The more humans continue to grow, evolve, expand and develop, the more of an impact we have on our planet. As the level of this impact grows, sustainability becomes even more important; without it, the planet, and our species, will be unable to continue on. There are three basic principles of sustainability in the natural environment; biodiversity, chemical cycling and solar energy reliance.
Biodiversity
Biodiversity, short for biological diversity, refers to the variances between species. These variances include the genetic makeup of a species, as well as the environment or community the species occurs in. Biodiversity allows the species on our planet to survive, continue on, and adapt to our ever changing environment.
Our collective ecosystem contains more biodiversity than we can even begin to understand. Even smaller, individual ecosystems are quite complex and diverse. Smaller ecosystems work to sustain the collective ecosystem in many ways and are often reliant upon one another. Wetlands serve to filter toxins, prevent flooding and clean water supplies. Forests prevent erosion by the roots of trees and plants creating stability in soil. Forests also remove carbon from the atmosphere and release oxygen.
The planet is reliant on biodiversity in order to sustain the species found on it, including humans. Humans alone are greatly reliant on biodiversity in order to survive. Humans consume the meat from animals; all of which thrive in different environments, which may rely on other ecosystems. Humans, and the animals they consume, rely on other animals, as well as plants for food as well. Humans also rely on plants for breathing as plant absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen; an element required for our survival.
Chemical cycling
Chemical cycling involves the circulation of chemicals throughout the environment and ecosystems. Chemical cycling usually involves the cycling of minerals and nutrients from the ground and soil, into organisms, such as plants and animals, and then back into the earth. Nutrients are transferred through several different groups; consumers, producers and decomposers.
The easiest way to understand chemical cycling, is to think of it as a chain. For example, a tree (a primary producer) grows, absorbing carbon from the soil. Fall comes, and the tree sheds its leaves. The leaves then begin to rot and fungi (a decomposer) begins to grow, and further break down the rotting leaves, releasing the carbon back into the soil. This is a very simple example.
There are even more complicated examples. For example, calcium and potassium can be found within the soil. A shrub (a primary producer) grows in that soil, absorbing the calcium and potassium. A small rabbit (a primary consumer) nibbles at the leaves of the shrub, obtaining calcium and potassium. A small bear (a secondary consumer) captures and eats the rabbit, obtaining that same calcium and potassium. A hunter (a tertiary consumer) shoots the bear, eats the meat and obtains the calcium and potassium. The hunter then dies and microbes (decomposers) begin to break down his body, releasing the calcium and potassium back into the soil.
Solar energy reliance
All life, plants and animals alike, rely on solar energy for survival. The sun is responsible for not only heating the planet, but for supporting the chemical reactions involved in photosynthesis; a process that sustains plant life. Without the sun, plants would be unable to survive, and the animals that consume plants would have no food source. Further, the animals that consume the animals that consume plants would also lack food. Even decomposers, such as fungi, which require little to no light, would also suffer as there would be no nutrient source from the waste and decomposition of plants and animals. The sun holds our ecosystem in balance.