Species diversity is the amount of different species of animals, plants and fungi that live in an ecosystem, all of whom have adapted to their environment and have a niche, or role to play in that environment. With empty niches, an ecosystem could not exist. Species diversity is also a reflection on the environment; the more species there are, the healthier that environment is. Ecosystems are the support of all life, carrying unique species and habitats. If that support is destroyed, the species dependent on that ecosystem will perish.
In the present time, human activities are threatening biodiversity most of all. Acts such as deforestation, pollution, and the hunt and trade of endangered species, hurts biodiversity and the environments that need it. A scenario such as upstate New York with its many species of butterflies can demonstrate if biodiversity weakened in that area. The many species of butterflies in the area help pollinate and speed up the reproduction of plants. If some butterfly species were to go extinct the pollination process would slow down as there are now fewer butterflies and butterfly species to carry out the process of maintaining the environment.
It is important that we try to maintain biodiversity as best we can. It has the benefits of ensuring adaptation in the face of environmental changes, keeping useful organisms in healthy supply, and simply keeps the planet we live on habitable. There are still many species we have not discovered yet and they may hold keys to a new wonder drug, a process that may help conserve energy, anything. Without biodiversity, the Earth would just a giant wasteland, the oceans just as empty, and that is not a world we should live in.
by Kevin, student at FMS