Many scientists consider humans as the most invasive species, as humans can greatly change an environment and impact living things that reside there. Are we being stewards of the world? Take a look at an issue in which human intervention has positively or negatively affected the biodiversity of our ecosystems.
Biodiversity Is...
The variability among living organisms on the earth, including the variability within and between species and within and between ecosystems.
So just a little refresher from our unit work, we need biodiversity, it's a very important part of life. A very basic example of biodiversity, is butterflies they are all similar see as they are all butterflies but different kinds of butterflies are immune to different living conditions, food, etc. What one butterfly may need to survive another may not.
That being said, let's get started!
It is said that humans are always negatively affecting biodiversity in more ways than one. One of the most talked about ways that we are negatively affecting biodiversity is climate change. Ideas that claim that the recent trends of global warming are affecting our planet’s biodiversity are correct. It is known that climate change is the main reason for many past fluctuations in terms of biodiversity levels. At least four out of the five past mass extinction periods (Ordovician, the Devonian, the Permian, the Triassic and the Cretaceous) have happened due of climate change. However, having said that, we currently have more species on Earth than ever before. We can also see that even though climate change brings down the population of some species, it creates suitable conditions for other species. Nonetheless, recovery time after a mass extinction, or any kind of extinction for that matter, is extremely long. It is said, and agreed on with most biologists that we are entering a sixth mass extinction period (Mongabay 2007).
Ways Climate Change Can Affect Biodiversity
• Expansion, contraction and “migration” of a habitat
• Increase in disease and in population of invasive species
• Changes in environmental conditions such as: temperature, precipitation etc.
• Shifts in food availability
• Lack of ecologic relationships with other species
• Rising sea levels
• Alters distribution, abundance, behaviour, phenology (the timing of events such as migration or breeding), morphology (size and shape) and genetic composition.
The best thing we can do to save biodiversity in regards to climate change is to protect large areas of natural habitats. We need to leave these large, biodiverse habitats intact, particularly in mountain ranges, be so that different species can go on living as normally as possible without being affected by climate change. If we try to change their habitat there will be no hope left. Whether we begin to do this or not is another story.
It is hard enough for us, as humans, to try to change the way technology has impacted our lives simply so we try to put a stop to global warming. Never mind how difficult it is for us to do that and not to use all of our available resources such as land. I think the biggest problem we are having right now is the lack of awareness. We need to spread the word about the loss of biodiversity, only then will we be stewards of the world. One problem I am having is not knowing what to do to help solve this huge issue that is climate change. There are too many different opinions on the topic that it makes me just want to forget about the issue all together. I don’t know if I should buy eco-friendly paint for my bedroom or if it really makes a difference when I follow my brother around the house and turn off all the lights he left on. Should my parents stop buying bottled water? Should our next car be a hybrid? I need to know if these things will really make a difference or not. I think if more people knew that they were actually helping the world they would be more excited about it and would be more likely to tell everyone they know that they can make a difference. Often times I get the feeling that my little acts to help save energy or to recycle are making no difference because I am only one person. If we could all be stewards of the world and try to make a positive difference then we might be able to turn things around and prevent climate change, even just a little.
According to Dr. Raven, director of the Missouri Botanical Garden and a renowned expert on biodiversity, it is time to act. He says, “The longer we wait, the fewer choices we have and the more we lose."
What’s the Worst That Could Happen?
Dr. Chris Thomas has written two papers in Nature and they are currently the best predictions we have as to what is to come with regards to climate change and its effects on biodiversity. Dr. Thomas says, “Using a variety of climate scenarios, assumptions and methods of analysis, we estimated that somewhere between 5% and 50% of the species we analyzed are at risk of extinction, with the central range of estimates falling between 15% and 37%. This is on the basis of warming projected until 2050, so the year 2100 risks of extinction from climate change are likely to lie in the upper half of this range,”(Mongabay 2007).
Conclusion
So basically, I do not really think that we are being the best possible stewards of the world but, that is not an easy task. I think that we can do more to help this issue but personally, I am still contemplating if I care enough to try and spread the word. If someone wants to, all the power to them, that’s when I will jump on the bandwagon. I think that maybe this is supposed to happen. The rest of the mass extinctions turned out well, didn’t they? Okay, not really, it took millions of years to recover but now we have humans on Earth! Alright, alright, I'm just kidding. This is really an important topic, we, humans, are being affected by the loss of biodiversity as you are reading this, you just don't really know it. But if we do not put a stop (or atleast try to put a stop) to things like climate change then we will eventually we directly affected by the loss of biodiversity and we will have no idea what to do. I think Dr. Raven is right, we need to act now!
Who's with me? Leave some comments :)
Sources
http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0322-extinction.html
http://www.birdlife.org/action/science/sowb/pressure/46.html
2 comments:
I'm with you! Olivia, I agree 110% that we should spread the word about biodiversity. It is true that one of the causes humans just aren't being stewards of the world is because we don't care, or simply don't know! Hopefully by joining the bandwagon and doing our individual part, we are helping to save biodiversity from things like climate change. Dr. Raven is very right in the fact that the longer we wait, the more we will loose, so humans need to start fixing our mistakes now before its too late and we are all affected by the change in biodiveristy!And a thank-you goes out to you because after reading your blog, I was personally informed more about how much damage climate change can do to biodiversity in our ecosystems!(like rising sea levels! I had no clue!) keep spreadin the word..
-victoria g
Olivia! I also agree with you 110%! Biodiversity is very important in this world, and we need to tell people about it! I was well aware about the ways climate change can affect biodiversity and those points have large impacts on biodiversity. Such as the rising sea levels, changes in environmental conditions, and increase in disease and in population of invasive species. I too doubted if I turn off all the lights in the house, or buying bottled water would really affect the world in a postive way. But many people might think like us! That said, I believe it IS making a difference! It is very sad that 5%-50% of species studied are at risk to be extincted. I also agree on the fact that we need to work on being good stewards of the world, and by doing this blog you made people realize we need to change things! Very good job!
-Bianca Kalender
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