Reflections on Biodiversity Stewardship in Stony Creek

 The preservation and conservation of species is important to the ecological functions of an ecosystem. When ecosystems function as they should they provide many services that are essential for a healthy human population. When used sustainably, ecosystems can also provide great economic value to the region and the population that live within them. Ecosystems inherently rely on biodiversity; individual species work in harmony with one another to support the services that ecosystems provide. Therefore biodiversity stewardship is an important aspect of healthy ecosystems within a landscape of an ever growing human population. As I mentioned in my first blog post, Naggs (2017) suggests that the human population with its size and impact on the natural world is contributing to the 6th mass extinction event. As the human population continues to grow, the need and use of natural resources including biodiversity continues to increase. In the future the human population should be concerned with how we can live sustainably with biodiversity? How can we promote sustainable practices to ensure the long term survival of species? Additionally, how can we as biodiversity stewards inform the general public of the importance of biodiversity and the consequences of mass extinctions and their implications on the human population? Biodiversity stewardship of Stony Creek is as equally important as biodiversity stewardship of the Amazon rainforest. Yes, I will agree that the Amazon rainforest has cooler critters in some aspect compared to the ones found in Stony Creek. However, they are equally important ecologically speaking. Biodiversity and the human impacts on it, knows no borders, the actions of a small population in Virginia can have dramatic impacts on the biodiversity of an estuary in North Carolina. The human population must understand that our actions not only affect us on a local level but impacts are commonly felt at the regional, national, and international levels. As stewards of biodiversity we must continue to educate the general public on the benefits of biodiversity and ecosystems as a whole, and how it promotes a healthy, productive human population. 

Naggs, F. (2017). Saving living diversity in the face of the unstoppable 6th mass extinction: A call for urgent international action. the journal of population and sustainability, 1(2), 67-81.