u01a1 Diversity of Life Essay

u01a1 Diversity of Life Essay u01a1 Diversity of Life Essay In the world today, it is estimated that there are 1.5 to 1.8 million discovered and formally named species. Although no one is willing to place their career on the total species number, there has been a formula use to calculate what this number is and there speculations range from 3.6 million to upwards of 100 million species. (Wilson, E.O., 2002) From early on, when the first scientists started classifying species, there were only two main classifications. The two kingdoms of living organisms that continued from the beginning of Binomial Nomenclature were Animalia (animal) or Plantae (vegetable). This practice was used until the 19th century when it was determined that this was insufficient. Currently there are five kingdoms used in the classification of organisms along with two main divisions. The two main divisions are Prokaryotae (bacteria, etc.) and Eukaryotae (animals to include humans, plants, fungi, and protists). There has been even more recent development that the prokary otes are much more diverse that previously thought, they now divided into two domains, the Bacteria and the Archaea. (Ben Waggoner, 2005) What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity is a conglomeration of organisms, species, and populations. This is the genetic variation to include complex assemblages of societies and ecosystems. It also includes the environmental interactions of genes, species, and ecosystems. There are three different types of biodiversity; genetic, species, as well as ecosystems. Additionally, there are various threats to biodiversity which include; habitat loss and destruction, alterations that occur in the ecosystem composition, over hunting and over fishing, pollution and or contamination, and the global change in climate. In the book written by Lester R. Brown, Plan B 3.0; Scientists are concerned that the world is at the precipice, referred to as â€Å"tipping points†. Brown states we are in a race and which will tip first, the earth’s natural system or the world’s political systems. These social tipping points all have global consequences, including population shrinkages of endangered species, the human population rapidly increasing in underdeveloped countries that cannot be supported, global warming and the melting of the earth’s glaciers. There have been a growing number of unresolved problems stressing weaker governments into what is now known as failing states. An early sign of a failing civilization is the failing of states. Signs of governments that lose the ability and control of the security of its population will become one of these failing states. Some of the failing states currently are; Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Chad, Afghanistan, and Haiti to