Nations like Nigeria occupies a unique geographical location and the variability in climate and geographic features endows her with one of the idiosyncratic biodiversity in the continent. Its diversity of natural ecosystems ranges from semi-arid savanna to mountain forests, rich seasonal floodplain environments, vast freshwater swamp forest and diverse costal vegetation. Conservation of the various biological elements which includes animals, plants and micro- organisms has since been a herculean and paramount task, which requires frequent exercises undertaken in order that human life is in turn preserved and protected because as the saying goes, man’s existentiality is in direct parallel algorithm with his ability to conserve his environment.
Finding a balance on how these biological elements will co-exist mutually and commensally with non-living components, climatic changes and ecological shifts and in the same vein bring development to the individual nations existing within its reach have been a global challenge. Preserving biodiversity can be equated to as preserving human lives, because though very little people know or appreciate the importance of biodiversity and its preservation especially in Nigeria, it does not in any way negate the fact that humans need biodiversity for survival. With this, it is safe to say that biodiversity is nature and human.
Biodiversity defined by Wilcox in 1982, “as the variety of life forms at all levels of biological systems (i.e., molecular, organismic, population, species and ecosystem). The 1992 United Nations Earth Summit defined “biodiversity” as the variability among living organisms from all sources including ‘inter alia’ terrestrial, marine and other aquatic systems and the ecological complexes of which they are part: this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. Gaston and Spicer 2004, defined biodiversity as variation of life at all levels of biological organization. Understanding that the different life forms each play essential roles, will impact the conservatory strategies put in place and will help with the establishment and implementation of new strategies.
Biodiversity conservation is the use of biological resources in ways that do not diminish or destroy the variety of genes and species or important ecosystems. It’s sad that biodiversity have gotten to the point where ‘save’ and ‘conserve’ are now being used in its description instead of words like ‘explore’ and ‘inherit’. Fact is that there would be nothing to explore and inherit owing to the fast rate of decadence and degeneracy of a once bio diversified nations if words such as conserve is not put in place. Conservation of biodiversity could be in situ (protection, maintenance and management of the variety of life forms within their natural habitat such as the national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and biosphere reserves) or ex situ (involves the breeding and maintenance of endangered species in artificial ecosystems such as the zoos, nurseries, botanical gardens, gene banks etc).
The three main objectives of biodiversity could be summarized thus:
i. To preserve the variability of species. ii. Sustainable utilization of species and ecosystem.
iii. To maintain life supporting systems and essential ecological processes.
If the above listed objectives of biodiversity are attained, the impact on human health and survival will be massive, this is because; the preservation of species variability will check mate the evolution of some human friendly animals, plants or microorganisms (For instances termites that degrade microorganisms present in the soil, to provide manure for growing plants) to dangerous species. This will help detect of genetic defects that may occur in one type of specie, hence, help prevent transfer of such defects to other similar species, thus, preventing extinction of species affected. Species and ecosystem utilization when sustained will ensure adequate and renewed acquisition of natural resources while maintenance of life supporting systems and ecological processes will enhance the quality of products such as oxygen obtained from trees for instance and will also ensure that odds of mutations of organisms at the genetic level is lessened.
The contributions of biodiversity to national development cannot be overemphasized; this is because the impacts it has to the varied sectors of Nation’s economy which includes source of food, raw materials, wide range of goods and services and genetic materials for agriculture, tourism, water resources, health, commerce and industrial development is immeasurable. The development of a nation in conjunction with bio diversification isn’t farfetched. The influx of tourist both domestic and international alone leads to a big boost of tourism vis-à-vis increasing internally generated revenues. This also comes with special recognitions from internal organizations which may lead to country serving as host nation for international conferences, sports, events, bringing about the much needed exposure of the nation and overall boost in national CGP and currency strength. Aside from the obvious, conservation of the biosphere is conservation of life on earth as it is.
Taking Nigeria as a case study, the Niger Delta region contains the largest tract of mangrove in Africa. The country is also known as a global hotspot for primate species. Some of the endemic species include three monkeys. The white-throated monkey (Cercopithecus erytrogaster), Scalter’s guenon (Cercopithecus Sclateri) and the Niger Delta red colobus (Peocolobus pennantii epieni). These are just a few of the hundreds contained in this region. The most endangered gorilla subspecies on earth, the cross River gorilla (Gorilla gorilla diehli) is found only in a couple of protected areas in Cross-River State, South Eastern Nigeria. Obvious steps have been taking by the Nigerian government to protect and conserve its diversity, these includes establishment and recognition of game reserves, forest reserves, national parks, protected habitats.
In spite of these potentials and action like steps, nations are still being faced with challenges regarding bio diversity conservation. These challenges could be grouped and summarized into natural, man-made and socio-cultural threats or challenges to the course. The growth of human population have resulted in the unsustainable exploitation of nation’s biological diversity. Human population increase is a very sensitive topic and the unprecedented and exponential increase in population have forced nations to ignore diversity and cater for the pressure of increasing population. This leads to cutting down of tree and turning national reserves to housing estates and non-renewable natural resources. Financial resources and its eventual allocation to the conservation of bio diversity has also become a case study. Convincing a nation to conserve diversity relative to other national crises is every conservative’s waterloo. Political will and weak coordination and monitoring among relevant intuitions is also a challenge. Some nation’s environmental problems are extensive and reversing these trends will require significant political and popular will. These are a few amongst other problems which may include poverty, lack of awareness, greed, insufficient laws, policies and bills in favor of bio diversity etc.
The goal of bio diversity conservation is to ensure sustainable use of natural resources and preservation of many benefits accruing from soil, water, wildlife for economic development. Moving beyond today, successful conservation approaches need to and adequately financed. In addition, more radical changes are required that recognize biodiversity as a global public good, that integrate biodiversity conservation into policies and decision frameworks for resource production and consumption, and that focus on wider institutional and societal changes to enable more effective implementation of policy.