Ecosystems

Biodiversity is of great importance in order to maintain stable ecosystems. An ecosystem is a group of life forms that live together in a balanced and stable community. If there is a sudden change in that community’s environment, the balance of the community may change which may cause it to be destroyed.

The destruction of ecosystems can have a very serious effect both on local and global levels. Rainforests, for example, contribute both to the process of soil formation and help to regulate the climate through photosynthesis – both producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide. Wetlands act as sponge-like reservoirs in dry weather and help to filter and purify water. Coral reefs and mangrove swamps protect the land that they surround by reducing the effects of erosion.

The destruction of rainforest causes erosion, loss of valuable species and changes in climate.