Bees: The Importance Of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the spectacular variety of life on Earth and the essential interdependence among all living things (Tilman, Kinzig and Pacala, 2013). Biodiversity is important because if one factor is taken out of the picture it can have an enormous effect on the rest of the living things in the world for example, certain flowering plants depend on bees for pollination. The bees depend on the flowers for their food (nectar or pollen). After pollination, the plants produce fruits and this is receptacles for the seeds of the next generation. Birds eat the fruits and the seeds pass through the birds’ digestive system which results in new plants that grow. Beetles may eat their way into the same fruit. Small rodents gnaw into the fruits searching

Without seeds and their fruity packaging, there is no food for other wildlife (Bisby, Coddington, Thorpe, Smartt, Hengeveld, Edwards & Duffield. 1995). Biological diversity is threatened by human factors; including overpopulation, loss and fragmentation of habitat, introduction of non-native, or exotic species, overexploitation of commercially valuable species, pollution and contamination due to pesticides and acid rain, and changes of global dimensions such as warming and the depletion of the ozone layer. The result is that species loss seems to be occurring at a higher rate than ever before as a result of human activity (Tilman, Kinzig and Pacala, 2013).

Juliana's golden-mole belongs to an ancient group of mammals known as the golden-moles. The compact, streamlined body is covered with sleek fur; the upperparts of the fur are a

To date, literature pertaining to the species distribution states that the Juliana's golden mole is confined to sandy soils, although the animals are not uniformly distributed throughout their geographical range and appear to be restricted to particular habitat types ( Jackson, Lubbe, Robertson, Setsaas, Van Der Waals, & Bennett. 2007). The Juliana golden mole habitat that is lost and fragmented in the process of human development of infrastructure can be seen as a phenomenon that is considered to be the single greatest threat to biodiversity at global and regional scales and is indeed the greatest concern for effective long-term golden mole conservation. Currently two populations are protected, one in the south-western area of the Kruger National Park (Mpumalanga), and the other in the Nylsvley Nature Reserve in South Africa's Northern Province (Jackson et al. 2007). The conservation of Juliana’s golden mole can be done by breeding programs and continues infrastructure around these three areas can be