Nature has a vital role to play in our world. It is due to nature that we are alive today, it is due to nature that our successors will be alive tomorrow. However important nature might be, we are destroying it to such an extent that if we don’t act now, we will lose everything nature has to offer. Through the next 4 blogs I will be discussing 4 biomes; forests, deserts and grasslands, oceans and the arctic and Antarctica. I will discuss what is happening to them and why it is so significant.
Forests are one of the largest habitats in the world. They are home to over 5 - 10 million different animal species. It is a vast civilization in itself that has various unwritten rules and an evolution timeline that not many people know of. It is often said that these forests are the most diverse places where you can find a vast array of animals living in unity. It is ironic that even though we are an advanced species, the nomads are able to live in peace and harmony.
We see a lot of forests around the world and while many might know of the Amazon forest, not many know about the wondrous Boreal forest. It is the largest forest in the north and is home to many endangered species. This is the case due to heavy poaching and an increase in deforestation. Many species living in this forest, like the Siberian Tiger, have thick and exotic fur that is very precious and pricy. Due to the greed for money, these animals have been hunted to the brink of extinction. Only 560 Siberian Tigers are left and only now reforms have been made to save them from disaster.
The reason why certain animals going extinct is a big deal is because of the food cycle and interdependence between various living organisms. All animals in some way or the other play a vital role in nature and survival. For example boars provide food for the tigers and, when those tigers die, then provide the natural fertilizer that helps the plants grow that are food for the boars and the cycle repeats itself. If the Siberian Tigers were to go extinct, it would in turn mean that the boars would go extinct and these boars also provide food for the locals of the Boreal. So if tigers were to go extinct, it would put the lives of millions at risk.
Forests provide home not only to animals but also to a lot of trees that are important and necessary for the survival of life. Such can be observed in the Western Ghats of India. These forests are home to various trees and plants that the locals use in various ways. Neem and Indian Gooseberry serve as medicine in these areas while cardamom, turmeric, Jasmin, saffron, ginger and mangos serve as an important part of their diets. Not only this but their economy runs on furniture made from Ashoka wood and Bullet wood.
There is no doubt that both nature and living organisms depend on each other at a greater scale than we initially thought. It is this interdependence that is key for the survival of both. If we don’t abide by the rules of nature, it can be catastrophic for us and if nature has no protector, it is doomed. Nature has helped us through evolution, adaptation and even urbanization and it is now our turn to do the favor back. The time is now where we take action to save these forests so that we can save everyone and everything on this planet.
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