The Effects of Human Activity on Ecosystems and Biodiversity

Biodiversity means the variety of life forms/organisms in an ecosystem, biome or entire planet. Globally, biodiversity is not evenly distributed. It generally increases from the poles towards the equator as around 50% of the world’s plants and animals live in tropical rainforests. This is because of the proximity to the equator causing a warmer, more moist, stable climate which means plants grow better and can support more species higher up in the food chain. Standard of living is the level of wealth, goods and

“Biological diversity is of fundamental importance to the functioning of all natural and human-engineered ecosystems, and by extension to the ecosystem services that nature provides free of charge to human society ”(Lloyd, 2014). Biodiversity is very important to both plants, animals and humans on Earth and if one species is destroyed it throw the balance off .

So we will talk about biodiversity first. Biodiversity is a group of different living organisms from around the world in one community. And biodiversity helps the biosphere because they can produce better and help other plants and humans in need. Some plants and trees have different characteristics regarding to their species.

Species diversity includes the number of species present in different habitats. Genetic diversity includes the variety of genetic material within a species or population.

Species diversity measures the number of different species and the number of individuals of each species within any one community.

Both human and physical factors impact upon ecosystems due to their holistic nature which means that even small changes in the human or physical environment around them can cause an exponential chain of results. However these factors can be both positive and negative to varying degrees.

Biodiversity is the extensive existence of the number, variety and genetic variation of different organisms that are found in their natural environments. Diversity in species is highly significant as it guarantees natural sustainability for all living networks and systems by providing vital services that our lives are dependent on such as food and clean water. The different ecosystems and organisms boost ecosystem productivity and contribute to climate stability.

Biodiversity accounts for the difference in life throughout our planet. The different animal kingdoms throughout ecosystems is the most notable example of biodiversity. Biodiversity is the entire spectrum of species that live in the biosphere. A small pond such as the ones that will be sampled are ecosystems to frogs, lilies, and insects and an

When applied to ecosystems, the level of species diversity is most frequently measured as an indicator of the ecosystem value. For example, a desert may only contain tens of species, yet a sub-tropical cloud

Biodiversity is defined as the variety of life in an environment, specifically the existence of many different kinds of plants and animals [1] , but biodiversity is so much more than that. Biodiversity is incredibly important to a well functioning ecosystem, and without it, food webs would break down and many organisms wouldn’t be able to survive. Biodiversity is especially important in California, a biodiversity hotspot. California is home to 5,879 species of plants and animals, more than any other state. [2] California has ideal climate and geography for a wide range of species. The abundant variety of organisms in California is very important. The ecosystems provides

The term monoculture refers to the usage of a single plant species in an agricultural plot. The use of monoculture in today’s agriculture is deemed efficient and has high yields. The species Musa acuminate has been a popular choice for the worlds 95% grown use of bananas. (Wubs etal, 2016). In the past, certain crops were genetically selected to produce larger fruit for the later plants. Complications associated with monoculture for example, can bring forward stress on the land and possible disease outbreaks. It can be hypothesized that an increased use of monoculture may over time may lead to a global shortage of Musa acuminate for consumer use ( ).

As far as we can say, intelligent, modern humans have been around for roughly 50,000 years, and in that time have altered the earth beyond recognition (Morrison, 2006). Most evident in recent years, the rapidity of technological advances both during and post the industrial revolution has been astonishing, but has come with a hefty ecological price. There is wide scientific consensus that we are presently witnessing the obsolescence of species on a prodigious scale. We are now having to accept the possibility that humans might just be a contributing influence.

Biodiversity presents occurrence of variety of species and their natural community in which they live. By the definition it is “The degree of variation of life forms within a given species, ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. It is a measure of the health of ecosystems and is in part a function of climate.” (Rutherford) Ecosystem is on the other hand, “ community and its abiotic environment”( Rutherford). Biodiversity exists in every ecosystem, weather it is big one, or just ecosystem of one garden, it has the same importance because without it nature loses its ability to perform major functions needed for life on Earth, as it is oxygen production. Trough this investigation, two different ecosystems will be explored and

Franck and Brownstone define biological diversity as 'the variety and variability of living organisms and the biological communities in which they live' (36). Decades of progress in both the scientific and political arenas have advanced environmental legislation to protect biodiversity at not only the ecosystem level, but for specific species and genetic material as well. Research has shown the importance of every organism and their role in the global ecosystem, and legislation has gradually matured to protect not only species which may become endangered, but the habitats they need to survive as well. Growing consciousness surrounding environmental issues has enabled these protections to be

Within a healthy ecosystem, animals, along with humans, receive essential benefits or ecosystem services. However, human activities can drive this balance in a negative direction. Although we appreciate these services given from an ecosystem, like the produce made from the flowers, an increase of human activities can impact the health of an ecosystem. We interfere with the balance of ecosystems when we release pesticides on our crops in hopes of protecting them from unwanted pests. The pesticides harm helpful insects like bees. When the there are no bees present to pollinate the flowers of fruits, it will be hard for fruits to grow. Not only will this hurt the production of fruit and our consumption, but it will also affect other organisms like birds that eat those fruits. The impacts of Human activities can be either a good or bad thing depending if regulations are in place to control our effects and reducing damages. Lack of conservation or management practices could result in people to believe deforestation, dumping, and waste does not have an impact to our planet. To reverse this belief that consumption and waste production is not a problem, we need to show people the incentives that come with being green. Many companies have sold their products this way to make us believe we are doing a good thing. By using our reason of belonging, we would need to come up with a way that involves enhancing ourselves while not hurting our income. From studies done, it can be seen that