Unit 2 Science DB Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 2 Science DB - Essay Example In the years 1981-2002, over 60% of the anticancer drugs on the market were produced from the genetic resources of our biodiverse plants and animals (Newman, Cragg & Snader 2003 p.1022). Biological diversity exists everywhere on the planet. However, the degree of diversity can be severely impacted by natural events and human interaction. Some of the most biodiverse ecosystems are the tropical rainforests of South America, Asia, and Africa. These locations have felt the effects of human impact and have been rendered far less diverse than in past centuries. Humans have deforested the Amazon basin for logging, cattle ranching, and agribusiness (Urquhart et al. n.d.). Genetic diversity is vital to the health of an ecosystem and the loss of biodiversity in this region is an alarm to the sustainability of human existence. When a natural disaster or human impact damages an ecosystem, this damage spreads to affect other parts of the ecology. The loss of a single species can lead to the loss of others that use it as a food supply. The habitat may be taken over by a species that suddenly loses a natural predator. The organisms responsible for feeding, fertilizing, and recycli ng our planet can be lost because of small changes to their environment. Biodiversity is essential for the future of humans on this planet. The minor changes in farming methods, development, pesticides, and herbicides can have a lasting and disastrous effect on our food supply. Alterations to rainforests can affect the weather and climate of the planet (NASA). Introduction of non-native species, such as the Salt Cedar in the western U.S,"[...] may have significant negative effects on water resources" (Invasive species 2005). To assure this does not happen, we need to measure our actions and limit the destruction to our environment. Technology, such as NASAs satellite that monitors invasive plants, should be supported (Invasive species 2005). Globalization makes