The biodiversity of an area is literally the number of species, both plant and animal, inhabiting the environment being examined. The species that are unable to adapt to environmental changes become extinct. This reduces biodiversity. Biodiversity has direct economic benefits to people. - Besides food, living things provide us with many different products, such as fibers, paper, and timber. - Living things are an invaluable source of medical drugs. - Amphibian species may warn us of toxins in the environment. - Wild organisms maintain a valuable pool of genetic... Show more The biodiversity of an area is literally the number of species, both plant and animal, inhabiting the environment being examined. The species that are unable to adapt to environmental changes become extinct. This reduces biodiversity. Biodiversity has direct economic benefits to people. - Besides food, living things provide us with many different products, such as fibers, paper, and timber. - Living things are an invaluable source of medical drugs. - Amphibian species may warn us of toxins in the environment. - Wild organisms maintain a valuable pool of genetic variation. This is important because most domestic species have been bred to be genetically uniform. - Living things provide inspiration for technology. For example, water strider insects have helped engineers develop tiny robots that can walk on water. Biodiversity is also important for healthy ecosystems. It generally increases ecosystem productivity and stability. It also helps ensure that at least some species will survive environmental change. Biodiversity provides many additional ecosystem services. - Plants and algae maintain Earth's atmosphere. They add oxygen to the air and remove carbon dioxide when they undertake photosynthesis. - Plants help protect the soil. Their roots grip the soil and keep it from washing or blowing away. When plants die, their organic matter improves the soil as it decomposes. - Microorganisms purify water in rivers and lakes, decompose organic matter, and return nutrients to the soil. Certain bacteria fix nitrogen and make it available to plants. - Predator species such as birds and spiders control insect pests. They reduce the need for chemical pesticides, which are expensive and may be harmful to human beings and other organisms. - Animals including bees and bats pollinate flowering plants. Many crop plants depend on pollination by wild animals. Show less
The biodiversity of an area is literally the number of species, both plant and animal, inhabiting the environment being examined. The species that are unable to adapt to environmental changes become extinct. This reduces biodiversity.
Biodiversity has direct economic benefits to people. - Besides food, living things provide us with many different products, such as fibers, paper, and timber. - Living things are an invaluable source of medical drugs. - Amphibian species may warn us of toxins in the environment. - Wild organisms maintain a valuable pool of genetic variation. This is important because most domestic species have been bred to be genetically uniform. - Living things provide inspiration for technology. For example, water strider insects have helped engineers develop tiny robots that can walk on water. Biodiversity is also important for healthy ecosystems. It generally increases ecosystem productivity and stability. It also helps ensure that at least some species will survive environmental change. Biodiversity provides many additional ecosystem services. - Plants and algae maintain Earth's atmosphere. They add oxygen to the air and remove carbon dioxide when they undertake photosynthesis. - Plants help protect the soil. Their roots grip the soil and keep it from washing or blowing away. When plants die, their organic matter improves the soil as it decomposes. - Microorganisms purify water in rivers and lakes, decompose organic matter, and return nutrients to the soil. Certain bacteria fix nitrogen and make it available to plants. - Predator species such as birds and spiders control insect pests. They reduce the need for chemical pesticides, which are expensive and may be harmful to human beings and other organisms. - Animals including bees and bats pollinate flowering plants. Many crop plants depend on pollination by wild animals.
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