Why is biodiversity so important? - Kim Preshoff

00:04:19
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_vRtHJZu4

Summary

TLDRThe video discusses the vulnerability of ecosystems to collapse despite their apparent stability. It emphasizes the importance of biodiversity—composed of ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity—in fostering resilience against environmental changes. Using examples like the Amazon rainforest and coral reefs, it explains how interconnected species support ecosystem stability. The loss of biodiversity, particularly keystone species, can have catastrophic effects on ecosystems. Ultimately, the video argues that biodiversity is crucial not just for ecosystems but also for human survival, offering a safety net against unpredictable future challenges.

Takeaways

  • 🌍 Ecosystems are vulnerable to collapse despite their diversity.
  • 🌱 Biodiversity consists of ecosystem, species, and genetic diversity.
  • 🌳 The Amazon rainforest exemplifies high biodiversity and resilience.
  • 🪴 Coral reefs are critical ecosystems dependent on keystone species.
  • 🐠 Loss of keystone species can threaten entire ecosystems.
  • 🌊 Ocean acidification and pollution are significant threats to marine life.
  • 🦋 Genetic diversity helps species adapt to changes and survive.
  • 🤝 Humans are interconnected with biodiversity and depend on healthy ecosystems.
  • 🔄 Ecosystems vary in their capacity to recover from disturbances.
  • 🔒 Protecting biodiversity is essential for our future survival.

Timeline

  • 00:00:00 - 00:04:19

    Ecosystems are fragile despite their seemingly permanent presence, with biodiversity being a key factor in their resilience. Biodiversity consists of ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity; the stronger their interrelationship, the more resilient the ecosystem. The Amazon rainforest exemplifies this diversity with its complex ecosystems and interdependent species, each supporting the others. Loss of a single species may not collapse resilient systems like the rainforest, but in fragile ecosystems like coral reefs, the loss of keystone species can have catastrophic effects, threatening the entire biodiversity network. This interconnection highlights the necessity of biodiversity for the survival of all organisms, including humans, effectively serving as a safety net for our future.

Mind Map

Video Q&A

  • What is biodiversity?

    Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in an ecosystem, including ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and genetic diversity.

  • Why is biodiversity important?

    Biodiversity ensures the stability and resilience of ecosystems, helping them cope with changes and disturbances.

  • What happens if a species is removed from an ecosystem?

    The impact varies; in biodiverse ecosystems like rainforests, one species removal may not lead to collapse, but in less diverse systems, it can undermine stability.

  • What are keystone species?

    Keystone species are critical to the survival of many other species in an ecosystem; their removal can lead to significant ecological disruption.

  • How does genetic diversity affect ecosystems?

    Genetic diversity helps species adapt to changes, reducing vulnerability to climate change, disease, and habitat loss.

  • What threats face ecosystems today?

    Ecosystems face threats from climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, and destructive practices like overfishing.

  • How is human well-being linked to biodiversity?

    Humans depend on healthy ecosystems for resources and services; loss of biodiversity can threaten our health and livelihood.

  • Can ecosystems recover from changes?

    Yes, but the capacity to recover varies among ecosystems, largely depending on their biodiversity.

  • What is ocean acidification?

    Ocean acidification is the reduction in pH levels of ocean waters, often caused by increased CO2 absorption, affecting marine life.

  • What can be done to protect biodiversity?

    Conservation efforts, sustainable practices, and reducing pollution are vital to protect and promote biodiversity.

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  • 00:00:06
    Our planet's diverse thriving ecosystems may seem like permanent fixtures,
  • 00:00:11
    but they're actually vulnerable to collapse.
  • 00:00:15
    Jungles can become deserts,
  • 00:00:17
    and reefs can become lifeless rocks,
  • 00:00:19
    even without cataclysmic events, like volcanoes and asteroids.
  • 00:00:23
    What makes one ecosystem strong and another weak in the face of change?
  • 00:00:28
    The answer, to a large extent, is biodiversity.
  • 00:00:32
    Biodiversity is built out of three intertwined features:
  • 00:00:35
    ecosystem diversity,
  • 00:00:37
    species diversity,
  • 00:00:39
    and genetic diversity.
  • 00:00:41
    The more intertwining there is between these features,
  • 00:00:44
    the denser and more resilient the weave becomes.
  • 00:00:48
    Take the Amazon rainforest,
  • 00:00:50
    one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth
  • 00:00:53
    due to its complex ecosystems,
  • 00:00:55
    huge mix of species,
  • 00:00:57
    and the genetic variety within those species.
  • 00:00:59
    Here are tangled liana vines,
  • 00:01:01
    which crawl up from the forest floor to the canopy,
  • 00:01:04
    intertwining with treetops
  • 00:01:07
    and growing thick wooden stems that support these towering trees.
  • 00:01:11
    Helped along by the vines,
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    trees provide the seeds, fruits and leaves to herbivores,
  • 00:01:16
    such as the tapir and the agouti,
  • 00:01:19
    which disperse their seeds throughout the forest so they can grow.
  • 00:01:23
    Leftovers are consumed by the millions of insects
  • 00:01:26
    that decompose and recycle nutrients to create rich soil.
  • 00:01:30
    The rainforest is a huge system filled with many smaller systems, like this,
  • 00:01:34
    each packed with interconnected species.
  • 00:01:38
    Every link provides stability to the next,
  • 00:01:40
    strengthening biodiversity's weave.
  • 00:01:43
    That weave is further reinforced
  • 00:01:45
    by the genetic diversity within individual species,
  • 00:01:48
    which allows them to cope with changes.
  • 00:01:51
    Species that lack genetic diversity due to isolation
  • 00:01:54
    or low population numbers,
  • 00:01:56
    are much more vulnerable to fluctuations
  • 00:01:58
    caused by climate change, disease or habitat fragmentation.
  • 00:02:03
    Whenever a species disappears because of its weakened gene pool,
  • 00:02:06
    a knot is untied and parts of the net disintegrate.
  • 00:02:10
    So, what if we were to remove one species from the rainforest?
  • 00:02:14
    Would the system fall apart?
  • 00:02:16
    Probably not.
  • 00:02:18
    The volume of species,
  • 00:02:19
    their genetic diversity,
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    and the complexity of the ecosystems
  • 00:02:23
    form such rich biodiversity in this forest
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    that one species gap in the weave won't cause it to unravel.
  • 00:02:30
    The forest can stay resilient and recover from change.
  • 00:02:34
    But that's not true in every case.
  • 00:02:36
    In some environments, taking away just one important component
  • 00:02:40
    can undermine the entire system.
  • 00:02:42
    Take coral reefs, for instance.
  • 00:02:44
    Many organisms in a reef are dependent on the coral.
  • 00:02:48
    It provides key microhabitats, shelter and breeding grounds
  • 00:02:51
    for thousand of species of fish, crustaceans and mollusks.
  • 00:02:56
    Corals also form interdependent relationships with fungi and bacteria.
  • 00:03:01
    The coral itself is a loom
  • 00:03:02
    that allows the tangled net of biodiversity to be woven.
  • 00:03:07
    That makes coral a keystone organism,
  • 00:03:09
    one that many others depend on for their suvival.
  • 00:03:12
    So what happens when destructive fishing practices,
  • 00:03:15
    pollution and ocean acidification
  • 00:03:18
    weaken coral or even kill it altogether?
  • 00:03:21
    Exactly what you might think.
  • 00:03:23
    The loss of this keystone species leaves its dependents at a loss, too,
  • 00:03:28
    threatening the entire fabric of the reef.
  • 00:03:31
    Ecosystem, species and genetic diversity
  • 00:03:34
    together form the complex tangled weave of biodiversity
  • 00:03:37
    that is vital for the survival of organisms on Earth.
  • 00:03:41
    We humans are woven into this biodiversity, too.
  • 00:03:44
    When just a few strands are lost,
  • 00:03:46
    our own well-being is threatened.
  • 00:03:49
    Cut too many links, and we risk unraveling it all.
  • 00:03:52
    What the future brings is unpredictable,
  • 00:03:55
    but biodiversity can give us an insurance policy,
  • 00:03:58
    Earth's own safety net to safeguard our survival.
Tags
  • biodiversity
  • ecosystem diversity
  • species diversity
  • genetic diversity
  • Amazon rainforest
  • coral reefs
  • keystone species
  • environmental change
  • ecosystem resilience
  • human well-being