Why is biodiversity essential for ecosystem health?

When people hear 'biodiversity,' they often imagine the lush Amazon rainforests or the rich ecosystems of tropical oceans.

Yet, even a suburban home is filled with an incredible variety of life. Spiders, insects, and other arthropods hide in corners. Molds, algae, and fungi thrive on our food and in our bathrooms. Grass and weeds sprout in the front yard, while birds and mammals take refuge in our attics, gutters, and chimneys.

At home, many of us view this diversity as a problem and try to eliminate it with insecticides, cleaning products, herbicides, and pest control services. But on a global scale, why is biodiversity vital for ecosystems?

Why Biodiversity is Crucial

To truly grasp the inherent value of biodiversity, we must think like biologists. Unlike the general public, biologists don’t only measure biodiversity by the number of species on Earth.

In reality, the diversity of life on Earth — also known as species diversity or species richness — is just one component of biodiversity. Genetic diversity, referring to the genetic variation within and between populations, is equally significant.

Take bald eagles in North America, for instance. The majority of bald eagles are found in Alaska and British Columbia. A sizable population also inhabits the Gulf States, stretching from Texas and Baja California to South Carolina and Florida.

The total genetic diversity of North American bald eagles is represented by the number of genes, which are distinct hereditary units made up of a unique DNA sequence.

The Significance of Ecosystem Diversity

Our example of eagles highlights another form of diversity. The Pacific Northwest is a distinctive ecosystem, as is the Gulf Coast of Florida, which exhibits different traits. The existence of a wide array of natural habitats or ecosystems, known as ecosystem diversity, is a critical aspect of biodiversity.

At first glance, the loss of biodiversity at any given level may not appear to be a major issue. After all, scientists have identified nearly 2 million species, and they estimate that Earth is home to 10 million or more species. So why should we worry about the loss of biological diversity in isolated cases?

As evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson suggests, the loss of species may be contrary to biophilia, a natural inclination in humans to connect with life and life-like processes.

If this is the case, then participating in the destruction of the natural world goes against the essence of what it means to be human. It also strengthens the idea that we should not deny future generations the same rich diversity of life that we are fortunate to experience today.

From Genes to Jeans: The Advantages of Biodiversity

Conserving biodiversity offers a number of practical advantages. When a species has high genetic diversity, it possesses a wider gene pool. A larger gene pool equips many species to adapt more effectively to changing environmental conditions.

Consider the example of cheetahs. Around 10,000 years ago, every species of cheetah, except for one, went extinct, leaving only Acinonyx jubatus in Africa. This remaining population was small, causing closely related individuals to mate with one another.

Over time, inbreeding drained the genetic diversity from wild cheetahs, making them highly vulnerable to sudden environmental shifts, like the arrival of a new virus they are all unable to survive because of their shared genetic traits.

The relationship between humans and the abundance of nature is a deep and vital one.

Humans gain much from genetic variety, and we are also greatly dependent on the diverse life forms that inhabit the Earth.

From plants and animals to bacteria and fungi, nature provides essential resources for human life. Our diets are based on crops and the animals that feed on them. We use materials from both plants and animals to create clothing, and single-celled organisms like bacteria and yeast are crucial for various industrial processes.

Then there’s medicine. Nearly 40% of all prescription drugs sold worldwide contain natural compounds sourced from animals, fungi, and plants. Penicillin is a well-known example of how human health has benefited from substances derived from other organisms.

Ecosystem Interactions and Their Global Significance

One of the greatest advantages of biodiversity may not lie in the individual compounds of a species, but rather in how that species functions within its ecosystem and how that ecosystem interacts with other ecosystems globally.

Take pollination as an example. Many plants depend on pollinators such as birds, mammals, and insects to transfer pollen, which leads to the creation of seeds and fruit. Honeybees are especially crucial in pollinating certain food crops.

Sadly, in 2006, some beekeepers began reporting that up to 90 percent of their hives were being lost. This phenomenon is now known as colony collapse disorder, and it raises concerns about the potential for significant crop production declines in the United States.

Pollination is just one of the many vital services provided by the intricate relationships between living organisms. Ecosystem services also include purifying water, enriching soil, breaking down waste, controlling pests, and moderating extreme weather events.

Human activity has had a negative impact on all these processes in many ways, including through climate change. As the global human population grows to an estimated 9 billion people by 2050, habitat destruction will continue to rise.