Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area — for example birds, animals, plants, fungi, etc, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Nature works in a domino effect. Any break in the chain will lead to destruction. Each species has intrinsic value as propounded by Deep ecologists. To harm any species is a sin against sinning. It will affect the natural and non-natural world simultaneously. For example the bee is dependent on the flower to make honey; the flower is dependent on the soil, air and atmosphere; and the atmosphere is dependent on human intervention. Unnecessary human interference in the realm of nature will only cause chaos. Biodiversity is an essential process that supports all life on earth including humans. The healthy ecosystem provides us with the air we breathe and the food we eat. Biodiversity is biotic and abiotic. Biotic includes all living things whereas abiotic includes non-living things such as air, water, soil, etc.
Examples of biodiversity include habitat change, climate change, overexploitation, pollution, invasive species, etc. The ways to preserve biodiversity include supporting local farms; saving the bees; planting local fruits, flowers and vegetables; respecting local habitats; and knowing the source. And the ways to strengthen biodiversity include reducing emission and absorbing carbon. The solutions to enhance biodiversity and tackle climate change are found within nature.
Current examples of biodiversity include the wildfires in Jakarta putting 10 million children at risk. Another example is of how the Arctic is hit hard by climate change and also how the jellyfish thrive in man-made disruption of the ocean.
Here are a few examples on how to preserve biodiversity. The headline “Victor the eagle’s bird eye view of the Alps raises climate change awareness” reveals how soaring eagle eyes watch melting Alps glacier, thereby warming the earth. Seeing the world as an eagle sees will also convince the viewer of the importance of protecting bird and its environment. Two of humanity’s dreams are to swim with the dolphins and fly with the eagle. How can we convince people to protect birds and their environment if we don’t ever show them what the bird sees. That is why flights are weather dependent. If Victor’s vision is obscured by the clouds, he won’t come!
Climate change is damaging where birds dwell because they are widely known to respond to various forms of perturbations to the climate.
It’s a fact that bird population in major cities of the country is falling rapidly, especially sparrows, according to WWF.
The International Union For Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has declared sparrows on the Red List for extinction. Effects of climate change such as increased temperatures, rising precipitation, advanced spring migration, higher possibility of disease transmission, earlier egg laying time and less food availability is resulting in a decline in the population of sparrows.
India has declared conservation efforts for the sparrows which are Delhi’s state birds!
Birds also play a significant role in the ecosystem and are extremely subjected to human health and welfare such as public hygiene, pest control and the reproduction of plants.
Highly and moderately vulnerable birds may lose more than half of their current range of geographic areas where they live; they are forced to search for suitable habitat and climate conditions elsewhere. The connections between climate change and birds are becoming increasingly clear. Warming temperatures are changing where birds live, the timing of their migration patterns and egg laying, and even the sizes and shapes of their bodies.
To conclude, biodiversity is necessary to maintain a healthy ecological balance. To preserve biodiversity is the answer to all of humanity problems. Habitat modification, ocean acidification, etc are all consequences of climate change. To preserve biodiversity, human interference should be minimized.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2023.
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