Importance of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is main source to meet the needs of people. Biodiversity is used in human activities related to settlement, life style, social functions and economic activities. The importance of biodiversity can be presented as:

1. Agriculture Product: The crops like paddy, wheat, maize, barley etc. are the main foods of people. The source of these foods is the agricultural biodiversity. In the ancient time, people brought the useful species from the forest and cultivated to produce food for them then they selected best seeds to get high yield. These processes contributed in the development of best agricultural crops, which are the sources of food for people.
2. Animal Products: Animals are the source of milk, meat, eggs, labor and other raw materials. Fish is another sources of food. Birds are the beauty of nature. They can be used for food and other purposes. Dogs are pet animals. Some medicines are made by using some animals products. People can conduct animal farming to produce more production. Thus, all of the animal products are the products of biodiversity.
3. Plant Products: Plants are the sources of food, flowers and raw materials are either obtained from forests or from agricultural land. Industries use leaves, barks, fruits and materials. Several species of mushrooms, medicinal herbs, fruits, vegetables and plant products are collected and marketed. Plants have the economic value in improvement of living standard of the people.
4. Improvement of Breeds: Animals and plants are used for breeding to produce new varieties. It is for improving their production and quality. Wild animals, birds and other living beings are valuable source that can be used for breeding. This breeding can help to improve the quality of the established domesticates. Within domesticates they can be crossed to generate new varieties in the world. These improved varieties/ hybrids produce high yield of excellent quality.
5. Conservation of Soil: Land is one of the important natural resources. Soil erosion deteriorates the quality of land. Vegetation is the basic ground that protects the land. The vegetation and plants conserve moisture of the land. Their roots contribute to keep together the particles of soil.
6. Conservation of Watershed: The vegetation and plants contribute in the conservation of sources of water. Plants absorb water and helps to remain in soil. The plants also speed down the evaporation process. Thus, there is close relationship among the biodiversity, water sources and watershed.
7. Natural Scene: Nature is full of biodiversity. The plants and animals in the nature have their own habitat and life styles. There is diversity of plants and animals withe the diversity of geographical structure. The diversity of plants and animals keep the beauty of the nature. Thus, biodiversity has contributed to make a most valuable natural scene.

Classification of Bio-diversity

Generally there are three types of bio-diversity which are given below:

1. Ecosystem Diversity: Ecosystem is the habitat of living beings. Living beings adjust in the ecosystem and survive there. Each organism has it's own heredity character, which helps them to adapt and survive in their habitat. The living beings like animals and human beings of Mountain, Hill and Terai regions have different heredity characters and adaptability. Nepal occupies 0.1% land of the world. The climatic situation, food and habitat determines the survival of living organisms. There are 118 ecosystems in Nepal.

There are various types of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem according to ecological region. Different types of ecosystem are found in Nepal according to ecological characters. Nepal is divided into three ecological regions, namely Mountain, Hill and Terai. The mountain range lies in the north and extends from west to east. Everest, the world's highest peak, is situated here. Hill region lies in between the mountain region in the north and the terai region in the south. It occupies 41.7 percent area of the country. There are mountains, hills, valleys and tars here. There is plain land in the south. It is like strip from Mahakali in the west to Mechi in the east. Each of the ecological regions has a different climate. The terrestrial and the aquatic ecosystem have variation in Nepal because of diversity in topography and climate. Almost all types of ecosystem in the world are found in Nepal except marine and desert ecosystem.

Geographical factors like soil, slope and steepness of land, face and altitudes cause difference in ecosystem. These differences have brought on diversities in the ecosystem of each ecological region. Due to ecosystem, diversity, the vegetation and creatures are of different types in Nepal.

Nepal is rich in wetlands also. In the mountain region, there are high altitude glacial lakes. Similarly, lakes, ponds and swamps are the wet lands found in the hill region. Similarly, there are stream reservoirs, ponds, etc. in the terai region. There wetlands are found from small to large aquatic ecosystems in various regions of Nepal. The wetland ecosystem is very important for the growth and conservation of biodiversity. Because of the difference in land topography, physical and chemical quality of water, there is diversity in vegetation and organisms in the ecosystem of our country.

2. Genetic Diversity: There are some differences in living beings of different kind of vegetation, animals, birds, etc. found on the earth. Genes within nucleus of cells found in hereditary characters of living beings in their off springs. Hence, hereditary characters of living beings contribute to maintain biodiversity too.  

3. Species Diversity: There are different types of organisms in the nature. The existence of different types of organism shows the diversity of species. Diversity of species causes the biodiversity in nature. Nepal has covered only about 0.1 percent of total land of the world, but it has a great diversity of species. The diversity of species is found to be different as the ecosystems is different from Terai to Himalayan region. Therefore, Nepal is rich in biodiversity.

Concept of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is composed of two words 'bio' and 'diversity'. Literally 'bio' means living being and 'diversity' means variety. So, biodiversity refers to the variety of living beings. Biodiversity of a location means the existence of organisms and species of living beings per square unit. It indicates a total of the living heritage of the earth and their states as well as differences. It indicates the system and structure of living beings in the nature.

In short, the biodiversity is the total number of the living organisms on the earth. Biodiversity can be classified into three groups i.e. ecosystem, genes and species. That's why, biodiversity is the degree of species diversity existed in a particular region i.e. natural habitat.

The biodiversity differs according to the geographical regions, climatic conditions and adaptability characters of the living beings. Some species of biodiversity are found in land, some are in land, some are in water whereas others are found even in atmosphere. The nature of ecosystem differs the biodiversity of a place to another. Accordingly they, too, are maintaining their ecosystem. Biodiversity of an area refers to existing organism, gene, animals and ecosystem per unit of land. In totality, biodiversity refers to the existing number of living organism and their diversity.

Species diversity include living beings and vegetation like man, animals, birds, plants and trees etc. the species of bacteria and virus, too are contained in it. Species denote the number of group of living beings according to their similarity.

Ecosystem is the habitat of living beings. Living beings survive according to their capacity and adaptation. Biodiversity is the result of the structure of ecosystem too. Every living beings have own genetic characteristics. For example, people in mountain can easily adopt in pretty cold whereas the people in the terai can tolerate very hot.

Genes control physical characteristics, growth and development. They change and reproduce themselves. They are passed on from one generation to another. It is because of genes that the organisms living in the terai can bear more heat than the organisms living in the mountains.

Need and Importance of Conservation of Religious and Cultural Heritages

The need and importance of conservation of religious and cultural heritages are given below:

1. Harmony in the society: If people practice their religious principle properly, they will be in discipline. It helps to develop a harmony in the society.
2. Integral part of the environment: The religious place, sites, rivers and ponds are the elements of the natural environment. The temples, Gumbas and Masjits are the physical aspects.
3. Creation of people: They are related to their life styles and social aspects. They reveal tradition, developments, arts and life-styles of the ancient time.
4. Field of research: They provide most valuable lessons that are fruitful to the present and future generations too. The people of the country and outside are interested in the research in religious and cultural aspects.
5. Publicity and existence: The people of the other countries will be interested to know about Nepal. It gives importance to our religious and cultural heritages.
6. Job opportunity: The religious cultural activities are attractive to the foreign people. Why they come to visit Nepal? They also visit to religious and cultural sites. They will create job opportunities to the local people.

Methods of Conservation of Religious and Cultural Heritages

Cultural heritages are the symbol of ancient civilization. Temples, statues, stone taps, ancient buildings etc. are our important cultural heritages. Cultural heritage shows the traditional activities and development of human civilization. Ancient cultural heritages attract foreigners and tell them how Nepalese are different from the rest of the world. So, the promotion and conservation of Nepalese cultural and religious heritages is needed. Some of the cultural and religious heritages are damaged by the environmental pollution. Following are the methods of conservation of cultural heritages:

• Some of the objects of cultural heritages are ruined. They should be repaired in time.
• The ruined heritages should be repaired without spoiling their uniqueness.
• Cultural heritages can be stolen or destroyed. So, proper care should be taken regularly for their conservation.
• People should understand the value of religious and cultural heritages in their life and society. So, awareness programme should be launched in the local level.
• For the conservation of the religious and cultural heritages, there should be public participation. The local people should take initiation in the activities of conservation.
• Government should mobilize the local, national and international organizations in the conservation of the religious and cultural heritages by providing technical and financial supports to them.
• The need and importance of  religious and cultural heritages should be incorporated in the educational programmes. This effort will encourage students, parents and teachers to conserve heritage.
• There is diversity in religion and culture in the country. People of one cultural group should respect the culture of others.
• The methods of celebration of festivals should not be expensive. They should be simple and practicable in life.
• The historical and most valuable cultural and artistic items should be preserved in the museum.
• Different media like radio, television, newspapers etc. should be properly used to publicize the importance and ways of conservation of the heritages.