Biodiversity, Value, and Its Significance

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Biodiversity and its significance Introduction: It can be understood by observing the nature that the organisms of different species constitute a society. They establish harmonious relationship with the biotic and abiotic factors of the surroundings to lead a successful life. Any organism cannot live in isolation. It has to depend for its food, shelter and reproduction on other organisms and on the nature. This leads to the establishment of the Bio diversity. Such diversity helps in maintaining ecological equilibrium. In the absence of equilibrium, the survival and existence of the organisms becomes uncertain. Societies disappear either slowly or suddenly. Biodiversity –Definition: Biodiversity is the variety of life and its processes. It includes the variety of organisms, the genetic differences among them, the communities and ecosystems in which they occur, and the ecological and evolutionary processes keeping them functioning, yet ever changing and adapting. This definition captures the important concept that biodiversity is hierarchical in nature. Biodiversity manifests itself on the genetic species, ecosystem, and landscape levels. Interactions within and among levels contribute to biodiversity Value of biodiversity: • Utilitarian values (i.e., medicinal use of plants, agricultural gene stocks, and fisheries as a food source) • Indirect utilitarian values (i.e., ecosystem services such as air quality and climate amelioration) • Recreational and aesthetic values • Intrinsic, spiritual, and ethical values The concerns of scientists, government, and the public for the protection of biodiversity results from the recognition that projections of the loss of species is great and that environmental degradation continues in the face of attempts to regulate their impacts on resources. The solution for this is to conserve biodiversity by preserving and

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