Chapter 9, Problem 1TYC

To determine

The two reasons that why biodiversity is more in natural primary forest than even aged, single-species forestry.

Answer to Problem 1TYC

The more plentiful amount of biodiversity in natural primary forests is due to the diversity of habitat and food sources in those forests versus single-species forestry plantations (offering one type of plant habitat and food source).

Explanation of Solution

Biodiversity is defined as the variability among living organisms which comes from all sources that include terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystem and all the species on Earth together form an ecological system where they live, reproduce and evolve new species.

The two reasons for more biodiversity in primary natural forest contain more biodiversity than even aged, single species are described below:

(i) The diversity of habitat and food sources is the main reason for biodiversity richness in natural primary forest. The primary natural forest contains the old age trees that show human never cuts or exploits the forest or did not disturb the ecology of primary forest. The secondary forest or even aged single species forest contains less diversity because the secondary forest is more exploited by humans due to which the biodiversity of secondary forest is less as compared to the primary forest.

(ii) The biodiversity in primary forest is vast and diverse. After the natural calamities, the growth of pioneer species helps in re-maintaining the ecological diversity of primary forest. While in even aged or single species forestry contain single species and the loss of single species due to natural calamities could not help in re-maintaining the ecological diversity.

So, due to the presence of old age trees, the primary forest maintain their structural and natural resources that help in the survival of many species. Thus, the ecosystem or biodiversity in natural primary forest is more than the secondary forest.