Coral reefs are among the most spectacular ecosystems in the world. These range from underwater systems in colors ranging from almost pure white to orange and sieved is passed to the flamboyant red. The sparkling bays of the colonies of fish they host attracts divers from around the world. But coral reefs in the world are in serious trouble. A report from 2004 by WWF estimated that 20 per cent of coral reefs of the world have now been destroyed. A quarter of all reefs are under imminent risk of collapse [following] anthropogenic pressures", and another 25% are threatened longer-term destruction due to these pressures. All told, three quarters of the coral reefs of the world are either dead or dying.
But who cares? Coral reefs can be beautiful to look at, but their destruction would be such a loss to humans and the rest of the planet? For many, the answer to this question is 'Yes' resounding! Perhaps the largest value that has coral reefs is the biodiversity they own. Biodiversity is a measure of the number and types of species in a particular ecosystem. In addition to more than 4,000 species of fish, are coral reefs are home to a wide range of plant and animal life including sponges, jellyfish, sea, crustaceans, echinoderms, sea squirts, turtles, sea snakes and an untold number of bacteria, algae and other microscopic organisms.
View of the canoe to the Belize
Biodiversity is important for two reasons. First of all, biologists, ecologists and conservationists consider a rich mixture of living plant and animal as the state normal and natural ecosystems. Plants and animals have evolved a complex way over millions of years to produce systems where organizations are intimately interrelated with each other. Repression of the same body can sometimes be so badly that it can degenerate and is disrupting the Ecosystem United Nations désagrège. Located, biodiversity is important to humans for a very practical reason. The rich mixture of plants and animals within an ecosystem brings together an almost unlimited number of human needs. Many of these species provide food, medicines, building materials and recreational opportunities, contribute to the breakdown of rocks in the formation of soil, possible make the nutrient cycle in the environment, protect water resources, provide for the detention of the decomposition of pollutants and helps stabilizer the Earth's climate. On might even say that humans cannot live without the benefits of biodiversityy.
The greatest threat to biodiversity is extinction of species. Whenever a plant or animal species lost EST, biodiversity in the ecosystem where he lived is affected. As more and more species are lost, biodiversity can be greatly disrupted and lost. Of course, extinction of species is a normal part of the ' evolution. Throughout history, the species have disappeared and new species have arisen as a result of natural phenomena. On a few occasions, however, species extinction has occurred very quickly, with the loss of a very large number of species of plants and animals over a short period of time. Scientists believe, for example, that one of the largest losses of biodiversity in the history of the earthquake there when a comet or asteroid struck Earth about 65 million years ago. This event has probably led to extinction of the dinosaurs, as well as countless other numbers of plant and animal species.
Many experts now believe that a different period mass extinction takes place on Earth, this time as a result of human activities. As the "eminent biologist Edward said," the worst has chosen that can happen... is not l 'exhaustion of l' energy, economic collapse, limited nuclear war or conquest by a totalitarian government. Terrible that these disasters would be for us, they can be repaired within a few generations. The ongoing... that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetics and the species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly that our descendants are least likely to forgive us. »
Sparrow is
Protection of biodiversity is a difficult and complex at least partly because humans usually do not intentionally undertake to destroy the species. In some cases, species disappear because of an attack directly by humans. That means hunting or collection for animals. But extinction occurs more often inadvertently due to human activities, including the Deforestation of the forest to collect wood or agricultural land, the introduction of new alien species in a natural environment, the contamination of air, water and soil by industrial activities and the alteration of the climate of the planet by the combustion of fuels. Threats which weigh on biodiversity arise, therefore, because humans are trying to make a better life for themselves in one way or another. Find ways to reach this normal and natural human player while protecting the Earth's biodiversity is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today.
Other References
Leakey, Richard E. The Sixth Extinction: Patterns of life and the future of humanity. New York: Anchor Books, 1996; Wilson, Edward o. The diversity of life. New York: W. Norton & Company, 1999.
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