Earth & Sky

Biodiversity

DB: This is Earth and Sky, with a question from Erik Phol in Taylors, South Carolina.

JB: He writes, “. . . biodiversity can be viewed as providing nature the tools to be flexible . . . I’ve also heard of the ‘too many cooks ruin the broth’ biodiversity where an introduced item such as kudzu or the Asian longhorn beetle injures other aspects of the environment. Who decides what good biodiversity is?”

DB: Erik, for billions of years, nature alone decided which species would thrive and which would become extinct. Now our human activities are changing that balance – and a change in biodiversity can dramatically alter the way an ecosystem works. Whether this is good or bad is a difficult value judgment. Here in the year 2001, there are about as many ideas on what “good” biodiversity is as there are decision-makers.

JB: Meanwhile, humans have dramatically altered Earth’s biodiversity. In replacing native species, kudzu and beetles are minor compared to agriculture, livestock grazing and urban sprawl. As long as these activities continue, plant and animal species will have to adjust – even if we humans don’t fully understand or like what we see.

DB: 2001-2002 is International Biodiversity Observation Year. Come to our website – earthsky.com – for links to their official website. Thanks today to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service. We’re Block and Byrd for Earth and Sky.