Biodiversity – Senior Project Ideas

I am considering to focus on biodiversity as my senior project because it is what entangles us humans and our planet in the circle of life. The extinction or domination of a certain type of plant or animal can throw off the entire balance of our world as we know it, and it comes with many consequences. “Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play.” Every animal and plant has a purpose, and if we destroy one, we will all follow suit.

A healthy biodiversity offers many natural conveniences for us and our planet. Benefits such as food, medicine and pharmaceutical drugs, wood products, and clothing. If we lost these free benefits, replacing them would be extremely expensive. “At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent 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 web site. Therefore, the obvious and economically wise choice is to maintain a clean, stable, and diverse environment. Species need the variety of genes to ensure a successful survival. As for my senior project, I plan to show the shocking statistics that people don't realize. I want to remind the public of how dependent we are on our environment.

Humans are responsible for the drastic decline in biodiversity because they have destroyed animal's natural habitats and transported animals from one part of the world to another. Our invasion of wilderness regions, rainforest, and wetlands, along with our industry impact, has had a huge influence on the survival of many threatened animals and plants. “Almost a quarter of the world's mammals face extinction within 30 years” - United Nations report on the state of the global environment. In total, we have around 11,000 endangered animal and plant species in danger. If we lose these endangered species, we would throw off natures delicate balance. For my senior project, I would want to include the specific examples and evidence of how we damage our environment. I would include visuals and ideas of how we could help our planet, and how our planet would look like if we continued to ignore it.

Experts and scientists both agree on the fact that humans are hurting themselves. With our mass consumption of natural products, we are ruining everything that the world has given us. "Biodiversity includes all living things that we depend on for our economies and our lives," explained Brooks Yeager, vice president of global programs at the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, D.C. "It's the forests, the oceans, the coral reefs, the marine fish, the algae, the insects that make up the living world around us and which we couldn't do without," We do not realize how vitally important it is to maintain our plants, animals, and planet alive.

For my senior project, I am interested in showing how negatively the world would be effected if the plants and animals we take for granted become extinct. I would show that due to the loss of bees, we no longer have honey. Plants that relied on their pollination died, animals that relied on those plants decreased in numbers, and soon that cycle will reach us and there wouldn't be anything else we could do about it. Showing examples such as that is what I am interested in doing.

Cited Sources and Annotations

Shah, Anup. "Why Is Biodiversity Important? Who Cares? Global Issues." Global Issues : social, political, economic and environmental issues that affect us all Global Issues. N.p., 18 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Jan. 2010. .

Good Quotes
“At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent 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 web site.

“Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play.”
“Humankind needs to act quickly to ensure that the ancient pact between flowers and pollinators stays intact, to safeguard our food supply and to protect our environment for generations to come. These efforts will ensure that bees continue to provide pollination and that our diets remain rich in the fruits and vegetables we now take for granted”.
Diana Cox-Foster and Dennis van Engelsdorp, Solving the Mystery of the Vanishing Bees, Scientific American, April 2009

What the article was about
Biodiversity is essential because we are all entangled together in the circle of life. The extinction or domination of a certain type of plant or animal can throw off the entire balance of life as we know it, and come with many consequences.
A healthy biodiversity offers many natural conveniences for us and our planet. Benefits such as food, medicine and pharmaceutical drugs, wood products, and clothing. If we lost these free benefits, replacing them would be extremely expensive. Therefore, the obvious and economically wise choice is to maintain a clean, stable, and diverse environment. Species need the variety of genes to ensure a successful survival.

Podger, Corinne. " BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Quarter of mammals 'face extinction'." BBC NEWS | News Front Page. N.p., 21 May 2002. Web. 20 Jan. 2010. .

Good Quotes
“Almost a quarter of the world's mammals face extinction within 30 years” - United Nations report on the state of the global environment.
11,000 endangered animal and plant species
“One in eight bird species is also in danger of extinction, and more than 5,000 different plants”.

What the article was about
Humans are responsible for the drastic decline in biodiversity because they have destroyed animal's natural habitats and transported animals from one part of the world to another. Our invasion of wilderness regions, rainforest, and wetlands, along with out industry impact, has had a huge influence on the survival of many threatened animals and plants. If we lose these endangered species, we would throw off natures delicate balance.

CNN, Gary Strieker. "CNN.com - Scientists agree world faces mass extinction - August 23, 2002." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, Entertainment & Video News. N.p., 23 Aug. 2002. Web. 20 Jan. 2010. .

Good Quotes
"Biodiversity includes all living things that we depend on for our economies and our lives," explained Brooks Yeager, vice president of global programs at the World Wildlife Fund in Washington, D.C. "It's the forests, the oceans, the coral reefs, the marine fish, the algae, the insects that make up the living world around us and which we couldn't do without,"

What the article was about
Experts and scientists agree on the fact that humans are hurting themselves. With our mass consumption of natural products, we are ruining everything that the world has given us. We do not realize how vitally important it is to maintain our plants, animals, and planet alive.