Biodiversity and Conservation
What is biodiversity?
The term “biodiversity” is a contraction of the phrase "biological diversity.” Biodiversity is often used to describe all the species living in a particular area, whether the area be defined as local or global. Scientists broaden the definition of biodiversity to include not only living organisms and their complex interactions, but also interactions with the abiotic (non-living) aspects of their environment.
Genetic diversity is responsible for variation between individuals, populations and species. The interactions between the individual organisms of a population or community, and their specializations for their environment are important functional aspects of biodiversity. These functional aspects can determine the diversity of different communities and ecosystems.
There is also a spatial component to biodiversity. The number of individuals and species present in communities and ecosystems can vary in different parts of the world. Similarly, the function and interactions of these communities and ecosystems can vary from one place to another. These spatial patterns of biodiversity are affected by climate, geology, and physiography.
The structural, functional, and spatial aspects of biodiversity can vary over time; therefore there is a temporal component to the analysis of biodiversity. For example, there can be daily, seasonal, or annual changes in the species and number of organisms present in an ecosystem and how they interact. Some ecosystems change in size or structure over time. Forest ecosystems may change in size and structure because of the effects of natural fires, and wetlands can gradually silt up and decrease in size. Biodiversity also changes over a longer-term, evolutionary, time-scale. Geological processes such as mountain building and erosion, changes in sea-level, and changes in climate cause significant, long-term changes to the structural and spatial characteristics of global biodiversity. The processes of natural selection and species evolution also result in changes to local and global flora and fauna.
What is conservation?
Conservation acts to preserve, manage, and protect the environment and natural resources. The goal is to preserve the genetic variation and diversity in plants and animals for a particular geographic region. Conservation efforts may examine lands that are used for a variety purposes, like recreation, agriculture, or forestry, and determine the ecological values and needs of native species.
In order to protect the biodiversity, a network of professionals needs to work together for the common goal of conservation. Some of these professionals will include land use planners, conservation organizations, and government agencies that highlight conservation priorities and guide decisions on land use and management. Ideally, together these groups would determine what lands should be managed for ecological values and where development should and should not occur.
Unfortunately, conservation of biologic resources is not as cut-and-dry as this definition. Conservation is a complex problem surrounding habitat destruction and species protection. Conservation biologists need to understand how humans affect biodiversity and to provide potential solutions that benefit both humans and non-human species.
