Assignment: Importance of Biodiversity

After reading through Primack’s chapter on biodiversity, the task of outlining the importance of biodiversity locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally began to seem like a difficult one. I don’t mean that I wouldn’t be able to come up with answers, just that I would be jumping around a lot since there are many interconnected threads. There are also different vantage points to consider: do I focus on biodiversity in terms of its importance to the natural world or human needs? So, I decided to answer each level separately and to name just a few points for each since these are supposed to be my “preliminary” thoughts.

Local

In my eyes, the importance of biodiversity from a local level is to maintain the proper functioning of all ecosystems contained withing the area of question. All native species found within an ecosystem play a critical role in upholding the balance of the multitude of moving parts (a food web). The same idea can be applied to biodiversity on a regional scale as long as there aren’t impassible barriers between the different local ecosystems, such as mountains, rivers, cities, or highways.

Regional

The first thing that came to mind when thinking of biodiversity on a regional scale is its importance to conservation efforts. Having genetically diverse populations spread throughout a region can act as a safeguard to protecting species that are being threatened in one location yet are thriving in another. This allows for relocation projects to help bolster the genetics of a local population or to save a population whose habitat has been destroyed or heavily altered.

Maintaining robust biodiversity on a regional scale is also useful when it comes to human ecosystem services. Wetlands with healthy species richness throughout a region provide people with natural flood control, cleaner water, and efficient carbon sinks.

National and International

My thoughts on the importance of biodiversity on a national and international scale come directly from my own experience. Whenever I visit a new biome I always look forward to investigating the new (to me) and exciting species I’ll find there. While ecotourism can present some nightmare scenarios of overcrowding or the dilution of local cultures, it can also create awareness and understanding of threatened species or habitats. And with global attention comes funding and media attention that can kickstart or boost conservation efforts.