Biomes and Biodiversity Essays

Biomes and Biodiversity Essays Biomes and Biodiversity Paper Biomes and Biodiversity Paper Preserving a representative sample of the biomes or aquatic zones can be considered if certain issues are kept in mind.   Often these species are functionally active, require a lot of space, are diverse, and contain vulnerable sections of the population. An experiment was conducted byBeazley et al (2003) to determine the effect of protecting small representative samples in the forests of Maine and Nova of North America.   Some species such as the wolves, river otters, wood turtles, Atlantic salmon, etc were able to multiply, whereas others were unable to do so extensively.   Each species being developed would have individual issues which need to be determined through a quantitative analysis and examination, and addressed through effective interventions.   Only if humans are aware of these individual problems should they strive to protect a greater representative population (Beazley, 2004). The rate of extinction of various species is very high currently.   It is being said that extinction of species is occurring in a similar manner as that occurred during the Cretaceous and the Tertiary ages (about 65 million years ago), when the dinosaurs and several other species perished.   The loss of species and diversity can adversely affect man. The global ecological changes that are occurring currently are irreversible.   Whenever a small area in the world is being deforested and converted into human settlements, there are huge chances that significant numbers of several species are lost.   In the Amazon, huge amount of forests are converted into settlements, resulting in loss of several animal and insect species.   Insect are being lost at thousand times the rate they would have in nature (Stanford University, 1997). Birds are also getting extinct at a fast rate.   Usually, with no human intervention, about one bird species would be lost every century.   However with human activity, about 500 species of birds are lost over the last 500 years, and especially in the 21st century, about 10 species of birds would be lost every year. Humans are more concerned about bird species and hence intense studies are being conducted to determine the manner in which bird species are becoming extinct.   Birds are currently undergoing extinction 100 times more quickly than would have otherwise occurred in nature.   There is a huge probability that other groups of species may be undergoing faster extinction compared to birds.   Some of the common other causes that would result in extinction of species includes selective hunting, introduction of alien species, global warming, mining and extensive fishing, habitat destruction, etc (Duke University, 2005). References: Beazley, K. (2004). A systematic approach for selecting focal species for conservation in the forests of Nova Scotia and Maine, Environmental Conservation, 31(2):91-101. http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=onlineaid=236317 Duke University – News Communications (2005). Birds Going Extinct Faster Due to Human Activities, Retrieved June 5, 2009, from Web site: dukenews.duke.edu/2006/07/nobirds._print.ht University of Stanford (1997). Biodiversity and Extinction Rates, Retrieved June 5, 2009, from Web site: http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/progress/biodiversity.html