At least 40 percent of the world’s economy and 80 percent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. Biologists estimate that species extinctions are currently 500–1000 times the normal, or background, rate seen previously in Earth’s history. That would be ridiculous. It … This of it like this. I would aim to include the following: 1. It is the most complex and important feature of our planet. Human activities like changing land use, deforestation and peat bog destruction reduce this. The more biodiversity, the stronger the ecosystem, the better it functions, and the better it can adapt to changes. 2000, Global patterns in biodiversity, Nature, 405, 220-227 The paper by Gaston (2000) is an excellent place to start researching the spatial patterns of biodiversity, and some of the theories proposed to explain these patterns. Without biodiversity, all humans would basically be clones of each other. Consumptive use (3). 20.1) Biotechnology and genetic engineering Biotechnology is the application of biological organisms, systems or processes to manufacturing and service industries. The number of animals living on the Earth has plunged by half since 1970. Biodiversity describes the richness and variety of life on earth. Ecological diversity (or biodiversity) is the total amount of variety within life on earth. In fact, I consider it as the science of the 21st century. What is biodiversity? It is a natural science. Having a low biodiversity isn’t necessarily an issue. Biodiversity. We value biodiversity for many reasons, some utilitarian, some intrinsic. Biology is the study of life. The number of tigers has plunged by 97% in the last century. These three levels work together to create the complexity of life on Earth. Both processes often make use of bacteria because of their ability to make complex molecules (eg. Search for: The Importance of Biodiversity to Human Life. The current high rates will cause a precipitous decline in the biodiversity of the planet in the next century or two. Biodiversity is increased by genetic change and evolutionary processes and reduced by habitat destruction, population decline and extinction. proteins) and their […] Documenting spatial patterns in biodiversity is difficult because taxonomic, functional, trophic, genetic, and other dimensions of biodiversity have been relatively poorly quantified. The term biodiversity was coined in 1985. The natural disaster prevention mechanisms in most ecosystems and other free services we all get from the surrounding environment are not easily replaceable or replicable, so maintaining biodiversity is important. Without biodiversity, life would not sustain. Also, it boosts the productivity of ecosystems because each organism has a specific job.. A bunch of different organisms all having different abilities is more effective than having a group of identical organisms wandering around and only having the ability to do one job. So you want to study biology…Duh! That’s why an ecosystem that’s losing biodiversity only declines slowly at first. Diversity in marine habitats Genetic diversity is the variety of genes within a species. Proteins are the polymers made up of thousands of amino acids linked via peptide bonds. the population of the species falls below a critical level; Biodiversity. It can be the cause of various grave problems like pollution, habitat loss, resource exploitation, climate change, species extinction, disease outbreak, and so on. ecosystem that they are in and are extremely important in the function and structure of that ecosystem. Where is biodiversity highest and lowest? Biodiversity is often a topic used in A level biology to introduce ecology, providing ample opportunities to undertake practical investigations, compile results which can be analysed using species diversity index and subsequently interpreted to compare particular habitats. What is biodiversity and why does it matter to us? Biodiversity is good for the economy. Biodiversity is usually explored at three levels - genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. Altogether, the food, commercial forestry and ecotourism industries could lose US$ 338 billion per year if the loss of biodiversity continues at its current pace. Read first: Gaston, K.J. Even knowledge of taxonomic diversity, the best known dimension of biodiversity, is incomplete and strongly biased toward the species level, megafauna, temperate systems, and components used by people. Understanding how biodiversity evolved and is evolving on Earth and how to correctly use and interpret biodiversity data is important for all students interested in conservation biology and ecology, whether they pursue careers in academia or as policy makers and other professionals (students graduating from our programs do both). Biodiversity is important, more than just the 'I want my children to enjoy it' reason. Productive use: Ø Products commercially harvested from biodiversity for exchange in market. Long chains of amino acids known as polypeptides fold around themselves in several ways to form complex structures called proteins. Biodiversity is variation at … Biodiversity is a measure of how many different species live in an ecosystem. Discusses the benefits of biodiversity. Best CBD Oil for Anxiety Productive use (2). But when it loses too much, it hits a tipping point and falls off a cliff. It is a very broad and diverse field. Traditionally, ecologists have measured biodiversity by taking into account both the number of species and the number of individuals in each of those species. Ø Uses related to biodiversity can be grouped into three categories: (1). It enables the population to adapt to its environment and respond to natural selection. ‘Biodiversity’ comes from two words: ‘biological’, which means relating to biology or living organisms, and ‘diversity’, meaning a range of different things or variety. A-Level Biology does pretty much what it says on the tin. Genetic engineering involves the transfer of genes from one organism to (usually) an unrelated species. Biodiversity is also considered by many to have intrinsic value—that is, each species has a value and a right to exist, whether or not it is known to have value to humans. Of Topic 3 which is classification and biodiversity their exams structures called proteins detail clear. 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