-
Essay / The need to conserve agricultural biodiversity
Agricultural biodiversity is defined as the variability and variety of plants, animals and microorganisms used in agriculture and food. To clarify, agricultural biodiversity can be broadened and classified into ecological diversity, genetic diversity and organizational diversity. Agriculture is not just a subset of biodiversity, it somehow encompasses units and habitats that are not generally accepted or recognized by some biologists as part of biological diversity . Agricultural biodiversity is the result of interactions between humans and natural ecosystems and provides benefits to human health and nutrition and is capable of providing humans with goods and services. It includes species used directly and indirectly in food and agriculture, as well as species that are not included in the agricultural system. Diets, food consumption, nutrition and ingredients for food preparation, cooking and storage are also one of the elements of agricultural biodiversity. In addition, agricultural biodiversity also includes physical, social, cultural, ethical and spiritual elements, as well as elements that benefit or harm crops, food production and the ecosystem. For example, pollination is one of the elements that can bring benefits not only to food production but also to the ecosystem. Likewise, pests and diseases are just some of the elements of agricultural biodiversity that harm crops. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get the original essay The number of plant and animal species that have been successfully domesticated has declined over the centuries due to the simplification of the agriculture, also known as the agricultural revolution. . The ease of cultivation, the nutrition that species are capable of producing, and the species that can be grown in a particular habitat are the reasons for the simplification of agriculture. Over the centuries, natural selection and artificial selection have developed a complex diversity of landraces or landraces. Due to the difference in external conditions in this type of soil, weather, climate, landraces or primitive cultivars have their own adaptation and characteristics such as nutritional value, utilization and maturity date. The simplification of agriculture has caused some controversy. Researchers have suggested that this reduces human dietary diversity due to the intensification of agriculture. This has adverse effects on human health because humans depend on only a small number of cultivated species, e.g. staple foods, which are mainly barley, wheat, rice, millet, etc., and can cause malnutrition and a higher risk of being infected with diseases. However, some researchers have suggested that by growing such crops, others could focus on finding other nutrients and thus have a balanced diet. In short, it cannot be denied that the intensification of agriculture has supported the growth of the human population. The simplification of agriculture is mainly caused by modern intensive agriculture, while others are small-scale farming and other various forms of traditional agriculture, home gardens. However, the replacement of local varieties with more advanced cultivars has caused genetic erosion of cultivated species and loss of local varieties. Humans in the world,.