The importance of Biodiversity
Biodiversity is calling…and it wants its land back!
Everyone knows what happened to our beautiful, rolling prairies. They were transformed into the bountiful Ag fields you see today. Don’t forget to say thank you while chomping down on that ear of corn…
So what is biodiversity and why is it important?
Well, let’s start from the MN Dept of Natural Resources, as they explain what benefits biodiversity gives us:
Maintaining healthy, stable plant and animal populations
Protecting genetic diversity
Protecting water and soil resources
Filtering pollution and nutrient recycling
Contributing to climate stability and carbon storage
Recovering from catastrophic events
Providing sources for food, medicine and other products
Research, education and monitoring
Recreation, tourism and inspiration
Seems pretty great!
And what about those Pollinators? Who are they and what do they do?
Pollinators are any animal that move pollen from one plant to the next. Without getting too graphic, pollinators help plants reproduce offspring in the form of seeds, so that more plants will be able to grow.
Many common pollinators are the bumble-bee, wasp, ants, and birds.
What is the situation right now?
From this National Geographic article, it details how only 5% of grassland remains today. : (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/grassland-threats/). These are the same lands in which humans have prospered greatly from. Agricultural farms contributed $136.7 billion dollars to the US GDP. (https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/ag-and-food-sectors-and-the-economy/).
Locally, we have our own issues here in the upper Mid-West: “1.3 million acres of grassland disappeared between 2006 and 2011 in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota,” (http://science.time.com/2013/02/20/as-crop-prices-rise-farmland-expands-and-the-environment-suffers/).
As farming in the Mid-West continues to expand to reach the global markets, we need to think outside the box for ways to promote biodiversity locally. As landowners, we can create pockets of habitat, that string together a highly functional biome. This benefits the pollinators and in turn, the humans.
How do we do this as private land owners?
Plant native!
It’s easy to accomplish and with the help of a naturalist or a restorationist, we can point in the correct way.
Some plants like wetter soils, some plants like dry. Some plants are more susceptible to shade, others need full sun.
When I think of what we can accomplish as landowners, I think back to a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote, “Adopt the pace of nature: Her secret is patience.”
No, that’s not it. Maybe it was David Attenborough, “It is that range of biodiversity that we must care for – the whole thing – rather than just one or two stars.”
Or maybe it was Jacques Cousteau, “The happiness of the bee and the dolphin is to exist. For man, it is to know that and wonder at it.”
Right??
Let’s keep going.
What percentage of private land are we looking at?
(https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/home/?cid=stelprdb1083124)
As you can see, developed land only accumulates to 6%. Not a ton, but every little bit helps! Kyle Brazil of the Nat’l Bobwhite Conservation says, “Small changes in native vegetation can cause a disproportionate positive return on wildlife, so every little bit helps,” https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/home/?cid=STELPRDB1166100.
One area to keep an eye on as a private landowner, is development. Are you apart of a housing association? Maybe a member of your city council?
When new development is up for discussion, remember to keep conservation practices in mind.
As referenced in Jeffrey Milder’s article, “…conventional development typically displaces sensitive native species, introduces and promotes the spread of nonnative species, degrades water resources, fragments habitat networks, and diminishes the land’s cultural and aesthetic value,” (Radeloff et al. 2005b).
In Conclusion.
If this hasn’t motivated you enough to get out there and promote native plantings to your neighbors, don’t worry! We’ll be pumping out more articles for our Habitat Enhancement series coming up. So stay tuned!
For more information on planting native, please visit this article from the MN Pollution Control Agency, “Planting natives for beauty & biodiversity” (https://www.pca.state.mn.us/planting-natives-beauty-biodiversity).
Cheers!
You can thank a honey bee for ⅓rd of your diet.
-Unknown