Biodiversity
Biodiversity provides vital ecosystem functions. Restoring the biodiversity of plants and animals is one of the goals of the Zurich Forest Project
Why is Biodiversity so important?
With the Zurich Forest Project, Instituto Terra aims to re-create native forests, restore the biodiversity of plants and animals, protect soil, and to revive and maintain water sources on the former cattle farm “Bulcão” in the Doce river valley in Brazil.
The term biodiversity refers to the mix of organic life that exists within an ecosystem. It includes animals, insects, plants, and even bacteria and fungi.
Biodiversity is important for several reasons. Every organism in an ecosystem plays its part in that system, meaning they are interdependent. Trees rely on birds eating and digesting their fruit to spread their seeds; bacteria in the soil break down dead plant and animal matter, and the extracted nutrients feed other plants. Once one part of this network of organisms is lost, it has knock-on effects for the rest of the ecosystem, which will become less resilient and more vulnerable to disruptions, like climate change.
The Biodiversity of a forest – from the soil to its tree tops
Listen to the difference between a native forest and a tree monoculture
Turn up the volume and listen to this impressive example from Crowther Lab, where you can actually hear the difference between native forest and a tree monoculture.
