Concept explainers
Insects are the largest group of animals on Earth. Insect diversity is greatest in the tropics, where habitat destruction and species extinction are occurring at an alarming rate. What biological, economic, and ethical arguments can you advance to persuade people and governments to preserve this biological diversity?
To discuss:
The biological, economic, and ethical aspects regarding the preservation of insects.
Introduction:
The insects are included in the arthropods. The insects have an exoskeleton made up of chitin, three pairs of legs, and a segmented body. The insects are a major part of the ecosystem.
Explanation of Solution
All the living organisms are interdependent for their survival. The richness of plants and animals in a distinct habitat determines the biodiversity of that region. The services offered by nature reduced by the loss of biodiversity.
Biological importance:
One of the efficient methods of pollination is insect-pollination. The insects, such as bees and flies transfer the pollen grains to the other flowers of the same or different plants. This leads to the increase in pollination, thus benefiting the plants. The bees and flies attracted to the flowers for the nectar produced by the flowers. Some of the insects are decomposers and help in maintaining the richness of soil and aerate the soil by digging holes as their homes.
Economic importance:
Some of the insects are highly valuable in terms of products that are obtained from them. The silk, lacquer, wax, and honey is obtained and they are economical to humans.
Ethical importance:
Diseases developed by the microbes transmitted by insects every year affect the humans. The insects should be preserved even if insects are harming humans because every life form is important for the continuation of life on Earth. Any sort of disturbance in levels of life forms will affect all the life forms.
The insects are important in terms of economic, biological, and ethical aspects because the balance of all life forms is necessary for the well functioning of the life cycle of all organisms on this planet.
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Chapter 24 Solutions
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