IMPORTANCE OF WILDLIFE
“The nation’s greatness can only be judged in a manner how its animals are treated;” these are the kind words of our father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.
Wildlife is a broad term which is not only concerned with the undomesticated animal species, but it contains everything which is related to our ecosystem such as flora and fauna, microorganisms and other species.
Wildlife- A Vital part of the Ecosystem:
Earth is the only planet in our galaxy to support habitat for life. Wildlife is found in all ecosystems, be it a desert, water bodies or green land, grass forests or rainforests. Wildlife doesn’t signify the animal living in forests, but it signifies about every undomesticated life surrounding us, starting from microorganisms, birds, fishes, and many more species. In order to have a right balance in our ecosystem, their survival is important.
Conservation of Wildlife to maintain the balance:
The gene pool we have with us now needs to be conserved to understand the evolution of life and maintaining the balance of our ecosystem. Depletion and extinction of any species result in the degradation of the rich gene pool which took thousands of years in the process of evolution to provide us with this rich gene pool.
Plants- the major player in the ecosystem:
Starting with the production of food and water, plants play an important role in the water cycle in every ecosystem. They create the right balance and are responsible for the amount of rainfall in a particular area. As far as food production is considered plants provide mankind with various food resource. Even a little imbalance can create havoc results in the whole ecosystem.
Let’s take an example of scavengers they are considered as the cleaning agent in our ecosystem. They thrive on the dead and decaying organisms. By doing so, they clean our environment, add to the health of other organisms in our surrounding and contribute to a disease-free environment. Starting from animals in the Land like hyenas, aerial scavengers such as vultures, aquatic animals like sharks and even microorganisms convert the decaying part of the living organisms into nitrogen which acts as a fertilizer for the plant thus contributing towards the nitrogen nutrient cycle. Now due to various man-made reasons, the scavengers are facing the verge of extinction resulting in the imbalance in the ecosystem. The dead and decaying animal bodies are rotten in the open resulting in health hazards for life being around. Man is facing a natural disaster caused by the imbalance created in exchange of selfish needs of mankind.
Deforestation is another major reason for the natural disaster. With less number forest we have fewer animals, we have less oxygen in our environment. The ozone is depleting resulting in global warming.
Wildlife- A Rich Gene Pool:
The wildlife have a rich gene pool for the future mankind to be proud of. They are part of our culture and heritage. The elephants and horses were part of several temples rituals in various parts of India till now. From this, it can be easily understood why animals play a significant role in our life.
Conclusion:
Just as pet animals are part of our household and we take care of their well-being, similarly spreading the awareness and creating a livable surrounding for wild animals is part of our duty. To maintain the balance and create healthy surrounding for a living being should be the prime motive for the Government also. Steps from both side from the active citizen and from Government should be taken. We should spread awareness in our society for wildlife conservation. The endangered species which are the part of the wildlife must be protected by the government. For our awareness, only our ecosystem will be protected.
Few words best express the rule to be followed for balance in our ecosystem:
Be kind to every kind, not just mankind…
By Venu
EdgeArticles 