All species are an integral part of their ecosystem by performing specific functions that are often essential to their ecosystems and often to human survival as well. Some of the functions different species provide are to:
Capture and store energy
Produce organic material
Decompose organic material
Cycle water and nutrients
Control erosion or pests
Help regulate climate and atmospheric gases
Ecosystem diversity is important for primary production in terms of:
Soil fertility
Plant pollination
Predator control
Waste decomposition
Removing species from ecosystems removes those important functions. Therefore, the greater the diversity of an ecosystem the better it can maintain balance and productivity and withstand environmental stressors.
Biodiversity is important economically in terms of:
Food resources: agriculture, livestock, fish and seafood
Biomedical research: coral reefs are home to thousands of species that may be developed into pharmaceuticals to maintain human health and to treat and cure disease
Industry: textiles, building materials, cosmetics, etc.
Tourism and recreation: Beaches, forests, parks, ecotourism
Biodiversity has an intrinsic value because all species:
Provide value beyond their economic, scientific, and ecological contributions
Are part of our cultural and spiritual heritage
Are valuable simply for their beauty and individuality
Have a right to exist on this planet
Human’s have an ethical responsibility to protect biodiversity. Biodiversity is important to science because it helps humans understand how life evolved and continues to evolve and it provides an understanding on how ecosystems work and how we can help maintain them.
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