The world is a fast-changing place. There are many important components and features that make it worthwhile though. This includes flora and fauna. Plants and animals form a larger part of the ecosystem and are often put into consideration when it comes to urban, rural and regional planning. Microorganisms and other life forms in the soil, atmosphere or water also need a home to flourish. That said, flora and fauna remain crucial with the roles they play.
Humans have evolved over time and there seems to be no end in sight. Innovations, technology, and other scientific discoveries mean that nature is under a serious threat. As a result, there’s barely enough habitat for quite a number of animals and plants to thrive or at least survive. This is why most countries, states, other governmental bodies, and the private sector are doing their bit to initiate structures that put flora and fauna into consideration. This is because a lot has gone wrong with planning, hence, the need for urban regeneration to shape the future.
Also Read: Importance of Environmental Education
What Are Flora and Fauna?
Flora is a term that applies to the collective plant life growing in any area. It also refers to plants that occupied certain areas at one point in time. Generally, you can refer to every plant life including newly discovered species as flora. Plants cover a vast majority of the earth and do more than provide beauty and scenic pleasure. Whether they are underwater or in areas of the environment thought of as unlikely, humanity needs them.
In addition, there are some classifications of flora; ‘Native flora’ deals with plants indigenous to a specific place of which Cacti is an example. There’s the ‘Fossil flora’ helping scientists discover properties of pre-historic plants while ‘Agricultural flora’ refers to plant life grown by humans for different reasons. There’s also the ‘Horticultural flora’ which deals with decorative and often beautiful plants.
Fauna encapsulates every animal life that exists or that once existed. It’s no wonder then, that the name ‘Fauna’ was the name associated with forest spirits and a Roman god. With animal life being in existence from the very beginning, classification is a bit tedious. In fact, evolution has seen many species come and go. However, some classifications include the ‘Piscifauna’ referring to fish, ‘Avifauna’ to birds and even smaller organisms that can be invisible to the eye fall under ‘Microfauna.’ ‘Microfauna’ and ‘Megafauna’ refer to smaller and larger animals respectively. In all, the planet is capable of producing so much beauty with a balance from all sides to create better urban and rural dwelling areas.
Importance of Flora and Fauna
The importance of these two categories that make up a unique part of the ecosystem cannot be overemphasized. But, to make things clearer, here are primary reasons why they are so important to have.
- Aesthetic Appeal
- Ecological Balance
- Promotes Biodiversity
- Provide companionship & boots productivity
The Aesthetic Appeal
Imagine walking up to a town and noticing no floral life in the form of lawns, flowers and other plant life. That’s certainly not a good look especially if you put urban and regional planning into consideration. It’s no wonder that those who want to become involved in urban planning have to give thought to flora and fauna. Humans love beauty. Since you can’t spend the whole day in the forest or at a hillside, surrounding the environment with aesthetic plants and animals is important. For this reason, there are reservations, parks, zoos, and other beautiful protected sites to preserve nature’s gift to humanity. With beautiful landmarks, towns and cities make for the best scenes.
Ecological Balance
The thought of not having flora and fauna in the world can be rolled into one word – catastrophe. This is because humans simply can’t be present on the earth without them. In addition, on the side of flora, you have plants that generate and release oxygen which is then breathed in by animals (Fauna). On the flip side, fauna gives up carbon dioxide used by plants for photosynthesis. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship without which none will survive. Furthermore, humans need both. The oxygen is necessary for respiratory purposes and the release of carbon dioxide by the same adds balance to the ecosystem.
With the equilibrium created by ecological balance, humans can use flora and fauna for food, medicine, and other important purposes. It’s a no-brainer because the main sources of food consumed by the human species are provided by plants and animals. While there are a lot of plants that have suitable properties that help to cure various ailments. Water is also an essential part of the equation without which there would be no human race to write about. Flora makes this possible.
Furthermore, the earth is one big cycle with animals feeding on other animals and on plants. When the animals die, their bodies provide some minerals to plants which further boosts their growth. Also, their droppings provide fertilizer to help such plants grow. This shows a dependency that’s beneficial on all levels.
Promotes Biodiversity
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in a given area. They are the plants, animals, and organisms you can come across in a location. But there are misconceptions about biodiversity and what it is. For one, it is not a term that only refers to the rural areas of a town or city simply because plant and animal life thrives more in such places. Biodiversity exists in cities and urban areas – thanks to well-thought-out plans. Yet, this is only possible where humans are more concerned about helping flora and fauna flourish irrespective of the size of the space.
Furthermore, crowded places are creeping up. The rural areas are seeing more people – thanks to an upsurge in population while the towns and cities are undergoing transformations. This is particularly true because humans have recognized the need for cleaner air and even better habitat for flora and fauna. In line with this, rural, urban and regional planning have led to added greenery on roofs and the creation of living walls.
Furthermore, with these considerations, biodiversity is increased and humans will have cleaner spaces not only in urban areas but down to rural and regional areas.
Also Read: Environmental degradation
Flora and Fauna Provide Companionship and Boost Productivity
The world is one big hub of social interactions and human beings are at the center of it. While flora and fauna are fit for food and even labor, they do afford humanity the pleasure of their company. They have lasted this long providing comfort and happiness enabling productivity. For instance, plants have become a fixture in most office environments and giving workers a dose of freshness. This helps workers focus more on their tasks.
Fish have been shown to lower blood pressure just by watching them swim in tanks. Gardens also help humans have a sense of fulfillment, reduces stress and provide some beauty. This is why some organizations and people hire planning experts to get the balance right. Also, there are a lot of parks and public gardens that serve as relaxation spots for members of most communities.
Fauna is a group with many animals that humans have come to love and appreciate. There are pets from almost all species of animals. Those that can’t be kept in the real sense of the word, are put in reserves or left to roam in protected wildlife areas. Dogs are great companions for homes alongside other animals like cats, birds, and rabbits. In fact, those who keep animals as pets are likely to live longer than those who don’t.
Flora and fauna are great to have and you can find out what works for you. Having them in and around your home provides a soothing environment. Further, with climate change reaching desperate proportions, more cities, towns, and villages are embracing efforts to reinforce the importance of flora and fauna.
Conclusion
With the rising urban population already mentioned in this article, flora and fauna face a race against time. Humans must figure out a way to protect them by planning out living areas for them in the urban, regional and rural communities.
Also Read: Various Types of Pollution
Author Bio: Tiffany Harper is a talented writer from New York, an extremely active woman, and a real leader. She began her career as a journalist and later proceeded it as an educational writer and editor, sometimes she helps paper writing services with their social media content and blogging. Please do not hesitate to contact her on Twitter.
