BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
In
today's political climate, when one hears the word diversity, it is most often
used to refer to human diversity: that is, the range of ethnic or religious
differences that might be used to separate humans as to their "type".
But biologically speaking, all humans are one species, and our survival
-- as is true with all other animal or plant species -- is dependent upon the
complex web of all living things (plant and animal).
Yet, the
our species is systematically destroying this complex web of life around us by altering
the environment upon which these living things depend. Whether this be in
huge ways -- like changing the Earth's climate or polluting the sources of our
drinking water -- or by small things, like spraying insecticides around
our homes, or removing native plants from our yards and replacing them with
grass and other alien species that cannot feed our insects and thereby drive away or starve our
native song birds.
On this
page, I would like for us to discuss or share ways in which we might change the
way we live here in Southwest Virginia in order that we might better preserve this web of life upon
which we all ultimately depend -- simple things we might can do around home or
in our Town to help preserve (or restore) the native life around us.
Please use the Comments Areas below to share with us ways, no
matter how small small, with which we might encourage the survival or re-establishment of our
native plant and animal life.
LANDSCAPING WITH NATIVE PLANTS. During the fall of 2011, the Greener Community Committee at Warm Hearth Village introduced me to a book called "Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants" by Douglas Tallamy.
ReplyDeleteIn his preface, Tallamy states, "All plants are not created equal, particularly in their ability to support wildlife. Most of our native plant-eaters are not able to eat alien plants, and we are replacing native plants with alien species at an alarming rate, especially in the suburban gardens on which our wildlife increasingly depends. My central message is that unless we restore native plants to our suburban ecosystems, the future of biodiversity in the United States is dim."
I strongly recommend this book for anyone wishing to improve the biodiversity of property surrounding their home or place of business
Some good books about biological diversity are:
ReplyDeleteThe Creation: An Appeal to Save Life on Earth by E. O. Wilson
The Diversity of Life by E. O. Wilson
New York Times article about why we need trees:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/12/opinion/why-trees-matter.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1_20120412