Why is it necessary to conserve biodiversity?
Following are the reasons for conserving biodiversity that can be grouped into three categories. i) Narrow utilitarian reasons:- Several economic benefits have been derived by human beings. These benefits are food, fiber, firewood, industrial products, and medicinal products. ii) Broad utilitarian reasons:- Biodiversity plays a major role in providing ecosystem services like:- a) production of oxygen b) Pollination of flowers, without which seeds or fruits are impossible to be produced. c) Aesthetic pleasures which involve bird watching, watching the flowers of the spring season, walking through thick forest, working up to bulbul’s song, etc. iii) Ethical reasons:- Every species has their intrinsic value even if they are not of any value to us economically. We have a moral duty to care for their well-being and pass on the biological legacy in a proper form to our future generation.
