Biodiversity- Species Diversity and Ecosystems
-by Yunzi Liu
"At least 40 percent of the world’s economy and 80 percent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. In addition, the richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, economic development, and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change."
-The Convention about life on Earth, Convention on Biodiversity website
Reference: Why Is Biodiversity Important?(by Anup Shah)
This is an ongoing project based on the idea of species diversity: the richness and evenness of species, a vital part of biodiversity. While biodiversity is a much broader definition, including the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems. For example, the variety of plants, animals, microorganisms, their genes, and the ecosystems which they live in and interact with, such as rainforests, grasslands, deserts, and even artificial ecosystems: gardens and zoos, etc. An enormous variety of species and genes will help ensure successful survival and the whole ecosystem recover from natural disasters.
Even though the species diversity sounds a bit far away from us, we are bonded tightly with seemingly irrelevant species. Since we all live in a food chain, one single species extinction will endanger other 20 species, then jeopardize the overall ecological functions. A pollinator dying out will cause a poor harvest of crops, which may influence human beings directly or imperil the species who depend on those crops as main food sources.
Through these posters, I intend to show not only the beauty of various species, but also the importance of some easily overlooked but indispensable roles, such as the microorganisms, as well as their intertwined relationships.
Thank you!
