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Deshana Liyanage

GEO 3410.08 (S19)

Professor. King

2/18/2019

How does biodiversity in California relevant to our daily lives?

Warm weather, sandy beaches, and busy streets are all things that people associate when

talking about California. However, it has much more to offer, being a biodiversity hotspot, in

comparison to the rest of the country. California is home to thousands of different plants and

animals. They can be discovered anywhere from the long desert valleys to the coastal beaches

found throughout the state. The way that these species interact with their surroundings and

environment is what ultimately biodiversity is. One of the biggest threats to biodiversity is

population, California is among one of the most populous states. This paper will aim to give a

better understanding of biodiversity in California, its role within our lives, the threats facing it

today and the solutions proposed by experts to preserve it.

What is Biodiversity? In simple terms, biodiversity is the variety of life on planet earth (AMNH,

2018). However, it would be quite unfair to put it into such layman’s terms for that biodiversity is

quite the complex subject. Biodiversity includes every biotic from species, ecosystem,

microorganism to even genes. The Ocean makes up 70% of the planet, which is why it is one of

the most biodiverse places. The interactions that take place within the ocean show us truly what

biodiversity means. When looking at the coral reefs, for example, we see a large number of species

that exist within it and the interaction they have with the environment. Coral reefs are a home to

many fish that use the reefs as protection from predatory species. It also provides as a food source
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for certain fish who feed on the algae found within the corals. Other fish contribute to the

ecosystem by feeding on the corals and excreting sand. The white sand found on the beaches in

Hawaii, for example, is a direct example of this interaction between coral and parrot fish

(CRA,2018). This case of biodiverse ecology can also be beneficial for humans. For example;

small-fisherman rely on these reefs for food, tourism, and even medication. This is one of the

primary reasons why maintaining biodiversity is so important.

California’s land spans more than 150,000 miles and along these stretches of land are various

topography, climate, and environments. Home to hundreds of different parks, thousands of

different lakes and many forests, the life that exists within these environments are what makes

California so biodiverse. California habits many deferent types of species from birds, reptiles,

marine life, mammals, and plants. They can be found in many different biomes ranging from

grasslands, deserts, wetlands, oak woodlands and among others. Out of all these different areas,

the California Floristic Province is among one of the most biodiverse locations within the state. It

is located along the Pacific coast of North America and what makes it such a unique biodiversity

hotspot is its Mediterranean-type weather. It is home to more 3,500 different plant species and

more than half of that is unique to just the province (CEPF, 2017). This is the region that is home

to California’s most endangered and popular plants such as the giant sequoia. There are many

different types of species that the sequoias benefit. One of these is the giant bats and rodents that

live within these trees who lay upon the tree’s foliage. The trees also support a vast system of

insect’s and arachnids who create their homes and lay eggs within the plants. There are also large

numbers of endangered animals present within the floristic province, for example; the Californian

condor (largest American bird). It is also home to many different mammals such as foxes, bears,
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jaguars, and bears (CEPF,2017). The hotspot also houses many reptiles and amphibians that are at

risk of being endangered due to inhospitable conditions.

The listings above are just a fraction of the biodiversity that can be seen throughout the state of

California. There is still much more to biodiverse ecology’s that exist. However, it is important to

look at the consequences, if biodiversity was to decline. Currently, California’s environments such

as wetlands, woodlands, and forests are all suffering a massive shortage of biodiversity. This is

not just something that is happening in California but experienced throughout the world. Over the

past 150 years, more than 85% of biologically diverse environments have been declined (CDFA,

2018). In California alone, the fish ecology, grasslands, and other habitat loss are at an all-time

low. The effects of this can have drastic changes in carbon sequestration, soil fertility and

pollination hurting the California economy. Furthermore, the spiritual and cultural exercises of the

Native American tribes are also put at risk. We will begin to see the loss of tourism in areas such

as the Sierra Nevada if biodiversity was to be destroyed. The spread of Urbanization is also hurting

land conservation. As the population of California continues to grow so does the need for land.

This leads to deforestation and habitat fragmentation, where natural habitats home to many

different types of species and plants are destroyed. Deforestation is also a main contributing factor

in global warming.

What are the solutions? Many have proposed solutions for retaining biodiversity, ranging from

protected areas, legislature change, to working landscapes. All of these are valid responses to the

efforts to conserve biodiversity. Protected lands, for example, provide as pockets of mosaic life

where endangered species could survive and thrive ex; redwood grove in California. Legislature

change can be one of the most effective in terms of being a long-term solution. An example of this

would be the 2015 state wildlife action plan. This set out to establish plans in terms of conserving
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aquatic and mammal life across the state of California. Furthermore, Governor Brown launched a

California biodiversity initiative which aimed to work with local experts, philanthropists, well as

Native American tribes to protect biodiversity (CDFA, 2018). The next would be working

landscapes which have been proposed by many types of research as a complement to protected

lands in terms of helping them become a long-term solution. This by mediating the species across

different protected lands. It also brings ideas of biodiversity-based agriculture, such as

agroforestry, etc. Ex; Strawberry production in Central California where strawberry fields are

complemented with different vegetation and diverse vegetable crops which creates a biodiverse

environment (Kremen & Merenlender 2018). Biodiversity is only going to worsen with climate

change and human population growth, however, there are many solutions to protect biological

diversity.

In Conclusion, California is one of the most biologically diverse places in the world. It is home

to many different types of biomes, plants, and animals. It is the utmost importance to preserve the

interactions that happen naturally within these three things. Primarily because Biodiversity is

intertwined within the success of humans and the future of nature itself.

WC: 1125
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CITATIONS APA SYLE:

Mittermeier, R. A., Mittermeier, R. A., & Cemex, S.A. de C.V. (2004). Hotspots revisited. Mexico

City, Mexico: Cemex.

"California Floristic Province - Species | CEPF." Protecting biodiversity by empowering people |

CEPF. Web. http://www.cepf.net/our-work/biodiversity-hotspots/california-floristic-

province/species

Coral Reef Biodiversity | Coral Reef Alliance. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://coral.org/coral-reefs-

101/coral-reef-ecology/coral-reef-biodiversity/

A Roadmap for Protecting the State’s Natural Heritage. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://opr.ca.gov/docs/20180907-CaliforniaBiodiversityActionPlan.pdf

Carrington, D. (2018, November 10). What is biodiversity and why does it matter to us? Retrieved

from https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/12/what-is-biodiversity-and-why-does-it-

matter-to-us

Kremen, C., & Merenlender, A. M. (2018). Landscapes that work for biodiversity and people.

Science, 362(6412). doi:10.1126/science.aau6020