Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience

10 Key excerpts on "Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience"

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  Biodiversity and Biotechnology

  • Preethi Kartan(Author)
  • 2019(Publication Date)
  • Delve Publishing

    (Publisher)

  An Introduction to Biodiversity 3 ecosystems both aquatic and terrestrial, within a specified area. Biological diversity basically deals with the level of variety of nature in the biosphere. This variety can easily be observed at three distinct levels as the genetic variability in a species, the diversity of species in a community, and the organization of species in an area into the typical plant as well as animal community’s create ecosystem diversity. Biodiversity comprises a huge distinction within as well as between species of the living organisms. Each of the living species links together to further form the complex system. This is basically considered as a significant tool of biodiversity. Species is usually known as the group of individuals who has the ability to reproduce similar species in the very next generation. Generally, biological diversity comprises all kinds of natural habitats with the availability of certain species. The diversity of variety in ecosystem consists of species diversity, ecosystem diversity and habitat diversity. The interactive relation between biota and environment forms a complex system in nature. Figure 1.1: Meaning of Biodiversity. Source: https://eco-globe.com/general-meaning-of-biodiversity/ Biodiversity and Biotechnology 4 Level of pollution, changes in climate, the structure as well as the composition of vegetation, etc. are significant factors involved in the function and structure of such kind of system. Compliance of few species is a notable character essential quality of the species that basically support them to survive in particular climatic condition, and playing a major role in the species survival. Variation of species is basically determined by the consequence of gene activity. This is generally regulated by the availability of various environmental facilities present for the species, group of species or by the association of individual species making a population structure.

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  Environmental Biotechnology

  • M. H. Fulekar(Author)
  • 2010(Publication Date)
  • CRC Press

    (Publisher)

  The convention on biological diversity defines biodiversity as: “the variability among living organisms from all sources, including inter alia terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part, this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems . ” 2.1 BIODIVERSITY Biodiversity (L: bias = life; diversitas = variety) the variety that exists among organisms and their environments. Biodiversity is a better word than biological diversity, which literally means variety in the knowledge of life. The term, short for biological diversity, is used mainly by scientists, conservationists and others interested in the study, protection and sustainable use of living things (Gaston and Spicer 2004). The United Nations define biodiversity as the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part (Wilson 1992). It includes diversity within species (genetic diversity), between species (species diversity), and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity). It provides mankind with a wide range of benefits, such as important goods (like timber and medicinal products) and essential services (like carbon cycling and storage, clean water, climate and natural hazards mitigation). Diversity is one of nature’s important strategies to create stable ecosystems. CHAPTER CHAPTER BIODIVERSITY 2 Nature’s strategies for resistance are: over- capacity + replication + diversity + connectivity (functionality) + adaptability. It achieves this by genetic variation and by recording successful information in species and ecosystems. Nature’s biodiversity corresponds to the sciences of genetics + ecology + biogeography.

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  Environmental Science for Beginners

  • Shalinee Naidoo(Author)
  • 2023(Publication Date)
  • Delve Publishing

    (Publisher)

  BIODIVERSITY CHAPTER22 WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY? The Earth is home to a variety of life forms which in essence form the product of billions of years of evolution. From the tiniest of animals to the largest of species, the Earth holds a rich source of interconnected and interdependent life forms. The air we breathe, the water we drink and food that we consume are fundamental to our existence however these life-supporting factors depend on a host of interactions from various different animals, plants and microscopic life forms. All of these together form an intricate web of life that provides a host of ecological, economic and aesthetic benefits to man and the environment. This variety of species from all sources of life be it terrestrial, marine or other as well as the ecological processes of which they form a part of, are known as biological diversity or more commonly, biodiversity. In fact, biodiversity is commonly defined as a scientific concept that has been developed to embrace all living things, including humans. In essence, biodiversity refers to the variety of life in all its forms together with a host of natural processes that support and connect life forms at all levels. Therefore preserving all these forms of life is essential to maintaining our own quality of life as humans. Three levels of biodiversity are commonly defined, namely genetic diversity, species diversity and natural (or ecosystem) diversity. Genetic diversity commonly refers to the different genes contained in living species. It is more colloquially referred to as the raw materials that permit species to Environmental Science for Beginners 220 adapt to such a rapidly changing world, regardless of the type of changes that occur. These changes can either be as a result of natural factors or human factors.

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  Biodiversity

  • Christian Lévêque, Jean-Claude Mounolou(Authors)
  • 2004(Publication Date)
  • Wiley

    (Publisher)

  These qual- ities are much more difficult to quantify than specific richness. Under these circumstances, it is not so easy to predict how a system will behave in the event of a gain or loss of species (cf. the drivers’ and passengers’ hypothesis); . Interactions among species may generate positive or negative feed- back at the ecosystem level that combines with previous effects. Given the complexity and variability of the interactions involved, these effects are usually difficult to establish; nevertheless, the importance of such processes should not be disregarded. Particularly in food chains, changes in one functional group may have important consequences for the dynamics and production of other functional groups (see, for example, the theory of trophic cascades). All these studies point to the conclusion that a greater biological diversity is more favourable to the production and stability of ecosystems and helps to ensure the perpetuation of the cycles of matter and energy. Ecologists have long held this to be true – a conviction that echoes traditional rural beliefs. 114 5 BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND FUNCTIONING 5. 8 Biological Diversity and the ‘Stability’ of Ecosystems The term ‘stability’ is highly contested. It derives from the idea that an ecosystem has a structure and mode of functioning that endure over time, at least on the time scale of human beings. Persistence and perman- ence are terms sometimes employed to characterize ecological systems that maintain themselves in this fashion without significant modifications. The term resilience (or homeostasis) refers to the capacity of an ecosystem to recover its primitive structure after having been subjected to a disturbance. The question of the relationship between biological diversity and the resilience or stability of ecosystems has been much debated. One more or less intuitive postulate holds that the more diversified an ecosystem is, the more stable it will be.

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  Biodiversity in Canada

  Ecology, Ideas, and Action

  • Stephen Bocking(Author)
  • 2019(Publication Date)
  • University of Toronto Press

    (Publisher)

  The modern ide-ology that says to nature,Adapt to humanity; serve humanity or die, is drastically altering all of the normal ecospheric functions of our planet. Many of the functions of organisms and ecosystems described in IIO TED M O S Q U I N this chapter have been widely explored. 5 It deals with those functions that can be described as ecocentric — what ecosystems and their species do and have done to cause the w r orld to become the way it is. The Meaning of Biodiversity In this chapter the broadest possible meaning of biodiversity is adopt-ed. Biodiversity has been described as the variety of life and its process-es in an area. 6 To this we can add the popular way of recognizing the ecological concept, that everything is connected to everything else. 7 The four key words in these definitions are variety, processes, connections, and area. The inclusion of area is essential because it is only in a phys-ical context that variety, processes, and connections have meaning. Area also is essential when we are talking about conservation, preser-vation, or restoration of biodiversity. After all, the only real proof of loss or gain of biodiversity is what is actually happening to the forms of life on the ground and in fresh and marine waters. While this description provides for general insight into why biodi-versity demands our concern, it is not adequate for scientific analysis of the basic parts of biodiversity. We need a more rigorous definition. Table 2 outlines the scientifically definable and inseparable parts of 1. Genetic variation: Genetic material in all individuals of all living things. 2. Taxonomic variation: Taken together, all taxonomic groups in nature — sub-species, species, genera, families, orders, classes, phyla, and the five king-doms.

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  Biodiversity Biotechnology and Man: Interdependence and Future Challenges

  • Katiyar, Sunil Kumar(Authors)
  • 2021(Publication Date)
  • Biotech

    (Publisher)

  Biodiversity has been described as “the variety of life and its processes in an area”.( 5 ) To this we can add “the popular way of recognizing the ecological concept that everything is connected to everything else”.( 6 ) The four key words in these definitions are variety, processes, connections and area. The inclusion of ‘area’ is essential because it is only in a physical context that variety, processes and connections have meaning. “Area” is also essential when we are talking about conservation, preservation or restoration of biodiversity. It is, after all, the only real proof of loss or gain of biodiversity is what is actually happening to ecosystems and their organisms on the ground and in fresh and marine waters. But while this description provides a general insight into why biodiversity should demand our concern, it is not adequate for scientific analysis of the basic parts of biodiversity. We need a more rigorous definition. Table 7.2 outlines the scientifically definable and inseparable parts of biodiversity: genes, taxonomic groups, ecosystems, functions and abiotic. Three of these parts (genes, taxonomic groups and ecosystems) are widely recognized and reviewed in the literature.( 7 ) As the meaning of these three components is widely understood they will not be further reviewed here. But failing to consider functions and the abiotic component produces a simplistic and highly misleading notion of the meaning and importance of biodiversity. In particular, the abiotic (inorganic, inanimate, physical, etc.) part is essential, as the life-giving water/air/soil/sediment/mineral environment within which organisms and ecosystems evolved, in which they are inextricably embedded and without which they cannot live.( 8 ) Fish could not have evolved without This ebook is exclusively for this university only. Cannot be resold/distributed. water, birds without air, or trees without soil. Table 7.2: The Five Parts of Biodiversity 1.

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  Environmental Philosophy

  From Theory to Practice

  • Sahotra Sarkar(Author)
  • 2011(Publication Date)
  • Wiley-Blackwell

    (Publisher)

  Let us return to the fundamental question: what is biodiversity? Even a cursory survey of professional papers or textbooks of conservation biology will reveal two canonical definitions; they will also reveal almost no research that uses these definitions. The canonical definitions are the following:

  1. Biodiversity refers to the variety of life at every level of structural, taxonomic, and functional organization.

  2. Biodiversity refers to diversity of genes (alleles), species, and ecosystems.

  Many conservation biologists, especially in moments of unbridled political advocacy, may endorse definition (1) but, if the term “biodiversity” is to reflect the practice of conservation biology, this definition is useless. Biodiversity, as Takacs has pointed out, becomes all of biology.24 It is absurd to think that we should—let alone that we can—protect all diversity of structure, taxonomy, and function. We would have to protect almost every biotic entity. Biodiversity conservation is not the only policy goal in any social context, and resources for it are obviously not unlimited. Consequently, biotic features must be prioritized and an adequate definition of “biodiversity” must reflect where a society's priorities lie with respect to the type of biological diversity that deserves the most attention. We cannot reasonably aim to protect every biotic entity, even in principle.

  Definition (2) was probably never intended to define “biodiversity” fully; rather, it was supposed to operationalize it in the sense that protecting these three categories would presumably protect most of what is intended to be captured by definition (1). The trouble is that it has been a rather unsuccessful operationalization: allelic diversity is almost impossible to estimate accurately or protect in natural populations; species diversity, if we really mean all species, including microbial species, is almost as intractable.

  In practice, conservation biologists work with either limited sets of taxa or ecosystem types (for instance, vegetation types). However, it is often unclear whether the choice of limited sets of taxa or ecosystem types is motivated by practical considerations of measuring biodiversity or whether it reflects what biodiversity is categorically supposed to be. It is important to introduce a critical distinction at this state:

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  Ecosystem Collapse and Recovery

  • Adrian C. Newton(Author)
  • 2021(Publication Date)
  • Cambridge University Press

    (Publisher)

  Clewell and Aronson (2013) Direct damage to an ecosystem’s biotic and/or abiotic biological condition. Salafsky et al. (2008) A state or process in which ecosystem resources or attributes are reduced relative to some reference state or goals owing to human disturbance. Ghazoul and Chazdon (2017) Disturbance Any relatively discrete event in time (or space) that disrupts ecosystem, community or population structure and changes resources, substrate availability or the physical environment. White and Pickett (1985) Anything that causes disruption to a system. Resilience Alliance (2010) Driver or pressure The ultimate factors – usually social, economic, political, institutional or cultural – that enable or otherwise add to the occurrence or persistence of proximate direct threats. There is typically a chain of drivers behind any given direct threat. Bland et al. (2017a) Ecosystem The whole system (in the sense of physics), including not only the organism-complex but also the whole complex of physical factors forming what we call the environment of the biome – the habitat factors in the widest sense. Tansley (1935) A biotic community or assemblage and its associated physical environment in a specific place. The main components of the ecosystem are its abiotic and biotic features and the interactions between them. Pickett and Cadenasso (2002) Complexes of organisms and their associated physical environment within Bland et al. (2017a) (cont.) 1.1 IUCN Red List of Ecosystems · 5 Table 1.1 (cont.) Term Definition Reference a specified area. They have four essential elements: a biotic complex, an abiotic environment, the interactions within and between them and a physical space in which these operate. All the organisms and the abiotic pools with which they interact. Ecosystem processes are the transfers of energy and materials from one pool to another.

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  Conservation of Biodiversity and Natural Resources

  • Singh, M P, Soma Dey(Authors)
  • 2021(Publication Date)
  • Daya Publishing House

    (Publisher)

  3 Ecosystems, Environment and Biodiversity Introduction The concept of ‘diversity’ and its relationship to other aspects of community organization and dynamics is of great significance in the development of plant ecology, but a precise meaning of diversity is lacking. Two individuals are not diverse if they are of different sexes; they are diverse only if they are of different species. Similarly, subspecies do not count as diverse only if they are of different species. Similarly, subspecies do not count as diverse, nor are larvae from adults. There has been little critical evaluation of whether species are the most appropriate units of currency of diversity for understanding ecological phenomena. Cousins (1991) discussed the limitations of treating all species equally, and suggested that ranking or weighting species with respect of function or size or systematic relationships provides a better and more relevant measure of diversity. Two active areas in community ecology concern the relationship between species diversity and both disturbance and non-competitive biotic interactions such as mycorrhizal infections (Wayne and Bazzaz, 1991). The rapid loss of natural areas and high rates of extinction of species and subspecies in the tropics has led to resurgence of interest in cataloging species in unexplored areas and trying to understand the factors generating and maintaining this bio-diversity (Wilson, 1988). The ecologist’s definition of a diverse community implies that it is biotically and/or abiotically heterogeneous in space or time. More often it is the biotic components of communities that are described with measures of diversity. It is not clear, however, why ecologists have mostly tended to describe biotic diversity using species classes. In reality, the term ‘diversity’ biologically denotes little on its own; it requires an adjective such as ‘species’, ‘genetic’ or ‘chemical’ to be meaningful.

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  Socio-Ecological Resilience to Climate Change in a Fragile Ecosystem

  The Case of the Lake Chilwa Basin, Malawi

  • Sosten Chiotha, Daniel Jamu, Joseph Nagoli, Patrick Likongwe, Tembo Chanyenga(Authors)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  Part I Building ecosystem resilience Passage contains an image

  1 Ecosystem approach

  Theory into practice

  Sosten Chiotha, Elizabeth Daniels, Samuel Gillick, Daniel Jamu, Patrick Likongwe and Zipangani Vokhiwa

  Introduction

  The ecosystem approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way as defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity 2004). The scope of the ecosystem approach goes beyond the consideration of ecosystems themselves. The ecosystem approach encourages recognition of the interdependence of economic and social development and environmental protection. It is a holistic and inclusive approach to managing the relationship between humans and the natural environment which they inhabit. Essentially, the ecosystem approach is a systems approach that recognizes that humans and their cultural, social and economic factors are an integral component of many ecosystems and that they are interlinked with biodiversity and ecosystem services (Poppy et al. 2014). The ecosystem approach seeks an appropriate balance between the conservation of, and use of, natural resources. Adopting this balanced approach ensures that people and natural resources are placed at the centre of the decision-making process. Consequently, the ecosystem approach seeks to ensure that governance mechanisms balance the use of natural resources with their conservation.

  The ecosystem approach is based on the application of appropriate scientific methodologies focused on levels of biological organization, which encompass the essential structure, processes, functions and interactions among organisms and their environment. The ecosystem approach recognizes that humans with their cultural diversity are an integral component of many ecosystems. The ecosystem approach requires adaptive management to deal with the complex and dynamic nature of ecosystems and the absence of complete knowledge or understanding of their functioning. Ecosystem processes are often non-linear, and the outcome of such processes often shows time-lags. The result is discontinuities, leading to surprise and uncertainty. Management must be adaptive in order to be able to respond to such uncertainties and contain elements of learning-by-doing or research feedback (Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity 2004).

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