Question

Biodiversity must be conserved as it plays an important role in many ecosystem services that nature provides. Explain any two services of the ecosystem.

Healthy ecosystems are the base of a wide range of ecosystem services. Justify.

Answer 1

Healthy ecosystems (biodiversity) provide a wide range of economic, environmental, and aesthetic goods and services. They perform ecological services essential for life on Earth and maintain natural systems and favorable conditions. Two important ecosystem services are:

1. Production of food and oxygen: Through photosynthesis, plants produce the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat. They also remove billions of tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to moderate the greenhouse effect and climate.
2. Pollination and soil fertility: Ecosystems help fertilize soils, pollinate crops, and cleanse and recycle waste. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are vital to crop production. Healthy ecosystems also control pests and provide genetic resources that help improve crop resistance and yields.

Thus, healthy ecosystems support life, agriculture, climate regulation, and biodiversity conservation, thereby providing the foundation for many ecosystem services.