Why Is Biodiversity So Important, Anyway?
The Connection
People have an innate appreciation for some parts of biodiversity, as we see in the strong research surrounding biophilia. But as we learn more about the interaction between the living and the inert, we realize that everything in biodiversity is crucial. Which includes bugs and germs we can’t see or may not find attractive. Humans in particular, rely on biodiversity in a variety of ways. Consequently, it’s important to make preservation a crucial endeavor as we fall deeper into a climate changed world.
A healthy ecosystem is extremely important in order to give us the air we breathe and the food we consume. None of which could be produced without a diverse variety of animals, plants and microorganisms. This includes the wild bees who provide the pollination that even our most industrialized agriculture systems require to flourish. Equally, this also includes the rainfall that is naturally slowed down by trees, bushes, wetlands, and untamed grasslands. Correspondingly, coastal areas that are naturally protected from waves and storms by coral reefs and mangrove forests are also considered. Clearly, life as we know requires a deeply intertwined symbiosis.
The Effect
Cities with more greenery and trees have been demonstrated to have lower hospital admission rates, less stress, and lower blood pressure amongst many measurable social benefits. Not to mention how much we’ve learned about ourselves through studying animals and plants that we wouldn’t know without them. Much of our technology and sophisticated chemicals utilized on a daily basis like latex, rubber, and many of our medicines are derived from plants.
Continued decimation of biodiversity will result in known consequences like more flooding. But also, unknown consequences. Without the carbon dioxide absorption provided by a critical mass of trees and other plants and who purify pollutants from the air we breathe, what will the world of tomorrow feel and look like? Contact us today to see how redesigning your outdoor space as a native pollinator garden can play a critical role in the fight for biodiversity in our most endangered urban habitats.
Tannenbaum Design Group | Landscape Architecture and Outdoor Design | Why Is Biodiversity So Important, Anyway?