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Environment and biodiversity definitions
The word biodiversity is derived from the phrase biological diversity. It refers to the variability among living organisms - within species, between species and within ecosystems. Scientists only started using the term at the start of the 20th century. Below is a standard definition:
Biodiversity: the variety of living organisms in a particular habitat.
So what about the environment?
Environment: The environment refers to an area and the conditions in which an organism lives.
Difference between environment and biodiversity
Often the words ‘environment’, ‘ecosystem’ and ‘surroundings’ are used interchangeably, however, they are slightly different.
Environment: an area and the conditions in which an organism lives.
Ecosystem: An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment, including abiotic and biotic conditions with which they interact.
Surroundings: Surroundings refer to what surrounds a population.
Environment | Ecosystem |
The surroundings where organisms live. | The community where the biotic and abiotic components interact with each other. |
The environment changes as an organism moves from one place to another. | Dependent on essential life processes such as photosynthesis. |
Just a place in time. | Provides interaction between the elements |
Physical components. | Physical and biological components. |
Can be macro or micro. | Can be aquatic or terrestrial. |
It provides the condition to live. | It provides the relationship between components in which organisms live. |
Different types of biodiversity
There are different levels of biodiversity (species and ecosystem diversity). These are detailed below.
Species Diversity
Species biodiversity refers to the number of different species within an ecosystem as well as the relative abundance of each one of those species. There are two types of species diversity: within a species and between species. Intraspecies diversity refers to diversity among individuals in the same species and interspecies diversity refers to diversity between different species.
intra = within the same species
Inter = between different species
Ecosystem diversity
Our planet has many different ecosystems within it all of which have different species and habitats. For example, there are forests, mountains, deserts, etc. The variation and diversity among them is known as ecosystem biodiversity. An ecosystem consists of all the organisms and the physical environment, including abiotic and biotic conditions with which they interact.
Interaction of ecosystems
All ecosystems are interconnected and this interaction can occur between organisms and themselves as well as between organisms and their environment. Biodiversity is also important because ecosystems interact with each other. Living organisms regulate:
Atmospheric composition
Until around 2.4 billion years ago, there was no oxygen in the atmosphere. The abundance of life on earth is due to a drastic increase in oxygen levels. The main reason for higher oxygen levels is the fact that plants use carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and then release oxygen.
Biogeochemical cycles
Biogeochemical cycles are the way in which elements are used and recycled in the biosphere. A way that living organisms interact with biogeochemical cycles is through resource consumption.
Interspecies relationships
Some organisms provide a service to other organisms while others are negatively affected by other organisms.
Soil maintenance
Soil nutrient content is maintained by processes such as nitrogen fixation and vegetation cover helps to prevent the erosion of soil.
Genetic diversity
Genetic diversity is the total variety of genes in a species and how they are expressed.
Why is biodiversity important?
Biodiversity maintains the stability of ecosystems. Each species is of value to the ecosystem and different species depend on each other. Every organism has a role to play. If one species disappears then the environment and food chains for all other species can change. Biodiversity is also important for humans who use ecosystems as resources for foods, medicines, and tourism.
Food chains and food webs
A food chain portrays the feeding relationships between specific organisms. Arrows show the transfer of energy in stages called trophic levels. Food chains always start with a producer. A primary consumer then eats the producer. The primary consumer is eaten by a secondary consumer, which can be potentially eaten by a tertiary consumer. Animals consumed are predators and those hunted and eaten are prey. The consumer at the top of the food chain is called an apex predator and isn’t typically eaten by anything else.
Food webs are made up of many food chains which are interlinked. This is a better representation of how the organisms interact in the real world because most populations have more than one food source. They may prey on more than one organism at the trophic level.
Food chains show a flow of energy between organisms whereas food webs show how all food chains in an ecosystem interact.
Table 1. Biodiversity services and their examples.
Type of service | Example |
Provisioning services | Biodiversity and ecosystems provide us with resources. These include:
|
Regulating services | Biodiversity plays a large part in regulating life on earth.
|
Culturing services | Cultural services are the non-material benefits people get from ecosystems. They include aesthetic inspiration, tourism, recreation, and the more spiritual side of nature and the environment. |
Supporting services | Supporting services is the way that the ecosystem provides spaces for plants and animals. It includes the habitats ecosystem provides and the maintenance of genetic diversity as different species can thrive within it. Some habitats are called ‘biodiversity hotspots’ as they have high numbers of species that make them more genetically diverse than other habitats. |
Biomimetics
The term biomimetics stems from the ancient Greek words bios and mimesis, meaning “imitate”. It is a concept that draws inspiration from nature to solve complex human problems. Some uses are:
Genetics
New genes to improve crop genetics characteristics may be discovered. This can be seen in the genetically modified crops we have today. For example, sugarcane with a higher sucrose content.
Genetically modified crops (GM crops): Crops in which the DNA has been modified using genetic engineering methods.
Materials
Materials such as airbags, velcro, and body armour have been created that mimic the properties of some natural materials.
Velcro was developed by the Swiss engineer George de Mestral in 1941 after he was inspired by the small hooks on burr needles to create velcro.
Adhesion
Lotus flowers have water-repelling properties which have been used to develop self-cleaning glass.
Researchers recently developed an innovative new bioplastic based on the qualities of the lotus leaf. It is able to repel liquid and dirt, as well as break down rapidly when buried in the soil. The reason lotus leaves don’t get dirty is due to their water-repellent surface which is composed of tiny pillars below a waxy layer. Any fluid that lands on the leaf remains a droplet and rolls off, sweeping up any dirt as it does so. To mimic this, synthetically plastic made of starch and cellulosic nanoparticles and imprinted with a pattern that mimicked the tiny columns of a lotus leaf was produced. It was then coated with a silicon-based organic polymer - PDMS. The new plastic is naturally compostable, while most other bioplastics require industrial processes to break down. It is really innovative as plastic waste is one of the biggest environmental challenges we face today so this cost-effective and durable material has the potential to get us one step closer to fighting plastic waste.
Building design
Termite mounds are above ground which creates convection currents. This concept has been used in architecture.
Vehicle design
The splayed wingtip feathers of soaring birds reduce wind turbulence so aircraft wing designs have been copied to help increase fuel efficiency.
Physiological research
We can study physiology through other organisms such as:
Squids
Studying squids has enabled us to gain more insight into heart, kidney, and Alzheimer's disease as well as strokes and cancer. This is because their nerve cells are bigger than human nerve cells making them easier to study.
Dolphins and bats
Both these organisms use high-frequency sound to source their food. The study of this mechanism has enabled the development of new and better ultrasound scanners.
Purple sea urchin embryos
Female purple sea urchins produce extremely large quantities of eggs. They can be used when testing if medicines cause abnormal embryo development in humans.
Marine sponges
They produce proteins that prevent rejection after transplant surgeries.
Distribution of biodiversity
Biodiversity is everywhere - from unicellular organisms to entire ecosystems. So what are some of the patterns we can observe?
Spatial patterns of biodiversity
This refers to the arrangement of individuals in space as well as their geographical relationships.
The distribution of biodiversity depends on:
Climate
Geography
Soil
Human activities
We can observe a lateral gradient in species diversity because there are fewer species in the higher latitudes and more species in the lower latitudes. Tropical areas tend towards higher biodiversity (due to higher temperatures and more fertile ground) and polar regions towards lower biodiversity. Areas with more human populations have less biodiversity as they tend to be more built up and urbanised. The exponential growth of the human population creates a greater demand for the earth’s natural resources such as food, water and materials.
Temporal patterns of biodiversity
Temporal biodiversity refers to the seasonal changes in biodiversity. Researchers study temporal patterns of biodiversity in order to better estimate the extinction of species. Despite this, long-term records are required for this and there are often lags observed in terms of ecological response to changes in ecosystems making predictions hard.
For example, Cameia National Par, Angola is a seasonally flooded savanna. The species composition and land use by living beings are controlled by seasonal floods, precipitation patterns and fires. This is because different organisms are adapted to different conditions and habitats.
Threats to biodiversity
Most of the threats to biodiversity stem from human activity.
Table 2. Threats to biodiversity.
Threat | Reason |
Farming and Agriculture | Results in habitat loss of a variety of species as the land is changed to accommodate for farming and agriculture. |
Development | Residential and commercial developments threaten the species that interact with and live in the area being used. |
Habitat Destruction | Habitat destruction = biodiversity destruction. This is because when the place that an organism lives is destroyed, it can no longer survive in that environment as it is not adapted to living and breeding in those conditions. This means that there are less species and therefore less biodiversity in the ecosystem. The main causes of this are human activities, deforestation, global warming, and overpopulation. |
Climate change and natural disasters | Disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches etc can totally wipe out the biodiversity of a region. Climate change is causing an increase in these events. |
Transportation | Building the infrastructure for transportation can separate populations leading to speciation and destroying habitats. Moreover, the pollution caused by transportation leads to climate change which is leading to the destruction of habitats. |
Untreated sewage, fertilisers and pesticides, industrial chemicals, soil erosion, waste, acid rain, and vehicle emissions all pollute the environment. | |
Hunting | Excessive hunting for meat and leather destroys biodiversity as it eliminates species from ecosystems. |
Environment and biodiversity conservation
Scientists have developed many ways to conserve biodiversity and stop its decline. Here are some of them.
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act)
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the EPBC Act) commenced on the 16th of July 2000. It is a major piece of environmental legislation in Australia and provides the legal means to protect areas of national environmental significance.
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
This is the primary legislation, which protects animals, plants and habitats in the UK.
The act contains four parts, which cover:
Part 1: Wildlife
Part 2: Nature conservation, the countryside and National Parks.
Part 3: Public rights of way.
Part 4: Miscellaneous provisions of the act.
The IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature
The IUCN helps to identify species that should be prioritised for conservation. Its specific roles are to coordinate label data on biodiversity conservation, increase understanding and deploy nature-based solutions.
It categorises organisms as:
extinct (EX)
extinct in the wild (EW)
critically endangered (CR)
endangered (EN),
vulnerable (VU)
near threatened (NT)
least concern (LC)
Specific characteristics that may identify a species as one that should be prioritised include:
Flagship species
Keystone species
Endemic species
High level of threat to habitat
Dispersed population
Evolutionary distinct species
The roles of the IUCN:
Coordinating global data on biodiversity conservation
Increasing understanding of the importance of biodiversity
Deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and sustainable
development.
EDGE species (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered) - species threatened by extinction and diverged from other taxa long ago so they have greater genetic differences.
Endemic species - Species found within a single area, especially if the population is small.
Keystone species - Species whose survival is important for the survival of many other species.
Flagship species - A flagship species is a species from the plant or animal kingdom that is used to represent a certain environmental issue or cause. Eg polar bears used to raise awareness of global warming.
There are also:
EU CFP - common fisheries policy of the european union
This aims to make fishing and agriculture environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. Some ways that this is implemented is through:
Catch quotas (to limit the amount of fish certain vessels can catch)
Net mesh regulations (prevents smaller, younger fish being caught so they can breed)
Limits on fishing
Bans on discarding of unwanted fish
ITTO - international tropical timber organisation
This aims to encourage sustainable management of forests.
In the UK:
SSI's - sites of special scientific interest
NNR's - national nature reserves
In the EU:
SAC's - special areas of conservation
SPA's - special protection areas (protection of birds).
LNR'S - local nature reserves
MNR'S - marine nature reserves.
ramsar sites - protection of wetlands
AONB's - areas of outstanding natural beauty
NP's - national parks
There are also environmental stewardship schemes that landowners and farmers can be part of.
ELS - entry level stewardship
(open to all farmers and landowners, simple and effective land management).
OELS - organic entry level stewardship
HLS - higher level stewardship (targeted environmental management).
Some environmental stewardship scheme examples include:
Beetle banks (a strip planted within a crop field, that provides habitats for species that prey on pests).
Buffer strips (reduce water pollution)
Field margins (allow nesting).
Hedges (provide habitats for many species).
Environment and Biodiversity - Key takeaways
Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms in an environment.
The environment is the area and conditions in which an organism lives.
An ecosystem consists of all the organisms and the physical environment, including abiotic and biotic conditions with which they interact.
There are two types of biodiversity: Species Diversity and Ecosystem diversity.
Biodiversity is important as without it, ecosystem services would be limited.
Many laws, schemes and regulations are in use in order to conserve biodiversity.
References
- Fig. 1 - Coral Reef (https://unsplash.com/photos/v8Un2Roo1Ak) by Shaun Low (https://unsplash.com/@breadboyshaun) licensed by CC0 1.0 Universal (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Fig. 4 - Burr (https://unsplash.com/photos/33hWhs61l0o) by Milos Lopusina (https://unsplash.com/@miloslopusina) licensed by CC0 1.0 Universal (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
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Frequently Asked Questions about Environment and Biodiversity
How does the environment affect biodiversity?
Many factors affect biodiversity including:
Human population growth
Habitat destruction
Climate change
Pollution
Farming and agriculture
What is the difference between environment and biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms in a particular habitat whereas the environment is the area and conditions under which an organism lives.
How does biodiversity function in different environments?
We can observe a lateral gradient in species diversity because there are fewer species in the higher latitudes and more species in the lower latitudes. Tropical areas tend towards higher biodiversity and polar regions towards lower biodiversity. Areas with more human populations have less biodiversity.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms in a particular habitat.
Why is biodiversity important to the environment?
Biodiversity is also important because ecosystems interact with each other.
Living organism regulate:
Atmospheric composition
Biogeochemical cycles
Interspecies relationships
Soil maintenance
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