The waterfalls that beautify the landscapes of nature reserves and national parks invite you to appreciate and care for the natural heritage that is distributed throughout the world.
Natural heritage is a concept framed in Environmental Law that refers to the set of resources and assets of nature of immense importance for being a source of great geological and biological diversity. The natural heritage that is distinguished throughout the planet is also relevant in cultural, environmental, scientific and landscape matters.
Preserving the natural heritage is essential to guarantee the subsistence of each of the species that develop in diverse habitats , not generate imbalances associated with ecological processes, promote human well-being and to preserve the purity and richness of impressive natural landscapes . Within the Argentine surface, to describe a specific case, there are provinces that have united in pursuit of getting the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) to declare the yungas .
It is interesting to focus on the scope of this notion, to get advice on what the best conservation tactics are, what benefits arise from protecting natural heritage as best as possible and what issues constitute a threat to them. In this way, based on information and common sense (along with the respect that must be given to the natural environment and every being that inhabits this world), ecological awareness deepens and each person from their place can collaborate with the care of the planet. changing habits, promoting sustainability projects or doing environmental volunteering , to list a few possibilities.
How the natural heritage is composed
The natural heritage finds its basis in biodiversity . It is appropriate to highlight that the idea of biodiversity summarizes diversity , that is, the variety of organisms that inhabit the Earth and how, both among themselves and with the environment that surrounds them, they establish connections and relate.
Ensuring that biodiversity is not at risk (controlling, for example, that native flora develops smoothly and that representatives of wild fauna do not reach a state of vulnerability or danger of extinction) is key to ensuring ecological balance .
When there are factors that stimulate environmental harmony, ecosystems function optimally. It is necessary, therefore, to allocate individual and collective efforts to protecting rivers , lakes , oceans , mountains , coral reefs , wetlands and forests , specifically.
We must not lose sight of the fact that the natural heritage also includes geological, biological and physical formations of an exceptional nature.
National parks , territories of extreme beauty that possess authentic environmental treasures, serve to guarantee, within each nation, the protection of natural heritage .
For decades, the Galapagos Islands have been considered a Natural Heritage of Humanity.
Conservation strategies
Public awareness , as well as environmental education , is essential to take care of the planet and have a healthier, fairer and more pleasant world based on sustainability and respect .
Both must be accompanied, of course, with adequate conservation policies and solid environmental legislation .
When species in danger of extinction are detected, on the other hand, an in situ conservation plan is usually adopted in order not to distance the specimens from their natural habitats . When, for some reason, this option is not possible, ex situ conservation appears as a solution with the idea of contributing to or supporting the survival of populations. Botanical gardens , nurseries , centers dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of wildlife and germplasm banks are dedicated to this last type of conservation .
In the face of destruction, severe damage or degradation of ecosystems , it is also valid to launch an ecological restoration process.
Indiscriminate logging and forest fires are some factors that generate the loss of habitat of different lemur species, thus leading them to experience serious risks of extinction.
Threats to natural heritage
The natural heritage must be defended from multiple threats and realities that put the lives of millions of living beings and natural environments in check.
Climate change is, today, the main enemy for the well-being of species. Consequences related to the decrease in biological diversity and the imbalances observed in water resources ( floods , impossible to predict rainfall , droughts , rise in sea level and loss of ice sheets) are associated with it.
Problems are also evident as a result of all kinds of pollution (land, water, atmospheric, etc.) and deforestation . The indiscriminate felling of trees seriously damages habitats , negatively impacts biodiversity , erodes soil and alters water cycles , for example.
Invasive species , generally defined even as exotic, are microorganisms , fungi , animals or plants that, by accident (involuntarily) or by human decision (voluntarily), are transported to areas outside their natural areas of distribution. They are a worrying threat to guarantee conservation within protected areas , they generate considerable economic losses and put health at risk.
The overexploitation of natural resources and the fragmentation of habitats are other triggers of instabilities and deterioration around the natural heritage .