English Quiz for IBPS PO Mains – Set 16

The variety of life on Earth, its
biological diversity is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of
species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems
on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a
biologically diverse Earth. Biodiversity is not evenly distributed; rather it
varies greatly across the globe as well as within regions. Among other factors,
the diversity of all living things (biota) depends on temperature,
precipitation, altitude, soils, geography and the presence of other species.
The study of the spatial distribution of organisms, species, and ecosystems, is
the science of biogeography. Diversity consistently measures higher in the
tropics and in other localized regions and lower in Polar Regions generally.
Rain forests that have had wet climates for a long time. Appropriate
conservation and sustainable
development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any
approach to preserving biodiversity. Almost all cultures have their roots in
our biological diversity in some way or form. Declining biodiversity is
therefore a concern for many reasons. It has long been feared that human
activity is causing massive extinctions.
Despite increased efforts at conservation, it has not been enough and
biodiversity losses continue. The costs associated with deteriorating or
vanishing ecosystems will be high. However, sustainable development and
consumption would help avert
ecological problems. Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each
species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example,
a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater
species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and
healthy ecosystems can better withstand
and recover from a variety of disasters. There is now unequivocal evidence that biodiversity loss reduces the efficiency
by which ecological communities capture biologically essential resources,
produce biomass, decompose and recycle biologically essential nutrients. There
is mounting evidence that biodiversity increases the stability of ecosystem
functions through time. Diverse communities are more productive because they
contain key species that have a large influence on productivity, and
differences in functional traits among organisms increase total resource
capture. The impacts of diversity loss on ecological processes might be
sufficiently large to rival the impacts of many other global drivers of
environmental change. Maintaining multiple ecosystem processes at multiple
places and times requires higher levels of biodiversity than does a single
process at a single place and time. It plays a part in regulating the chemistry
of our atmosphere and water supply. Biodiversity is directly involved in water
purification, recycling nutrients and providing fertile soils. Experiments with
controlled environments have shown that humans cannot easily build ecosystems
to support human needs. And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to
preserve the diversity in wildlife. While there might be “survival of the fittest” within a given species, each species
depends on the services provided by other species to ensure survival. It is a
type of cooperation based on mutual survival.