Here is an essay on the ‘Extinction of Bio-Diversity’ for class 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on the ‘Extinction of Biodiversity’ especially written for school and college students.
Extinction of Bio-Diversity
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Essay Contents:
- Essay on the Introduction to the Extinction of Biodiversity
- Essay on Earth and Its Resources
- Essay on Destruction of Bio-Diversity
- Essay on Mexico’s Forest Fire: The Loss of Bio-Diversity
- Essay on Save Mexican Turtles: A Sensitive Ecosystem
- Essay on Sensitive Bio-Diversity of Madagascar
- Essay on Protecting the Amazon Rain Forests
- Essay on the Medicine from Ecuadorian Frogs
- Essay on Export-Import of Wildlife
Essay # 1. Introduction to the Extinction of Biodiversity:
Once the earth was full of forests, green plants and wild animals but sudden rise and fall in temperature vanished away everything including small plants. A large number of the species of fauna and flora found there also vanished away.
It is believed that in the initial stage, the bio-diversity was in fragile and evolutionary state. Bio-diversity means biological diversity. It includes various species of plants, trees, herbs, mammals, reptiles, orthopoda, birds and other marine species in the ocean. These are considered a part of thriving biodiversity. There is a great difference in forest bio-diversity and marine bio-diversity.
Four and half billion years ago when this earth came into existence, it was hot in the initial stage. Life originated after 3.5 billion years. There was a little bio-diversity on the earth and ocean as it took millions of years to develop life. The unicellular animals and plants came into existence first. The unicellular plants came first into existence into the sea. It was a big change in the planet. First of all, it is necessary to study the origin of life on earth and the sea.
According to the experts of earth science there was no life when the earth came into existence. It was a sphere of hot mud. The scientific estimation of the earth’s coming into existence is considered 4500 million years ago. At the initial stage the earth was young and various changes occurred on it.
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Due to various geological changes it went through several hotter and cooler stages. The life began to develop in it only when it became cool and suitable for the evolution of life. After millions of years of natural changes, the animals and plants came into existence through evolution.
The earth had air, water and minerals. It got energy from the sun. Air was full of gases which included carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen (CHON); these were the essential elements to develop life on the earth. First of all, life originated in water. Once, a unicellular animal came into existence it began multiplying by itself, giving rise to more and more life on sea and earth.
Early life was simple and fragile in structure. One reason was that it was unicellular like amoeba or bacteria. It was a big change when the life developed on earth and sea. The plants had chlorophyll which made food in the presence of light. Chlorophyll is a green substance in the leaves which makes foods for plants, in presence of sunlight. With the formation of chlorophyll, algae and several other multi cellular organisms came into existence and they got widespread in sea water.
On land, life came into existence at a very later stage. This was an important change on earth. Life on earth evolved into the forms of mosses, ferns and the flowering plants on the one side and the amphibian reptiles, Aves and mammals on the other side. It is believed that man came into existence only recently.
Essay # 2. The Earth and Its Resources:
Air, water, soil and mineral are the major resources for life upon the earth. The earth receives the right amount of life and heat (energy) from the sun. Green plants synthesise food with the help of water, CO2, minerals and sunlight into the form of energy. The food is made available to all the living organisms.
Surprisingly, there are multiplicities of trees and plants and animals over this earth. Food was synthesised by the plants as much more than what is being consumed. Over a period of millions of years, the earth became a great reservoir of animals and plant bodies, dead and living. Every animal and plant species has its own life cycle of existence over this earth.
On earth, there are several species of wild animals, plants and forests which we name the fauna and flora of a particular region. This we call bio-diversity or biological-diversity. Biodiversity also includes microorganisms, tiny plants. They also contain the genes and ecosystems and help in building a living environment.
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The bio-diversity we see on earth and ocean today is the end result of four billions years of the evolution of life. Since the creation of earth and till today several plants and animals came into existence and died after completing their life cycle. Some of the plants and animals died young as they faced drought or global warming in this period. It means we have lost a great portion of bio-diversity from this earth.
How much bio-diversity is there! Our combined knowledge is limited in support of this question. We have knowledge about some ecosystems on the earth because we described and invented them. We know a very small fraction about the total bio-diversity on this planet.
We know this planet is a vast kingdom of wild animals and plant life. It is estimated that there are 1 crore to 8 crore plants and animal species on this earth and among them 14 million species are known to scientists.
We know very little about the genetic variability within species. We can save a few hundred species of plants and animals of commercial or scientific importance. When we destroy our natural areas or forest land, we can preserve these species for a longer period.
Essay # 3. Destruction of Bio-Diversity:
The bio-diversity includes, plants, herbs, insects, butterflies, grasshoppers, mantis, wild birds, rabbits, foxes, tigers, bears, snakes, lizards and several other herbs and animals useful to man and its environment. Our life is dependent on it.
Bio-diversity provides ecosystem stability, biological production (everything we eat) hence economic stability, medicines, housing material – woods, clothing and fuel. Biodiversity is also the basis for religions, cultures and aesthetic values of various communities over this planet. Sometimes, we condemn other species to extinction either through neglect or because they stand into our way! We have wiped out them from the planet for our vested interests.
The freshwater ecosystem is also in danger! The main reason of the loss of the bio-diversity is the expansion of human population. The end result of almost all human activity sooner or later affects a fresh water ecosystem e.g. a brook, river, pond or lake. The impact can either be diverted in the form of habitat destruction, or indirect, via the air or water precipitation.
The type of threat differs from the site, but may be divided into four broad categories:
i. Habitat degradation
ii. Water quality degradation
iii. Introduction of exotic species
iv. Over fishing or over exploitation of the resources.
The first two factors are the principal sources of loss of bio-diversity in aquatic ecosystems.
The most important causes of the loss of the bio-diversity are loss of habitat or destruction from clearing and burning of forests, draining and filling of wetlands, lakes and streams, and converting natural ecosystems for agriculture industry and human settlement in the larger scale.
Loss of Habitats:
The main reason of the loss of the biodiversity is the loss of ancient trees, forests and dwarf, bush- which an ideal habitats for the wild animals i.e. mammals, birds, reptiles and orthopoda (insects, caterpillar, grasshopper, mantis, butterflies and crawling centipedes) etc.
For Example:
We have lost a fine cover of ancient forests from the earth. These forests were the habitats of several wild animals and small plants and trees. We have lost a part of rain forests of Amazonia. These forests are being cleared at a greater speed.
At present, 4 million kilometers square forest area is in danger as 16 lakh kilometer square forest lands have already been destroyed by the timber companies. The expansion of agriculture, urbanisation, and the forest settlers has destroyed a large part of the forests in Amazonia wilderness of Brazil.
One fifth of the world’s amazing bird species are found here in the rain forests. Among the most impressive birds are water birds, red parrots, and pigeons. The most beautiful song birds are found is the deep forests of Amazon.
According to a report published in conservation newsletter, the rain forests in Amazonia are continuously on the verge of decrease. By 1990, 27 percent of the forests equal to 16,800 square kilometers were cleared for various purposes. Since 1972, about 13.3 percent of entire Amazon forests (532068 sq. kilometers) have been lost.
These figures could be underestimated as 15,000 square kilometers land is destroyed every year by the logging staff’s vehicles and other heavy machines. The satellite cameras from space do not catch less than 6 hectares of land. In this way, most of the areas of the cleared forests remain unaccounted.
It is estimated that by now 20 lakh square kilometers of rain forests of Amazonia have been cleared by some timber companies or government agencies for agricultural development or settlement of the population at a larger scale.
Essay # 4. Mexico’s Forest Fire: The Loss of Bio-Diversity:
There are regular reports of Mexico forests catching fire in the month of September. Every year there are some sensitive forest areas which catch fire and cause a lot of damage to the trees, plants and various species of wild animals.
In 1998, in the first six months, the fire burnt approximately zero square kilometers of forests in Mexico in rich forest areas. Most of the fire is caught to have been caused by farming preparatory practices, including slash-and-burn agriculture.
In some cases, fires were deliberately set to provide changes in land use. The plan identifies 85 priority forests, covering a total of 1880 square kilometers in 21 and 32 Mexican states. These forests have been described as the sites of “Ecological Restoration” and will be subject to a legal status that brings change in land use and enables the Ministry of Environment to develop and implement forest recovery plan for each other.
Essay # 5. Save Mexican Turtles: A Sensitive Ecosystem:
The conservationists around the world are protesting against the Government’s plan to sell the most beautiful beach Quintana Roo to develop the beach for personal purpose.
This beach is a haven for Green turtle chelsnia mydas and loggerhead turtle caretta ceretta- nesting. After an international outcry on the Quitana Roo state beach but this does not satisfy the concerns of conservationists. Green Peace filed a lawsuit against one of the buyers – Sol Melia, a Spanish hotel chain. During the building of Fences and paths, Sol Melia destroyed species protected by Mexican laws.
Such alertness and awareness shown by some NGOS the world over is gaining momentum among the scholars, intellectuals and masses.
Essay # 6. Sensitive Bio-Diversity of Madagascar:
Gentle Lemur:
This is a peaceful noctunal monkey like animal found in the rain forests of Madagascar. This animal is known as Alaotran gentle lemur cimper lemur griseus alaotrensis. This is an important endemic animal of Madagascar forests whose population has fallen by 30 percent.
The Durell Wildlife Conservation Trust is tackling the problem through mass awareness programme among the various forest communities.
Essay # 7. Protecting the Amazon Rain Forests:
The rain forests in the world are on the verge of destruction. These forests are the largest wonderful wilderness in the world. The Amazonia inhabits the two third rain forests of the world. The rain forests in the world are a home for a large number of birds, mammals, reptiles and insects. One fifth of world’s bird species live in the vast forests of Amazonia.
A large portion of these forests is being felled by the logging crew of timber companies of Brazil. Forest fire is also a big reason for the destruction of trees and wildlife of these forests.
Some species of wild animals are on the verge of extinction because of loss of rain forests. The destruction of habitats and loss of wetlands are the major reasons for the disappearance of wildlife. Four states of Brazil have published a list of endangered wild animals.
The list has mentioned 257 important species i.e. 3 Cnidaria (coelentrates), 7 molluscas, 13 crustaceans, 47 insects, 1 Diplopoda, 39 fresh water fishes, 9 marine fishes, 4 amphibians, 9 reptiles, 82 birds and 43 mammals.
The first state to draw up a list was Parana which prepared a list in February 1995. Followed by Mines Gerais in January 1996 and Sao Paulo in February 1998 and the last was Rio de Janeiro.
Essay # 8. Medicine from Ecuadorian Frogs:
Some wild animals are beings used as medicine by some advanced countries.
The populations of poison dart frogs in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador may get extinct if the frogs are continually exported to USA to extract medicine from them. This will automatically lower the population of poison dart frogs (poison arrow). These frogs of Dendrobates species are found only in the foothills of the Ecuadorian Andes. Two Ecuadorian Environmental organizations explained that 750 poison dart frogs were taken into USA in 1996 without any permission from Ecuadorian Government. This is against the international wild life rules. Such illegal smuggling of frogs will endanger the dart frog species in the Andes.
The US based pharmaceutical company Abbot Laboratory is responsible for this illegal import of Dart frogs from the Andes. This laboratory has developed a painkiller from the dart frogs. This pain killer has no side effects, whose active ingredients are derived from the poison secreted by the poison- dart frogs.
The Ecuadorian authorities want to gain economic benefits from the Abbots Laboratory Project earnings from the new analgesic (ABT-594) and have led Ecuador to seek benefit from Abbot’s discovery but Ecuador has no legal means for this because the USA has not ratified international conventions dealing with biological resources.
This is one big reason for the extinction of wildlife from the Andes. The 750 dart frogs are a big population which took years to exist there. USA has been importing a large number of plants and wild animals from the South East Asian Nations also and has been exporting them for the purpose of economic benefits.
Essay # 9. Export-Import of Wildlife:
USA is the largest trader of reptiles. It has been proved by some international agencies like International Environmental Agency, UK and Fauma and Flora International UK that USA is the largest trader of wild animals in the world. There are vast pools, ranches, farm houses and private zoos in USA where some rich people breed and export some species of wild animals including some reptiles.
A report below explains the reality of importing and exporting of the reptiles:
The number of wild animals and reptiles has increased many folds. But a report of Traffic North America, September 1998 explains this fact more authentically. USA is the largest trader of live reptiles in the world.
Between 1983 and 1992, the US trade in live reptiles increased nearly twenty fold and jumped from 28 percent to 82 percent of the global market.
More than 2.5 million live reptiles were imported in 1995 and in 1996 the USA exported or re-exported 9.5 million reptiles, primarily to Europe and East Asian countries. The reptile trade principally supplies the pet industry as well as growing food market.