|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
>Tips for Success
|
|
Michigan dnr > wildlife viewing guide > ecology: biodiversity
Biodiversity: The Spice of Life
The variety of life on earth is incredible. There may be as many
as 30 million total species, yet scientists have discovered fewer than 2
million so far. Individual animals within any one of these species may have
different sizes, colors, and behaviors. Why is Conserving Biodiversity Important?“The first rule of intelligent tinkering
is to save all the parts.”* Anyone who has taken something apart and then
tried to reassemble it knows this t
*Aldo Leopold, A Sand
|
|||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||
In
its basic form, biodiversity refers to the variety of native plants, animals,
and other living organisms that inhabit the earth. Some people like to think
of biodiversity as another word for nature. 
A wide diversity of species 
All
of these factors contribute to the earth’s biodiversity—the variety of life.
If
this is true for machines—if a missing cog or belt can render a car’s engine
useless—how much more might a missing organism affect the health of an
ecosystem whose complexity is overwhelming? 
Conservation of
the earth’s biodiversity must be a primary concern for all people, for when
biodiversity is destroyed—at any of its levels—”tune-ups” and “replacement
parts” are not available.