LO 10 Biological World strand LO 10 Nature of Science strand
17.1 The importance of biodiversity . . . . .184 17.2 Biodiversity and global food production 186 17.3 Other approaches to conserving biodiversity . . . . . . . . . . . . .192 17.4 Monitoring biodiversity. . . . . . . . .194
Why it matters
Humans rely on the environment to provide food, water, oxygen, shelter and fuel. Many human activities threaten our natural environment. The demands of global food production can pose a significant threat to biodiversity. It is important that we understand the impact that human activities have on the environment and that we develop effective approaches to conservation.
17.1 The importance of biodiversity
Biodiversity The variety of living things.
Biodiversity is the variety of living things on Earth. There is an incredible diversity of living things. The number of species (excluding bacteria species) on Earth has been estimated at 8.7 million. The National Biodiversity Data Centre has estimated the number of species in Ireland at 31,000.
Activity List as many species of living things as you can that are found in Ireland. Check your list at the National Biodiversity Data Centre website (www.biodiversityireland.ie).
Sustainability of ecosystems means maintaining ecosystems for the future.
Natural ecosystems can have a large number of different species which interact with each other and with their environment. The relationships between the different species are often very complex. This means that when people interfere with one species in a natural ecosystem they can accidentally affect other species or even the entire ecosystem. It can be very difficult to reverse these effects, especially when species within the ecosystem become extinct. It is important to make sure that in the future we will have the water, materials and resources to
protect human health and our environment. Sustainability of ecosystems means maintaining ecosystems for the future.
Humans depend on the natural world to provide important resources. For example: We use crops to feed livestock (cattle, pigs) and ourselves. Bees are needed to pollinate flowers for sexual reproduction in plants.
