Why is the number of species important for biodiversity?

Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. A larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops. Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms.

Why is it important to protect biodiversity and reduce species extinction?

An important reason to conserve biodiversity is that it is vital in the fight against climate change. Many ecosystems – such as forests and wetlands – store vast amounts of carbon in them. When we destroy these ecosystems, this carbon escapes into the atmosphere, worsening global warming.

Why is it important to maintain biodiversity in every ecosystem?

Healthy ecosystems clean our water, purify our air, maintain our soil, regulate the climate, recycle nutrients and provide us with food. Biodiversity is the key indicator of the health of an ecosystem. A wide variety of species will cope better with threats than a limited number of them in large populations.

How can a population benefit from biodiversity?

Biodiversity supports human and societal needs, including food and nutrition security, energy, development of medicines and pharmaceuticals and freshwater, which together underpin good health. It also supports economic opportunities, and leisure activities that contribute to overall wellbeing.

Why is it important to count species?

Counting each individual you see can be a challenge, but it can also become valuable information for scientific research. As populations of e.g. birds change, those fluctuations may indicate shifts in pollution levels, habitat loss, migration timing etc…

What is species diversity and why it is important?

Diversity in species is important for economic, biological, social and cultural reasons. Major threats to species diversity are loss of habitat and fragmentation, over exploitations (fishing, hunting, extraction), pollution, the introduction of invasive species (e.g Asian Green Mussels) and global climate change.

What is the importance of biodiversity for development?

Biodiversity is essential for sustainable development and human well-being. It underpins the provision of food, fibre and water; it mitigates and provides resilience to climate change; it supports human health, and provides jobs in agriculture, fisheries, forestry and many other sectors.

How is species diversity determined?

Species diversity is measured by determining the number of species present in a given area or community and calculating how evenly distributed a species is within that community. Surveys done by scientists, camera traps, environmental DNA, and light traps are all examples of methods used to measure species diversity.

Why is important to maintain the biodiversity and health of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef?

The Great Barrier Reef’s biodiversity Maintaining a healthy and diverse Great Barrier Reef ecosystem is important so it is better able to withstand, recover and adapt to impacts and stress. A productive and healthy Reef environment provides essential resources such as fish and prawns and supports many industries.

Why is biodiversity more advantageous than low biodiversity?

High biodiversity in an ecosystem means that there is a great variety of genes and species in that ecosystem. A great variety of genes and species means that the ecosystem is better able to carry out natural processes in the face of external stress. Thus, the ecosystem is more sustainable.”

What is the importance of a species?

Species are an integral component of ecosystems, and the value they provide in terms of services should be a standard part of ecosystem assessments. However, assessing the value of species is difficult and will always remain incomplete.