What are the benefits of biodiversity?
Biodiversity is crucial for maintaining a healthy and functioning ecosystem. It
provides a range of benefits, including:
1. Ecosystem Services: Biodiversity helps in the functioning of many vital
ecosystems services like nutrient cycling, soil formation, pollination, water
purification, climate regulation, and pest control.
2. Human Health: Biodiversity has an impact on human health. It provides
medicines, food, and natural resources that are used widely in medical science.
Research conducted by the World Health Organization has demonstrated that more
than 80% of the population in developing countries depends on plants and animals
to provide essential medicines.
3. Economic Benefits: Biodiversity has significant economic value, and the benefits
provided by biodiversity range from traditional resource use such as timber and nontimber forest products to commercial agriculture, recreation tourism, and many other
industries.
4. Cultural Benefits: Biodiversity provides spiritual and cultural benefits like aesthetic
value, cultural heritage, and recreational opportunities to humankind.
5. Environmental Protection: Increased biodiversity protection reduces the impact of
pollution and helps to mitigate climate change.
6. Research and education: Biodiversity also has enormous scientific value. It
supports many research projects, and helps in advancing knowledge of the world
and its processes.
In conclusion, biodiversity provides countless benefits to humans and the
environment. Biodiversity conservation is essential to ensure the sustainability of
these benefits and to maintain the functioning of our ecosystem.
References:
Daily, G. C., & Ehrlich, P. R. (1996). “Impacts of Development and Globalization on
Ecosystems and Human Well-Being: Introduction and Overview”. Pages 1-44 in
Globalization and Ecosystems, edited by H. A. Mooney, J. H. Cushman, E. Medina, O. E.
Sala, and E. D. Schulze. Academic Press, San Diego.
MEA (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment). (2005). Ecosystems and Human Well-being:
Biodiversity Synthesis. World Resources Institute, Washington, DC.