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The other day, I was on a (danfo) bus, in traffic. There was suddenly a ruckus in the bus beside us. When the driver of the rowdy bus noticed our attention, he smiled and graciously gave our driver (and us) the gist through the open window.
Someone on the bus had said something very politically controversial (it had to do with the 2020 EndSARS protests). The driver of my own bus decided, very loudly and fervently, that it was a good idea to beat up the controversial person. He even made the point by smashing his own rear mirror. Thankfully, the traffic cleared up immediately.
How would you get such drama in a world without a variety of personalities/causes/opinions?
Photo credit: Azo Clean Tech
Biodiversity 101
“Variety is the spice of life”, said the 18th-century poet, William Cowper. And when it comes to biodiversity (aka. the variety of living forms on earth), this saying could not be more literal.
Nothing alive ever lives in a vacuum. Living things or organisms (plants, animals, and others) exist with one another, and with nonliving things (like air, water, soil, etc.) in complex webs (called Ecosystems).
And although each ecosystem has so many parts (some we don’t yet know), every part is vital for its functioning. Just by being there: eating, being eaten, pooping, breathing, having babies, etc, these living things keep these ecosystems balanced and healthy.
Ecosystem services
Ecosystems (like forests, rivers, wetlands, etc) in their healthy and balanced states perform functions for humans and the planet at large. They keep populations of living things healthy. They store the non-living resources that need storage, release them at the right time, and generally keep water and other chemical (oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus) cycles going.
Through these functions like transpiration, pollination, photosynthesis, decomposition, etc (yes, that’s meant to send you down your primary/secondary school science memory lane), we have rainfall, food, medicine, clean air and water, disease prevention, enhanced mental health and many other benefits.
We call these benefits ecosystem services. These days, many people are trying to find out how much we would pay to provide these services, that nature gives us for free, by ourselves. It’s enough to say: the cost is huge.
Photo credit: UNESCO
It should make more sense to you from now on when you see people dedicate themselves to saving a particular species (of plant or animal) under the threat of extinction, or an ecosystem in danger of destruction.
And I hope you would learn more in the stories below, and get passionate about this cause like the bus driver in my story, minus the violence.
Stories from around the web:
The effects of nature on human health (audio)
Why we need to protect biodiversity (video)
Biodiversity and why it matters (article)
Coastal environments and artisanal fishers (video)
In other news/Opportunities/Freebie
That exhibition I talked about in the last issue, happened last month. Here are the highlights. If you missed it, stay tuned for a virtual version.
The Nigerian Conservation Foundation is organizing a summer school for children/teens (ages 7 - 17). Giving your kids an experience in nature is one of the best gifts you can give them. Register here.
Here’s a free poster showing common waterbirds found in urban Lagos, Nigeria. As a reminder that diversity (variety) in nature is truly the spice of life, feel free to download it, and decorate your home/office/school with it
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Thank you for reading. Until next time, stay curious and excited about nature.
PS. I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic. All you have to do is hit reply!