Telangana TSBIE TS Inter 1st Year Environmental Education Study Material 14th Lesson Significance of Biodiversity Textbook Questions and Answers.
TS Inter 1st Year Environmental Education Study Material 14th Lesson Significance of Biodiversity
Essay Questions
Question 1.
Write an essay on benefits or significance of Biodiversity.
Answer:
Biodiversity provides the fundamental building blocks for the many goods and services man derives from the environment. These include things that are essential to health, like clean air, fresh water, and food products. Our clothes, medicines, fuels and homes are dependent on the resources of the biosphere. When ecosystems are intact, biological processes are preserved. These processes include the nutrient and water cycles, photosynthesis and the food chain, all of which are necessary for the sustenance of life. The more the microbe, plant, insect and animal species there are in an area, the greater the biodiversity and the healthier the ecosystem. Conversely, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the loss of biodiversity would result in the loss of all forms of life.
Given below are some of the ways in which man benefits from biodiversity :
Benefits of Biodiversity :
i. Consumptive Use Value :
This refers to the value that can be assigned to natural products that are directly used for food, fodder, timber, fuel woods etc. They are consumed in small amounts to meet daily needs. Many people around the world still depend on wild species to fulfill their needs such as food, shelter and clothing. Forest products, vegetables and fruits are consumed by many tribes.
ii. Productive Use Value :
This refers to the value that can be assigned to commercially harvested and marketed ‘produce’ of plants and animals. Almost all the present agricultural crops have originated from wild varieties. Wild species of plants are used to develop new, better yielding varieties of plants which are cultivated on a commercial scale. Large scale cultivation and marketing of rice, wheat, maize, vegetables and fruits are examples of the productive use value of biodiversity.
Animal foods like milk, meat and eggs are consumed by people throughout the world. Other animal products, such as tusks of elephants, are used for decorative purposes, while wool from sheep and silk from silkworms are used to clothe the body.
iii. Economic Value :
Plants and animals are useful, not only as food, but in several other ways too. Many industries such as the paper industry, textile industry, leather industry and pearl industry are dependent on the commercial values of plants, trees, animals and marine life. Fuel sources like coal, oil and natural gas have their origin due to biodiversity. Many important chemicals and dyes are extracted from various plants and animals.
Many medicines, such as quinine, opium, codeine and cortisone are derived from plants and animal by – products. Some are recreational drugs like marijuana. It is quite likely that several new medicines will be derived from plants and animals in the future too.
iv. Educational and Scientific Value :
Our understanding of life is greatly enhanced by the study of living organisms, their interactions with each other and the environment. We have gained much insight about various human systems and their functioning by studying other organisms, both in their natural habitat as well as in controlled conditions in the laboratory. Fruit flies, worms, frogs, dogs and monkeys are routinely used in biological experiments. Guinea pigs have been largely replaced by mice in laboratories but they are still used to study diseases like diabetes, T.B and scurvy, v.
v. Aesthetic and recreational value :
The majesty of the mountains, the refreshing fragrance of flowers, the softness of moss, and the melodious songs of birds are some of the things in nature which soothe the senses and uplift the spirit. Human beings derive great joy from various forms of biodiversity. Botanical and zoological gardens are means of biodiversity conservation and are of aesthetic value.
Biodiversity is also a significant source of leisure activities. It is a focal point for tourism and all kinds of recreational’ activities. People enjoy going for a holiday to a sea resort or a mountain resort. They take delight in rock climbing, sea surfing, river rafting, jungle safaris and ocean cruises. Bird watching, having pets and keeping an aquarium are other expressions of the aesthetic value we derive from biodiversity.
vi. Ethical value :
Biodiversity must be seen in the light of ethical values. Since man is the most intelligent living organism, it should be his prime responsibility and moral obligation to protect other organisms. Biodiversity encourages man to adopt the attitude ‘Live and Let Live’ and to accept that every species of life,, whether useful or not to man, has the right to exist. Laws are being framed to protect man from destroying biodiversity. For instance there are No – Construction Zones, protected forest areas, and wild life sanctuaries.
vii. Inspiration for Scientific Inventions / Biomimicry :
Living organisms provide inspiration for engineers seeking better and more efficient products. This field, known as biomimicry, involves the design and production of materials and systems that are modelled on biological processes. For example, shark skin provided the model for hydrodynamic swimming suits. The glue used by sandcastle worms (Phra- gmatopomacalifornica) to cement together their sand particle shells was the inspiration for a glue that mends fractured bones in the aqueous internal environment of the body. Scientists are using the chemical nature of spider’s silk to design strong, lightweight fibre.
viii. Ecosystem Service Value :
Biodiversity is indispensable for the maintenance of ecological balance. Ecosystems in nature sustain soil fertility, cycle nutrients, prevent soil erosion, fix nitrogen and serve several such functions which are vital for the existence of life. Without the water cycle, for instance, there would be no rains and, consequently, no crops or drinking water. Life itself would come to an end. Any disturbance in the delicately fabricated ecological balance maintained by different organisms can lead to calamities like drought, floods and famine and may threaten the survival of life on the planet.
ix. Cultural and Spiritual Value :
Many cultural practices and ceremonies in India are associated with biodiversity. For example, the tulasi plant and banyan tree are venerated in India. Mango leaves are used for decoration on auspicious occasions, Mehandi is applied by ladies on their palms and hands during social ceremonies. Animals like the cow, snake, bull and owl hold a special place in Indian socio-cultural life, religion and mythology.
