Biodiversity and Environment

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How ecosystems work and what part they play in biodiversity remain a mystery. But we do know that they perform a host of invaluable services for the human species. Biodiversity’s fundamental value is neither aesthetic nor economic but environmental, even though most people are largely unaware of this. The value of biodiversity is often measured in terms of the number of species living in a given area. But the interactions between the many species in an ecosystem, and between them and the environment’s physical and chemical components are also very important. This highly intricate web of relationships makes an ecosystem more valuable than the sum of the species it contains. Ecosystems perform services that are essential for the survival of the human species. They fix carbon in the atmosphere and produce oxygen, protect soil from erosion and keep it fertile, filter water and replenish aquifers, provide pollination and anti-parasite agents and so on. The first two of these services are closely related to each other. They result from photosynthesis, whereby green plants, staring with algae, absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) and emit oxygen. For millions of years, the balance between the various gases in the atmosphere remained stable. But with the coming of the industrial revolution, humans began burning increased amounts of fossil fuels. Today, three billion tonnes of carbon build up in the atmosphere each year, and natural ecosystems can no longer absorb all these emissions–especially since they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Deforestation alone releases such tremendous amounts of CO2 and other gases, such as methane, that it has become the second-leading cause of global warming.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR M. Lakshmi Narasaiah

Dr. M. Lakshmi Narasaiah, has been working as Professor and Head, Department of Economics, Sri Krishnadevaraya University Post-Graduate Centre, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. He is a Post-Graduate in Economics and has secured first rank. He has received Ph.D., Degree from Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, in 1987. He has worked as UGC JRF and UGC SRF. Starting his professional career as an Assistant Professor of Economics in Sri Krishnadevaraya University, Anantapur, he has been actively engaged in teaching and research for the past twenty years. He was associated with the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Planning Department in the center for planning and Development studies projects. He has extensively travelled abroad. He has to his credit 175 research papers published in reputed National and International Journals, a large number of book reviews and seminar papers besides supervising M.Phil., and Ph.D., studies. He is also working on number of research projects. He has frequently participated in national and international conference. He is author of 27 books. Prof. M. Lakshmi Narasaiah is a member of large number of national and international associations and is associated with academic in several universities and professional organization. He has been acting as a member of the "Review Committee" he various international economic journals.

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Bibliographic information

Title
Biodiversity and Environment
Author
Edition
1st ed.
Publisher
ISBN
8171417582
Length
viii+144p.
Subjects