Whatever Happened to Biodiversity?

What exactly is biodiversity and what does it mean for our environment? Biodiversity is the variation or differences within an ecosystem, biome, or even an entire planet. We are able to use biodiversity to measure the health of our ecosystems or earth as a whole (Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia 2011). Biodiversity is key to our ecosystems in that it boost the productivity. The larger the number of plant species the larger the crops. This will in turn extend all life forms (Shah 2011).
Due to the levels of extinction between species the loss of biodiversity has inevitably happened. The main causes of extinction are the oblivious as well as well aware human acts. Most of the time some ecosystems are destroyed in the name of progress to our human society. If the ecosystems are not destroyed they are decreased in their size. Also, the dumping of waste into seas and oceans cause potentcy to the ecosystems (Causes of loss 2010). This chain reaction of bombarding their ecosystems, destroying them in turn, then the inevitable extinction, leads to lower productivity. Lowere productivity means we as human beings suffer loss in crops and other resourses used from these ecosystems.

An example of what a lack of biodiversity can do is the Great Famine (Ireland). The Great Famine in Ireland in the mid 1800s was the massacre of some sort to a million of it's residents. Their deaths were the result of a potato disease called a potato blight. Potatoes were one of Irelands most highly consumed resources. However, the lack of biodiversity in the types of potatoes planted and where they planted them lead to starvation and a great drop in their population. They planted the same type of crop in which this crop unknowingly was tainted and later consumed (Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia 2011). This example would be an anology to our world of ecosystems without biodiversity. Preserving our ecosystems and the species that reside in them is very key in boosting our biodiversity (Shah 2011).

Sources:
Wikipedia the free encyclopedia (28 July 2011). Great Famine (Ireland).
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Famine_(Ireland)

Wikipedia the free encyclopedia (28 July 2011). Biodiversity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity

Shah, A (28 July 2011). Why is Biodiversity So Important? Who Cares? Biodiversity.
http://www.globalissues.org/issue/169/biodiversity

Causes of Loss (28 July 2011). Causes of Biodiversity Loss.
http://www.airheadsscuba.com/kayesite1/causes.html

The Real Animals Toward the Environment

The infinitely placed rule that humanity has superiority over animals was set over hundreds of years ago. Animals were to live outdoors because it was their habitat. Humans had the freedom of choice in where they wanted to live. Animals were thought to sustain themselves through harsh weather and treatment by humans or another animal because it was simply in it's nature. Both species were given two different paths or missions in their lives.

Some might ask, which species is fulfilling their purpose or their specific duties to themselves and to their environment around them?

Animals were naturally programmed or trained to find their food, find a mate, take care of their young, protect themselves, and most of all take care and look out for their surroundings. Everything an animal does, not only helps them but it helps their environment. In environmental science we like to call this process mutualism. Mutualism is one host benefitting from another and neither is affected. Animals naturally use the environment without leaving such an impact that would destroy it. Animal's way of thinking and how they are trained to follow their natural missions is not manipulative and power hungry as a humans way of thinking tends to be.

Humanity is supposed to work and prosper with the environment through this mutualistic process, but sadly this is not the case. The superiority that humanity has aquired has ruled their decisions on how they treat the environment. Humanity is inevitably destroying the environment. Most are too busy or unaware to care to find out how to take heed to their environment (Blurtit). An example of an environmental crisis is the waste and global warming due to pollution and not recycling. These crisis arise more and more from carelessness to our surroundings. These facts make you wonder who should live outside.

The superiority that humanity is given should allow us to do above and beyond than animals for our environment and this can still happen. We as humans could actually learn from the animals we pay little attention to because of their superior status.

Sources: Blurtit (July 21, 2011). Why Do People Destroy the Environment?

http://www.blurtit.com/q857917.html

How the Lumber Industry Benefits the Environment

The use of lumber greatly benefit our lives and environment. Lumber is used two ways depending on it's state. The rough state of lumber can be shaped and molded into different fixtures. This state of lumber is used mainly for our domestic necessities such a s furniture making. The other state, finished lumber, is mostly used for construction. The finished state of lumber is soft wood coming from coniferous areas. (Wikipedia the free encyclopedia). Using wood instead of concrete or metal helps preserve more energy use, resource use, decrease our pollution levels, and reduced impact on our environment.Wood produces far less green house gases than that of other resources used to build.

The lumber industry has also helped pick up the forests growth in more northern continent. This industry also provides a job or career to the nation. Working in the lumber industry is not an easy task but shows ones tenacity to serve its environment. Upon working in the industry, a pension plan was created as a benefit for those who work in the field of the production of lumber.

sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lumber

The pH Effect on Commercial Farming

Our environment supplies us with the natural equipment needed to grow our foods, but without proper care it can damage the outcome. One of the mainstream ways our nation distributes its crops is through commercial farming. Commercial farming is a process that includes mixed or diversified farming by a farmer who intends to sale their crops for mass consumption (Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia). These crops grown by their farmers consist of the main foods we need to maintain health. The farmers grow foods such as wheat, milk, butter, corn, green vegetables, sugar cane, and maize. Engaging in commercial farming is beneficial to the nation in that is broadens incomes for families and their generations to come.

However, overtime commercial farming has required more land usage due to bad soil. More and more land is being taken away from people and is forcing them to migrate to cities. This migration post harsher living conditions for the population. The 100 acres of land that was used to support a family of eight in the early 1930s is now ten times that amount to only feed half as many people (Ohiorganic). The factors affecting the soil the crops grow from are the pH level embalances of water and soil.

Soil's prefered pH level in growing certain crops is neutral which is about 7 on the pH scale. That being said, there are also other certain crops grow best in a slightly acidid or akaline
pH level. The same attention should be payed toward the acidity or alkalinity of water that is used to grow the crops. If a crop is tested to be acidic or alkaline, the farmer must balance this pH level to one that benefits the soil as well as the crop. Farmers are presumed to take heed of these pH rules in order to produce a better outcome of crops and land conservation.


Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commercial_agriculture

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20091110164748AARM1kN