Biodiversityisthevariationofspeciesinanareasuchasahabitatorecosystem.

Itcanbe
arguedthatbiodiversityisveryimportanttothesurvivalofanyformoflife.Weshouldmaintain
biodiversitybecauseitcanbeshownthatanimalsarehelpfultotheenvironmentinmanyways.
Anotherreasonweshouldmaintainbiodiversityisbecausealotofplantsandanimalsaredying,
itcanbeshownbytheactionsofhumans.Weshouldalsomaintainbiodiversitybecauseitcanbe
arguedthatitprovidesforourbasichumanneeds.
Onereasontomaintainbiodiversityisbecauseitcanbearguedthatanimalsarereally
helpfultotheenvironmentinmanyways.Thedefinitionofindicatorspeciesinthetextbookis
Speciesthatprovideearlywarningsofdamagetoacommunityoranecosystemarecalled
indicatorspecies(MillerandSpoolman93).Amphibiansareindicatorspeciestheyare
importantbecauseifthereisadeclineinthepopulationitcanindicateaprobleminthewater
suchaspollution.Sincefrogeggsaresemipermeable,thepollutedwatergoesthroughtheegg
andcankillit.AccordingtoMillerandSpoolmaninthetextbookthedefinitionofakeystone
speciesisKeystonespeciesarespecieswhoseroleshavealargeeffectonthetypesand
abundanceofotherspeciesintheirecosystem(9495).Somekeystonespeciescanbethosewho
pollinatesuchasbees,hummingbirds,andbutterflies.Otherkeystonespeciesaretoppredator
Inaddition,toppredatorkeystonespeciesfeedonandhelpregulatethepopulationsofother
species(MillerandSpoolman95).Weshouldmaintainbiodiversitybecauseitwillkeepalive
theindicatorandkeystonespeciesweneedaliveforthehealthoftheenvironment.
Anotherreasonweshouldmaintainbiodiversityisbecausealotofplantsandanimalsare
dying,anditcanbearguedandshownthatitisbecausetheactionsofhumans.EricPeraltasays
weshouldmaintainbiodiversityinsteadofdestroyingitbycuttingdownforestanddestroying

animalhabitatswhichleadstolossofshelter.Thelossofshelterfortheanimalsleadstotheir
death.Timberoperations,farms,pastures,andsettlementshavealreadyclaimedalmosthalfthe
worldsforests.Betweenthe1960sand1990s,about4.5millionsquarekilometers(1,100acres),
or20%oftheworldstropicalforestcover,werecutorburned.Habitatlossjeopardizes1,008
(85%)oftheworldsmostthreatenedbirdspecies(HowardYouth73).Thisshowsthatwhat
humansaredoingisdestroyingforestsandanimalhabitats.Otherthandeforestationthereare
otherthingslikepollution,bushmeathunting,andinvasivespecieswhichallcontributetothe
deathofanimals.Thisshowsthatalotofforestsandanimalsarebeingaffectedbyhuman
actionsandwhybiodiversityshouldbemaintained.
Oneotherreasonweshouldmaintainbiodiversityisbecauseitcanbearguedthatit
providesuswithbasichumanneeds.Thebasichumanneedsthatbiodiversityprovidesuswith
arefood,shelter,andmedicine.About30%ofmedicineismadeusingplantsandanimals.About
90percentoftheworldsfoodintakecomesfromcropswhichneedtobepollinated.Bothanimal
whoarepollinatingthefoodandcropsweeatprovideuswithfoodbymaintainingthehealthof
thecrop.Wedependononhoneybeesandotherinsectsforpollinationofmanyfoodcropsand
oncertainbirdspeciesfornaturalpestcontrol.Whenspeciesdisappear,wecanlosesuch
services,andatsomepoint,suchlossescanthreatenourownhealthandoureconomicsinthe
affectedareas(MillerandSpoolman195).Thebiggestuseofenergycomesfromburningwood
andalotofthethingsweuseineverydaylifecomesfromtrees.Weshouldmaintainbiodiversity
becauseitprovidesuswithourbasicneedstosurvive.
Somepeoplemightnotwanttomaintainbiodiversityjustbecausetheydon'tcareabout
theenvironmentortheythinkwecansurvivewithoutmaintainingit.BeforeEricPeraltadidnt

reallythinkabouttheEarthanditshealthbutasIgotolderIrealisedhowmessedupitisand
thatitsdying.Peoplemightthinkthatbiodiversityisntthatimportantbecausewehavemadeit
thisfarwithoutdyingdoingthethingswedototheEarthsuchasdeforestation,huntingof
animals,andpollution.PeoplearepushingtheEarthtothelimitsandeventuallyweregoingto
reachthatlimitandwellbeleftwithnoverylimitedresources.Weshouldinsteadmaintain
biodiversitybyhavingmoresustainableforestsanddoeverythingtoconserveandpreservethe
speciesthataredying.
Thisessayshowedthatmaintainingbiodiversityisimportanttotheenvironmentbecause
thereisanimalsthatcontributetothehealthoftheenvironment.Somespeciesindicateproblems
intheenvironment.Italsomaintainingbiodiversitywillkeepforestsfrombeingdestroyedand
keepinganimalshabitatsfrombeingdestroyed.Thelastclaimthisessaymakesisthat
biodiversityprovidesuswithourbasichumanneedsanditargueswhybiodiversityshouldbe
maintained.