Biodiversity

Biodiversity

Biodiversity

Refers to the variety and variability of living Organisms and ecosystems on Earth.

Bio

Indicating or involving life or living organisms.

Diversity

The condition or fact of being different or varied.

Biodiversity, Ecosystem, Genetics, Species

B.E.G.S.

Ecosystem

A geographic area where other organisms work together to form a bubble of life.

Genetics

Is the study of genes and inheritance in living organisms.

Species

Classification comprising related organisms that share common characteristics and are capable of interbreeding.

Biodiversity as a source of biological resources

• Biodiversity is an important source of biological resources because it encompasses the variety of life on earth, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms.

• Food, Energy, Medicine, Water Storage and Food Control, Air and Water Treatment, Regulation and Worldwide Protocol.
  

Food

• Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, at all levels, from genes to species to ecosystems. It underpins the health of our planet and all its inhabitants, including humans.

• It also plays a critical role in food security by providing us with a wide variety of biological resources.

Ways biodiversity contributes to food security

• Provides a diversity of food resources

• Improves the resilience of food production systems

• Supports healthy soils

• Maintains ecosystem

Provides a diversity of food resources

• We rely on a wide variety of plants and animals for food. Biodiversity ensures that we have a wide range of options to choose from, which helps to reduce our reliance on any one particular food source.

• This is important, as it means that we are less likely to experience food shortages if one crop or animal species is wiped out by disease or pest infestation.

Improves the resilience of food production systems

• Biodiversity can help to make food production systems more resilient to shocks and stresses, such as climate change, pests, and diseases.

• For example, a diversity of crops can help to reduce the risk of crop failure, as some crops will be more resistant to pests and diseases than others.

Supports healthy soils

• A diversity of soil organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and earthworms, is       essential for maintaining healthy soils. These organisms help to break down organic matter, recycle nutrients, and improve soil fertility. Healthy soils are essential for growing crops and other food sources.

Maintains ecosystem

• Biodiversity is essential for the health of ecosystems, which provide us with a variety of services that are essential for food production, such as pollination, pest control, and water purification.

Energy

• Exists in how objects interact with each other. It is often useful when it is transformed or transferred, it also provides many useful energy services that allow for a high quality of life that people living in modernized societies have grown accustomed to.

• These services require a constant supply of primary fuels and primary flow to harness the needed energy.

Primary Energy

• The energy extracted from nature is called__________.

• Most of these comes from fuels like hydrocarbons and nuclear fuels.

• The rest of our these is from flows like wind power and hydropower.

Renewable Energy

• Resources that can be renewed once they are consumed.

• These resources do not cause any environmental pollution.

• Renewable resources are not affected by human activities.

• Examples of Renewable resources: Air, water and solar energy.

Non-renewable energy

• Resources that cannot be renewed once they are consumed.

• These resources cause environmental pollution.

• Non- Renewable resources are affected by human activities.

• Examples of Non-renewable resources: natural gas, coal and nuclear energy.

Types of energy resources

• Solar Energy

• Wind Energy

• Water Energy

• Fossil Fuel Energy

Solar Energy

• Convert sunlight into electrical energy either through photovoltaic (PV) panels or through mirrors that concentrate solar radiation. This energy can be used to generate electricity or be stored in batteries or thermal storage.

Wind Energy

• Is used to produce electricity by converting the kinetic energy of air in motion into electricity. In modern wind turbines, wind rotates the rotor blades, which convert kinetic energy into rotational energy.

• This rotational energy is transferred by a shaft to the generator, thereby producing electrical energy.

Water Energy

• Hydropower or hydroelectric power uses the natural flow of moving water to generate electricity.

• Most hydroelectric power plants have a reservoir of water, a gate or valve to control how much water flows out of the, and an outlet or place where the water ends up after flowing downward.

• The water flowing can be used to turn the blades of a turbine to generate electricity, which is distributed to the power plant’s customers.

Fossil fuel energy

• Including oil, coal and natural gas, are non-renewable resources that formed when prehistoric plants and animals died and were gradually buried by layers of rock.

• Are burned to produce energy. In large power stations they are burned in the presence of oxygen.

• As the fuel burns the heat energy is used to heat water, as it is heated it produces steam which in turn rises and drives a turbine.

Biodiversity as a source of medicine

• Health

• Infectious Diseases

• Traditional Medicine

• Medicine

Health

• People depend on biodiversity in their daily lives, in ways that are not always apparent or appreciated. Human health ultimately depends upon ecosystem products and services (such as availability of fresh water, food and fuel sources) which are requisite for good human health and productive livelihoods.

Infectious Diseases

• Such disturbances reduce the abundance of some organisms, cause population growth in others, modify the interactions among organisms, and alter the interactions between organisms and their physical and chemical environments.

• Patterns of infectious diseases are sensitive to these disturbances.

Traditional Medicine

• Continue to play an essential role in health care, especially in primary health care.

• Traditional medicines are estimated to be used by 60% of the world’s population and in some countries are extensively incorporated into the public health system

Medicine

• Higher rates of biodiversity have been linked to an increase in human health. First, plants are essential for medicines.

• For example, 25% of drugs used in modern medicine are derived from rainforest plants while 70% of cancer drugs are natural or synthetic products inspired by nature.

Biodiversity as a source

• Plants

• Animals

• Microorganisms

• Marine Organism

• Fungi

Future perspective and opportunities

• Potential for bioprospecting and new drug discovery

• Collaboration between traditional knowledge and modern science

Potential for bioprospecting and new drug discovery

• The future of drug discovery holds immense potential through bioprospecting, which involves exploring biodiversity to identify novel compounds with therapeutic properties

Collaboration between traditional knowledge and modern science

• Collaboration between traditional knowledge holders, such as indigenous communities and local healers, and modern scientific researchers presents exciting opportunities for drug discovery and development.

Impact to biodiversity

RELATION BETWEEN MEDICINE AND BIODIVERSITY:

• Pharmaceutical companies can support conservation efforts, engage in sustainable sourcing, and discover new drugs through bioprospecting, highlighting the therapeutic potential of biodiversity.

• Collaborations with indigenous communities also promote cultural conservation.

• However, negative impacts include habitat destruction, overharvesting of medicinal species, invasive species introduction, and chemical pollution.

Biodiversity loss

RELATION BETWEEN MEDICINE AND BIODIVERSITY:

• This limits the discovery of novel drugs and bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential.

• Also disrupts natural disease control mechanisms, increases drug resistance, and threatens traditional medicine practices reliant on biodiverse regions.

• Biodiversity is essential for water management, providing crucial functions like water storage and flood control.

• Diverse ecosystems, such as forests and wetlands, act as natural buffers, absorbing and storing water during heavy rainfall.

• By regulating water flow and stabilizing soil, biodiversity helps mitigate flood risks downstream.

• Preserving biodiversity is thus vital for sustaining these essential ecosystem services.

Water

Is a clear liquid that we need to drink and that plants and animals need to live.

Water Storage

Is the collection and storage of water for future use, essential for drinking, irrigation, and industry, especially in drought-prone areas or limited water availability.

Diverse ecosystems

Including forests, wetlands, and mangroves, serve as natural reservoirs, storing water during periods of excess rainfall.

Mangroves

Along coastal areas provide protection against storm surges by absorbing wave energy and stabilizing shorelines.

Forest

Trees and vegetation in _____________ help intercept rainfall and allow water to infiltrate the soil, where it is stored in underground aquifers.

Wetlands

Act as natural sponges, retaining water during periods of high precipitation and slowly releasing it over time.

Grasslands

Deep-rooted grasses and other plants in ___________ facilitate water infiltration and storage in the soil.

Floods

Is caused by heavy rainfall, storm surges or river overflow, cause extensive damage to dry land, pose significant risks to human lives and the environment.

Flood Control

Involves strategies to prevent or minimize the impact of flooding, such as building dams, levees, and managing land to reduce runoff.

Flood control function of biodiversity:

Forest

Flood control function of biodiversity:

• The dense vegetation in _______ slows down the movement of water, reducing surface runoff and minimizing the risk of flash floods.

Flood control function of biodiversity:

Wetlands

Flood control function of biodiversity:

• Absorb excess water during storms, reducing the volume and velocity of floodwaters downstream.

Flood control function of biodiversity:

Riparian Zones

Flood control function of biodiversity:

• Vegetation along riverbanks and streams helps stabilize soil, preventing erosion and reducing the likelihood of flooding.

Air treatment

Involves removing pollutants, such as dust, smoke, and harmful gases, from the air we breathe.

Water treatment

Focuses on removing contaminants from water sources to make it safe for consumption and use.

Pollution

The introduction of harmful materials into the environment.

Pollutants

• The introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called?

• Damage the quality of air, water and land.

Negative impacts of pollution

• Water quality may deteriorate as air pollution negatively affects vegetation.

• Harmful concentrations of pollutants may directly enter our drinking water, notably through groundwater seepage

Biodiversity as a source of air treatment

• Plants help in the absorption of pollutants

• Trees release oxygen and filter harmful gases from the air

• Wetlands act as a natural filters for water pollutants

• Aquatic plants help in removing toxins from water bodies

Plants help in the absorption of pollutants

• Plants play  a crucial role in air purification through photosynthesis, which produces oxygen and removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

• Plants absorb pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone through their leaves and roots.

Trees release oxygen and filter harmful gases from the air

• Trees and other vegetation absorb pollutants such as excessive nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter, through their leaves and needles and thereby help to improve air quality.

Wetlands act as a natural filters for water pollutants

• Wetlands act as natural water filters by trapping sediments and pollutants, such as excess nutrients and heavy metals before they reach larger water bodies.

• Wetland plants also absorb and metabolize pollutants, improving water quality.

Aquatic plants help in removing toxins from water bodies

• Aquatic plants are like natural

• Cleaners for water bodies, helping to remove harmful substances and keep the water healthy.

• They absorb pollutants like heavy metals and nutrients, stabilize sediment, add oxygen through photosynthesis, and absorb excess nutrients.

Examples of how biodiverse ecosystems contribute to a cleaner air and water

• Carbon Sequestration

• Oxygen Production

• Air Filtration

• Pollution Buffering (e.g mangroves and seagrasses)

Deforestation

leads to the loss of plant species, reducing the capacity of ecosystems to filter pollutants and maintain air quality.

Regulation and worldwide protocol

1. Convention on Biological Diversity      (CBD)

2. Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (Nagoya Protocol)

3. National Legislation

4. Global Biodiversity Targets

5. Science and Technology

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• Adopted in 1992, is a pioneering international treaty addressing biodiversity conservation, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.

• has three main objectives:

  • conservation of biological diversity

  • sustainable use of its components

  • sustainable use of its components

• With 196 parties (195 countries and the European Union), the CBD is one of the most widely accepted environmental treaties globally.

Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization (Nagoya Protocol)

• Adopted in 2010 as a supplementary agreement to the CBD, it provides a transparent legal framework for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from the utilization of genetic resources.

• It sets out rules and procedures for access to genetic resources, benefit-sharing mechanisms, and the need for prior informed consent.

• Ratified by 126 parties, aims to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

National Legislation

• Many countries have enacted this to complement international agreements and address specific biodiversity challenges.

• Examples: Endangered Species Act (ESA) in the United States, Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) in Australia, Wildlife Protection Act in India.

• The General Appropriations Act of 2018 – Section 40 contains an important provision regarding biodiversity conservation

Global Biodiversity Targets

• The Aichi Biodiversity Targets were adopted in 2010 under the CBD, providing a strategic plan for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use from 2011 to 2020. They included 20 ambitious targets aimed at halting biodiversity loss.

• Post-2020, negotiations are ongoing to establish a new framework for global biodiversity conservation, defining new targets and strategies.

Science and Technology

• Scientific and technological innovations play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation. Technologies such as remote sensing, DNA barcoding, and conservation drones provide innovative solutions for monitoring, conservation, and sustainable use of biodiversity.