, killing more than a million people thousands of those that survived migrated to Australia. That is the consequence of I ignoring the biodiversity. 

Biologists have identified about 1.5 million species, but these probably represent only a small fraction of the -actual number. Based on the rate of new discoveries by research expeditions-especially in the tropics-taxonomists estimate that some where between 3 million and 100 million different species may be alive today. Yet today, approximately 27,000 species become extinct every year If this trend of biodiversity depletion continues, one-fourth of the world's species may be gone by the year 2050.

  Now that is the destructive potential of mankind According to biodiversity expert Edward 0 Wilson, "The natural world is everywhere disappearing before our eyes-cut to pieces moved down plowed under, Globbled up,replaced by human artifacts" Human activities contribute to the premature extinction of species. Biologists estimate that the current global extinction rate of species is ati east 100 times and probably 1,000-10,000 times what it was before humans existed. This rate is projected to increase sharply during the next few decades.

 Everyone loves nature. But nature is loveable because of the mind boggling diversity it has to offer. Biological diversity contributes to human society in more ways than we could ever imagine. Of course, it does provide us with food, fibre, timber, energy, phar Maceuticals raw materials, and industrial chemicals. It also play a significant role in purification of water and air, pollination, absorption of Co2 by trees, renewal oxygen supply, natural pest control, flood and erosion control. and the absorption and detoxification of human and industrial wastes.

 But today, biodiversity offers morel solutions to the problems created by humans. Take for instance. Bio-remedition, where the USE of living organisms that globbled up polluting particles helps us ir environmental clean-up. Then there are innumerable species that ac as very sensitive indicators to environmental change. Another example is that of coastal ecosystems-mangrove swamps, core reefs, sand dunes and salt marshes-which are today being looke upon as buffers against sea level rise, storm surges and extreme weather events, like tsunamis and cyclones. 

Climate change is the buzzword today. People are now more aware of the hazards of climate change. But few are able to appreciate concerns relating to the loss of biodiversity, Whose importance is often underestimated or misunderstood. Loss of biodiversity is happening everywhere not just in forests. Wetlands are shrinking, wild ornamentals are dwindling, in number domestic animal diversity is eroding, crop base is shrinking and innumerable species are threatened with extinction. 

Public understanding of such issues is extremely important if we have to make any headway in conserving biodiversity for the benefit of the future generations. After all, a rich biodiversity works for the benefit of all and any damage to biodiversity will impact us all.