Biodiversity

Do you remember when you were in school, and your teachers assigned you a project to create a food web, or an ecosystem web? Did you know that your web was actually a simplified version of biodiversity-the crucial system that is responsible for supporting all life on Earth, including ours? Unfortunately, due to human interference such as habitat destruction, pollution and climate change, biodiversity is becoming increasingly threatened. In other words, the connections in your grade school web are quickly being cut and destroyed forever. If we don’t do something now, most of life on Earth, including human, will soon cease to exist.

The United Nations have declared 2010 as the Year of Biodiversity, a celebration of life on earth and the value of connections. Biodiversity refers to the variety of plant and animal species in an environment; it forms the web of life we are all a part of. Without biodiversity, our planet would not be able to support any life, including human.

It is essential that we do all we can to help protect biodiversity. Biodiversity is responsible for the purification of the air we breathe, and the water we drink. We rely on biodiversity to provide us with food, both animal and vegetable, as many of the plants we eat require animals to pollinate them. We also have biodiversity to thank for fertile soils to plant our crops in, the regulation of our climate, and also as the source of many of our medicines. In short, biodiversity provide us with everything we need to live.

Unfortunately, the actions of humans are threatening the levels of biodiversity on our planet. Specifically, an estimated 34,000 plant and 5,200 animal species now face extinction. The biggest direct cause to the loss of biodiversity is habitat destruction. “Alien species” - plants and animals that exist outside of their natural range is another reason biodiversity is decreasing. People introduce these non-native species into an area, either by accident or on purpose, and they compete with native species for food and space. Pollution, especially from farming, also poses a large threat to our planet’s species. As a result of many of these situations, climate change is posing an increasing threat. Not only does it affect the homeland of many arctic species, from polar bears to birds, but it also affects the timing of flowering plants, the migration patterns of animals, and weather patterns around the world.

All living things on our planet work together as a harmonious system, removing one species can have detrimental effects on that whole ecosystem. It is therefore vital for our planet, and all that inhabit it, that we protect biodiversity at every level.

Cool Animals! (pdf)

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Online Resources:

Biodiversity news and events occurring across the country.
www.cbin.ec.gc.ca

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What is being done to protect biodiversity?
www.iucn.org/what/ tpas/biodiversity/solutions

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BEAN- Biodiversity Education and Awareness Network
www.biodiversityeducation.ca

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Barcoding biodiversity
www.barcodeoflife.org/the-barcoding-landscape

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To donate or get involved, please contact:
Conservation, Education, and Research
361A Old Finch Avenue
Scarborough, Ontario Canada
M1B 5K7
Information Tel: 416-397-5202
Email: conservation_info@torontozoo.ca