11.7 - Reasons for Maintaining Biodiversity

Question 1

What are 3 umbrella terms for reasons to maintain biodiversity?

Answer 1

• Aesthetics
• Economy
• Ecology

Question 2

What aesthetic reasons mean biodiversity should be maintained?

Answer 2

• Presence of plant and animal species enriches lives, allows for peaceful walks in parks, it gives serenity
• Natural world inspires musicians and artists
• Patients recover quicker from stress and injury when surrounded by natural environments
• Maintaining and protecting landscapes

Question 3

What economic reasons constitute conservation of biodiversity?

Answer 3

• Deforestation → soil erosion and desertification. Reduces country’s ability to grow crop → to resource and economic dependence on other nations, important to conserve organisms used to make products, if not, it will lead to industrial collapse.
• Constant monoculture leads to soil depletion - reduction in soil nutrient diversity.
  
  • The one crop uses the same nutrients and is then harvested, so nutrients aren’t recycled
  • Makes ecosystem more fragile and it is more vulnerable to insects and plant competitors
• High biodiversity - protection against abiotic stress and disease. If biodiversity isn’t maintained, disease can wipe out entire crop species if they don’t have protective alleles.
• High biodiversity areas promote tourism as they are aesthetically pleasing
• Greater biodiversity brings greater economic potential as new products can be made.

Question 4

What ecological reasons constitute conservation of biodiversity?

Answer 4

• All organisms are interdependant - removal of one organism in a chain will affect the whole chain.

Keystone species: Species that are key to the structure of an ecosystem - have a disproportionately large affect on the environment → disappearance of an entire ecosystme due to their extinction.

• Fixing energy from sunlight
• Regulating O₂ and CO₂ levels
• Recycling minerals and maintaining soil fertility