The importance of biodiversity is urgently needed! Just one paragraph!

Biodiversity-the concept, value and importance of biodiversity

What is biodiversity? What is an ecosystem? Why is biodiversity so important? Why do we lose biodiversity?

Biodiversity and Beauty The Secret of Beauty of Animals and Plants Biodiversity and Health Biodiversity and Food

Biodiversity and the air you breathe biodiversity and the water we drink biodiversity and our home biodiversity, climate and disasters.

What is the United Nations doing? Tolerance and beauty of mountains contribute to biodiversity. What can we do?

What is biodiversity?

If you have studied biology, you will know that it is a subject of studying biology, from studying the smallest components of life to plants and animals. And "diversity" is simply "all kinds". Biodiversity includes all natural resources, including plants, animals, insects, microorganisms and their ecosystems. It also includes the construction of important cornerstones of life-chromosomes, genes and DNA.

May 22nd is Biodiversity Day.

Do you know that the Convention on Biological Diversity was formally implemented in 1993?

Do you know that May 22nd was declared as the International Biodiversity Day?

Do you know that 180 countries are parties to this treaty?

If you want to know whether your country has joined this treaty, please visit http://www.biodiv.org.

You are also a part of biodiversity. Biodiversity makes life on this planet possible. You can't live on this planet without biodiversity. Even if you can survive, you can't like this gloomy, lifeless, bare and boring world. Without biodiversity, you can't feel the green brought by the forest, the blue brought by the ocean, the air you breathe, the food you eat and the water you drink.

So, if these are the wealth of nature, what can we do to protect them? We need:

Conservation of biological diversity

Use and manage the components of biodiversity in a sustainable way

Equitable sharing of benefits from the utilization of genetic resources.

These are the contents described in chapter 15 of Agenda 2 1 century, and are also the important agreements signed by world leaders at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

What is an ecosystem?

Scientists are increasingly aware that the key to protecting biodiversity is to protect the ecosystem. Ecosystem is the environment in which different species live. The tropical rain forest in South America is an ecosystem, and the parks in the city center are also an ecosystem. There are also forests or beaches where we camp, and wetlands such as mangroves, swamps and coastal estuaries. These are all ecosystems. When the ecosystem is healthy, it is home to many species, including plants, insects, birds, large higher animals and so on.

Each species plays a vital role in the survival of the whole ecosystem. In fact, it also plays a key role in the global ecosystem of the earth. The ecosystems in the world are closely related to each other, and the impact on an ecosystem can affect distant places. For example, bird sanctuaries polluted by pesticides on farms will threaten the survival of insects and fish that feed on migratory birds, thus forcing birds to look for food elsewhere. This will lead to the change of the seasonal migration law of birds and affect the survival of birds and other species from South Africa to Europe. Birds play different roles in different habitats. Birds pollinate many plants through bees, butterflies, moths and bats. Without pollination, these plants will become extinct and disappear. It can be seen that if one link in the ecosystem network is lost, the whole network will begin to collapse. This is exactly what we are facing now.

The network of biodiversity has begun to collapse.

Why is biodiversity so important?

Biodiversity helps to clean the air we breathe and the water we drink. Biodiversity provides us with food. Biodiversity provides raw materials for building our house. Biodiversity has also brought us endless beauty in nature.

Exaggeration? Not at all. It is biodiversity that sustains life on this planet. By absorbing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, we can breathe air. Only through the changes of soil, microorganism and meteorology can we get rid of the dirt in water, can we drink water. All species-plants, animals and microorganisms-make up life.

However, we have threatened many species, which constitute the magnificent and irreplaceable life support system of the earth.

But why? We are deeply suspicious of this. Are some unknown species really that important? If the species in this world are reduced to cattle, sheep, chickens, pigs and enough animals in zoos, can't we live comfortably? Why do we have to pay attention to some special pigeons or salamanders or a small plant that lives in a distant swamp? What does it matter to us that they are extinct? After all, we have many other pigeons, many other lizards and many plant residues.

Biodiversity-the concept, value and importance of biodiversity

In fact, even if some species are extinct, many species still exist. So far, we have identified 65.438+0.75 billion species, but scientists believe that there are actually 65.438+0.3 billion or 65.438+0 billion species on the earth. So what should we worry about?

Importantly, all these species are interrelated with other species, just as we depend on plants and animals for food. Along the food chain, we also depend on the animals and plants we eat-another group of plants and animals. If a particular species loses its habitat or can no longer find its usual food, it will become extinct. The whole food web (not just the food chain) will be broken. And repair is a very difficult or even impossible thing.

When we destroy a species in the network of life, the whole network will collapse. The extinction of enough species will shake the whole structure on earth that makes life possible.

Finally, what we do to biodiversity will eventually hurt ourselves. A large number of species and the ecosystem we live in provide us with food, medicine and building materials. Biodiversity has brought us jobs. Biodiversity is like money in the bank. We are robbing the bank.

Stop the robbery

Systems that support life on earth

We all know that only eating nutritious food can't last long, but in many ways, we are forcing the earth to feed smog, garbage and poison. How long do you think the earth will last on this diet?

Biodiversity provides the lungs, muscles, stomachs, intestines, kidneys and heartbeats that sustain life activities on earth. We need to give the earth a rest.

We should take a long-term view. Now we may have to give up some in order to get more later. For example, if the fishing industry continues to catch faster than the growth rate of fish resources, eventually we will not be able to catch any fish. This is a simple math problem. The solution is that, like other species, fish need time to grow to produce offspring, and then these small fish should be protected from predation.

Biodiversity is not only about the rainforest, but also about your backyard!

Why do we lose biodiversity?

Thousands of years ago, human beings and their domesticated creatures-dogs, cats, pigs and rats-began to conflict with nature. With the increase of population and the improvement of agricultural technology, we need to clear more forests and protect our manor from all kinds of imaginary or realistic dangers.

In this process, we have begun to make some species extinct, some because they are used to make clothes and food; Others kill because we are afraid; There is also the need for exercise. Experts estimate that the extinction rate of species is 50- 100 times faster than that of animals. Some species become extinct faster, about 1000- 10000 times faster than natural extinction.

Scientists believe that if we don't solve this problem, 34,000 crops and 5,200 plant species will be extinct in the next few years. In Europe alone, 2,400 of the 1 1000 higher plants are on the verge of extinction, not just pandas, bears and elephants. You may know that some birds, including dodo, are extinct, but do you know that one in eight birds is endangered?

Now is the biggest biodiversity crisis after the extinction of dinosaurs 6.5 million years ago. It is our pollution and destruction of the natural habitat of species-ecosystem that leads to this result. 45% of the forests on the earth have been cut down, mostly in the past 100 years. Up to 10% of coral reefs have been destroyed, and in the next 10-20 years, one third of coral reefs may collapse. Huge ships fish with nets that can catch more than a dozen huge yachts at a time, and marine fishing grounds are being ruthlessly destroyed.

Several reasons for the loss of biodiversity

* The demand for food, energy and other natural resources is increasing.

:: Human ignorance and indifference to biodiversity

* Short-sighted behavior, regardless of long-term impact.

Air, water and soil pollution

:: Economic benefits of biodiversity have not been determined.

:: Failure to prevent excessive use of resources and proper management.

:: Population migration, travel and international trade have increased.

:: Overhunting and overfishing

* Collect rare butterfly and bird species as specimens.

However, the problem of biodiversity is not only related to big companies, not only to farmers who burn Brazilian rainforests or European farmers who spray pesticides near wetlands, but also to children who throw used batteries into garbage dumps, children who release exotic pet species or children who break into mountainous areas without following the designated route. We all need to take responsibility. We are the source of the problem and the solution to it.

Biodiversity-the concept, value and importance of biodiversity

The earth can only bear, even if we destroy it. The earth has survived. The problem is that human beings as a species are not invulnerable. We may think that we are the masters of the earth, but in the end, the earth will exist in any form, with or without us. It existed before us, and will eventually exist, even if we disappear.

This is not an exaggeration, this is not a Hollywood movie, nor is it the hype of crazy environmentalists. The loss of biodiversity is the nightmare of this planet, and we are in the middle of this nightmare, a place that may move towards a bright future or never look back.

Biodiversity and beauty

We regard some photos, poems and paintings-artifacts of biodiversity-as treasures, which is more than our treasure of biodiversity itself. An impressionist writer's work on tropical biodiversity can fetch 40 million pounds at auction. But are we willing to spend so much money to protect the species that really live there? More and more of us have moved into the city. How do we connect these poems, paintings and photos with nature-take a snapshot from a distant place?

One of the reasons why the beauty of nature is threatened is that people feel far away from nature, rather than being integrated with it. If we continue to destroy the earth, the beautiful natural scenes in our memory will only exist in museums and zoos. But if we walk into it and swim in it-touch it, feel it, smell it, breathe it and taste it-we will have to take better care of it.

The beautiful secrets of plants and animals

Biodiversity not only makes the earth beautiful, but also makes you beautiful. Many cosmetics contain ingredients from animals and plants. Your cream or shampoo may contain plant extracts. For example, aloe vera is an ingredient in balms and sunscreens. Lavender and tea tree oil are used in many soaps and cosmetics.

The trouble is that the beautiful secrets of animals and plants sometimes lead to their extinction. When there is a great demand for a species or a part of species, desperate people are determined to kill animals or cut down plants until the number of these creatures is close to extinction.

For example, natural musk deer plants have long been regarded as aphrodisiac and traditional medicine. But do you know where musk deer comes from? It comes from a small gland of musk deer. The only way to get that little gland is to kill a musk deer. It uses at least 40 adult stags to make a kilogram of musk deer plants.

Sometimes more deer are killed, because it is difficult to identify a fully grown deer, so the hunter shoots first and then seeks the answer.

Similarly, Tibetan antelope and pronghorn have become endangered species, because the hair on their bellies-called shahtoosh-is used to make beautiful shawls for Kashmiris. A simple shawl needs the lives of five Tibetan antelopes. So be careful what you buy. Ask about its composition. If the product contains endangered species, it must be resisted. Let people know.

Biodiversity and health

Biodiversity is also related to our health and the health of this planet. In fact, your health is inseparable from the health of this planet.

When we are sick, we rely on the natural environment to help us recover. For many years, people have been looking for ways to treat injuries from nature. Plants provide effective ingredients for modern medicine, such as ingredients for making aspirin. Homeopathic drugs also use a lot of plant ingredients. From the point of view of money, the value of medicinal plants is immeasurable. The total value of these botanical drugs in the world is about 600 billion.

The economic value of biodiversity is not known to most people, but scientists of pharmaceutical companies are busy looking for specific pharmaceutical ingredients from plants to treat some specific diseases. Not long ago, experts found plant components used to treat cancer in Pacific yew trees and Madagascar Catharanthus roseus. Perhaps, one day, we can find the plant ingredients that kill HIV from a plant.

Doctors in traditional medicine have long relied on plants and herbs to treat diseases. In modern times, people also appreciate the efficacy of traditional medicine. For example, Masai people in East Africa will add some bark when making meat, milk or blood products in the traditional way. Bark can lower cholesterol.

However, the harvest of medicinal plants and animals is not all good. In fact, the demand for these plants and animals makes these species endangered. Traditional medicine used turtles as medicine, which led to the extreme decline of this species.

Biodiversity-the concept, value and importance of biodiversity

We searched for medicine from the earth's medicine chest again and again. We need to protect biodiversity, so that medicine cabinets in nature can store the ingredients of existing drugs and the ingredients needed to make new drugs when new diseases need to be resisted in the future.

Biodiversity and food

Biodiversity is a supermarket in the world. It's that simple. Potatoes, rice, beef, bread, chicken, corn, almost all foods are part of biodiversity.

The problem is that due to various reasons, such as consumer demand, diseases and ecosystem damage, farmers will only plant more and more limited varieties and give up planting thousands of other species.

For example, in Indonesia, more than 1500 kinds of rice were extinct in the past 15 years. More importantly, all over the world, we are eating the same animal. 474 livestock breeds have become scarce; 6 17 species became extinct from 1892.

Why is it a problem that people want to eat the same kind of rice? The reason is that when a new disease strikes, it will threaten or even destroy this crop. Here is a real example: a yellow dwarf virus is about to destroy barley in California. Fortunately, the researchers found a wild Ethiopian barley that can resist the virus. The barley in California was saved.

But if all the grains, such as rice, are only one, the others will be extinct. Perhaps the remaining one is the strongest, the most delicious and the best harvest. But once the virus mutates and becomes "interested" in this last species, 50% of the global food supply will be threatened. We are not far from this situation. For example, in India, there used to be 30,000 different kinds of rice, but now 75% of rice production comes from only 65,438+00 kinds of rice. Similarly, cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens and sheep also have such a phenomenon.

It is difficult to predict the changes in nature, but one thing is certain: if we reduce biodiversity, it will weaken nature's ability to resist threats in the future. Wouldn't it be better to take a long view instead of just thinking about what we want now?

Biodiversity and the air you breathe

In some cities, especially in summer, it is unhealthy to breathe the outside air. We know that we must reduce automobile exhaust pollution, factory exhaust pollution and power plant air pollution to ensure modern life. Yes, we all know, but do you know what role biodiversity plays in automatically cleaning the environment? Do you know that biodiversity helps to purify the air?

Trees and other green plants inhale carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas mainly produced by automobile exhaust and factory emissions, and then reduce it to natural pure oxygen. Biodiversity is the air purifier of this world.

However, we continue to cut down trees and transport them everywhere. There are 492 species of trees in the world that are endangered. We have cut down about half the trees used to decorate the earth. We cut down but don't repair it, which has hurt the lungs of the earth. Just like an addict who smokes 10 packs of cigarettes a day, he keeps smoking, and his damaged lungs are cut off one by one. How big are our lungs left?

In addition, in many places, we introduce alien invasive species. In the past 200 years, we have transported some tree species from one end of the world to the other. Some of this behavior has developed to the scale of an industry, such as eucalyptus and rattan. There are also some retirees or travelers who bring native plants or trees from their hometown and travel together.

The problem is that these plants are completely adapted to the original growing place, but they are not adapted to the new growing place. They may need more water than local species, or need pesticides to help them not be eaten by local insects.

We must respect the arrangement of nature and cannot force certain characteristics to change. In this way, let nature take its course, and the lungs of the earth can breathe more comfortably.

Biodiversity and the water we drink

All life is inseparable from water, so biodiversity is also related to water resources.

Because we only have limited water-not to say that we can ship down from Mars at any time in the future-biodiversity, especially.

Different ecosystems purify our water: forests, soil and bacteria, streams and clouds work together-in fact, filtering makes us drink water again. Without biodiversity, the world will become barren and toxic-more like Mars-and then we can't regenerate on the earth.

So, the question is, are you ready to move to another planet?

Biodiversity and our home

Look up! Above you, you may see wood, or at least you will see a wooden roof.

Biodiversity enables us to coexist peacefully in many ways. It provides us with raw materials for building houses and making furniture, and the bed where we sleep is one of them. Biodiversity is helping us to understand the concept, value and importance of night biodiversity.

Biodiversity makes us have cool or warm clothes made of cotton, wool and other plant fibers.

Biodiversity exists in everything we eat, such as vegetables, meat, grains, eggs, milk and so on. It also exists in the cup where you drink water, or it may exist in the liquid in that cup.

It still exists in the books and magazines we read. It exists in television and musical instruments. ...

Even petroleum and petroleum products used for home heating and car driving are the result of biodiversity millions of years ago. Why else do people call these fossil fuels now? Petroleum products, including cosmetics, plastic products and gasoline in your car, are actually the remains of animals and plants buried between strata thousands of years ago.

Biodiversity is everywhere, but we don't care, as if they were all introduced from another planet.

Life without biodiversity will be extremely boring. Isn't it time for us to start protecting it?

Biodiversity, climate and disasters

Do you know that we have encountered a strange climate recently?

The scientific evidence is irrefutable: the earth's climate is changing. Strange things are happening everywhere on the earth-coral reef deaths, large-scale mudslides, unusual rainstorms and persistent droughts in some areas. Whether due to industrial emissions or natural factors, the world's coping mechanisms for these phenomena are still closely related to each other, from ecosystems to all kinds of life in ecosystems.

For example, in many parts of the earth, people find that when they cut down forests, their villages and towns are prone to floods. When this flood came, it was fiercer and faster than previous floods. Why? It is not the thrust of rockets that makes them run faster, but because trees can keep water and soil with their roots. Roots absorb water in rainy season and release water in summer. This is a natural adjustment method.

Now you have two choices:

1, to help protect biodiversity

2. Do nothing but endure.

We want you to choose the first option. That's what we did!

Similarly, people don't consider biodiversity at all, and even rarely consider the danger that storms may bring when they clear all coral mangroves. Mangrove is a good buffer zone for natural rainstorm and an ecosystem with rich biodiversity. When they are cut down, this buffer zone no longer exists, whether for humans or other species.

When we ignore the lessons we should learn, the practices of people in this world lead to such a result: the hillside collapses and the whole community is washed away, leading to the loss of life. The loss of biodiversity is also hurting us in an extremely sad way. Maybe it's time for us to learn the lesson we should have learned a long time ago.

What is the United Nations doing?

Some people complain that the United Nations has not done enough, but that is because of misunderstanding, which often leads to emotion. The United Nations does not play the role of the world's environmental police. The United Nations collects information, reveals the truth, coordinates international efforts, contributes to environmental protection, and helps countries implement and promulgate new laws to protect the environment. In fact, a lot of work has been done in some agreements between UNEP and its organizations. Here are some examples:

The headquarters of the Convention on Biological Diversity is located in Montreal, Canada, where information about biodiversity is collected, and these findings are shared with all member States for action. Every time a country joins a member, it assumes a specific responsibility to protect biodiversity. The staff of this Convention will help member States to fulfill their obligations. They also coordinate various activities between the state and other organizations.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora prohibits commercial trade in endangered species or commercial trade that will affect their survival (and regulates non-commercial trade in endangered species). These species are all in Appendix I. On the list, the typical species are: snow leopard, tiger, other big cats, chimpanzees, gorillas and other rare primates, as well as almost all big parrots, almost all crocodiles, all turtles and cacti, totaling more than 800 species.

CITES also uses a system to ensure non-endangered species, because if international trade is not strictly regulated, these species may be endangered. These species are listed in Appendix II, including other big cats, primates, cetaceans, parrots, crocodiles, cacti, orchids and some carnivorous plants-a total of about 30 million species.