Impact of Pesticides on Biodiversity

#3

Did you know that around 20 000 people die each year due to the use of pesticides? In fact, pesticides even have a large effect on our environment. They can harm our plants and animals; they also have a harmful effect on the people who use them. But, pesticides are not only harmful. As much harm as they can do, we need the help that they can give. They can help the biodiversity of our planet as well as us.
The use of pesticides have some terrible effects on our biodiversity. These problems start with the fact that only seventy to ninety percent of pesticides that are applied by hand on the ground actually get to the target area they were meant to, and twenty-five to fifty percent of pesticides dissipated in the air by airplanes actually reach their target area. When the pesticides don’t reach their target area, they end up hitting other animals and the environment. Unfortunately the pesticides don’t only have effects on the animals it directly hits, the pesticides make their way up the food chain and poison animals on the higher part of the food chain as well. For example, if a fish was directly poisoned and was eaten by a bird, then the bird was eaten by a wolf. The wolf would still have pesticide poisoning but it would be more concentrated and not as deadly. Pesticides can harm the way an animal reproduces, and if they are still able to reproduce, the offspring is very likely to be affected and have birth defects. The effects of pesticides can last up to a couple of years because they take an extremely long period of time to break down. Lastly, scientists have researched and came to a conclusion that pesticides are contributing to the thinning of the ozone layer, and global warming. The uses of pesticides are becoming an increasing concern for biodiversity.
Pesticides can also be good for our planet and biodiversity because they have control on everything. Weeds and fungi can be very invasive of other plants and wild life; to get rid of them so other plants can survive we use pesticides. Using pesticides on weeds and fungi can also help keep habitats for animals clean, so they can survive there instead of having to find another clean place to live. The use of pesticides can also help humans; we use pesticides on crops to stop animals and pests from consuming our harvest. This helps us because if we didn’t use the pesticides we would not have any crops because they would all be consumed by pests. For example, we use pesticides on apples to keep fruit flies away. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t have any apple to eat. Pesticides help our biodiversity by protecting some of our most important habitats.
I personally believe that the use of pesticides is okay in some situations. I think that the stronger the pesticide, the more cautions should be taken with it. Pesticides should only be used to protect our crops, and some habitats. Personal use of pesticides should not be taken because that is where most accidents happen.
Pesticides are used to control the amount of pests, weeds, and fungi in certain areas. They cause many problems to biodiversity, they can kill or seriously poison anything that comes into any kind of contact with them. But, they also help preserve important habitats. Pesticides have many pros and cons about how they have effects the biodiversity of the planet.

References
Blades Lawn Care. (2009).Information about pesticides. Why are pesticides bad for the environment? http://www.bladeslawncare.com/pesticidesandenvironment.html

Croplife.(April 2009).Biodiversity and pesticides. http://www.croplife.org/library/documents/Sustainability/Factsheet%20-%20Biodiversity%20and%20Pesticides.pdf

Donna, F. (July 28, 2009). School to go. What are the negative effects of pesticide use? http://fryedblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/what-are-negative-effects-of-pesticide.html

Oliver, J. (January 31, 2001). Pesticides and biodiversity. http://dp.biology.dal.ca/reports/zoliver/oliverst.html