Biological Resources So Important

By Lim Young-woon,

Organisms sustain the life on Earth as they faithfully accomplish their roles as producers, consumers, and decomposers.

Biological resources refer to species diversity that humans necessitate for their living. Species diversity is the number of morphological and genetic different species and closely relates to environments they inhabit. It offers many benefits in people's lives. As species diversity increase, the potential values of biological resources also increase.

Until the mid 20th century, most people did not comprehend the commercial value of biological resources. Forests inspire carbon dioxide and expire oxygen, which is crucial for living creatures. They also prevent natural disasters, like flood and drought, contribute to the regulation of global warming and provide foods and shelters for wild animals.

The nature has provided food resources which is vital for human survival. Numerous wild animals such as pigs, cows, and chickens were domesticated and became main sources of protein. About 100 species of crops such as rice, corn, and wheat occupy 90% of worldwide food supply. There are approximately 500 aquatic organisms consumed as food supplies.

Fibers are also manufactured from natural resources like plants, insects, and fur of animals. A madder and an ash tree dye fabrics into red and blue color respectively. Natural resources are also fundamental ingredients of medicines. For example, aspirin is made from willow bark extract and oriental herb medicines are mostly derived from natural ingredients.

New substances found in numerous organisms are advancing human lives. A protein that facilitates adhesion of hard-shelled mussels to the rock also facilitates stitch-free suture. As an ingredient of detergents, cosmetic products, and indigestion tablets, digestive enzyme found inside spider's gut is now frequently used. Some organisms are utilized to make bioenergy. Corns make bio-ethanol and plant seeds, which contain ample of vegetable oils produce biodiesel which runs vehicles. Additionally, people adopt insects' ability to perceive faint signals to telecommunication system, and the theory on ultrasonic generation of bats to radar technique.

Biological resource is a foundation of nation's industrial progress and fundamental material for biotechnology industry. As the number of species emerged as major raw materials for mainstream industry, global communities began to look for the way of effective sustainable use of biological resources. Worldwide efforts have been made to protect rights of farmers and to recognize property rights of new varieties of plants by numerous international organizations. As a result of these international efforts, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was adopted in 1992.

After the adoption of the CBD, many countries have implemented following actions for administration and protection of their native species: monitoring and taxonomy of native species, erection of biological resource centers, constructing database of natural resources, and preventing exploitation of native species by foreign personnel.

In Korea, however, the importance of biological resources had not been fully appreciated until recently. Due to the lack of understanding, natural resources have not been managed properly and specimens of most Korean native species were taken to different countries without any regulation. Due to the lack of funding on biological resource related field, there were not many experts on this specific subject.

Conserving species diversity is essential for sustention of the nature's life support system and of security of an infinite of resources. As the ecosystem undergoes rapid changes, alterations in distribution, diversity, and abundance of various organisms occur accordingly. Therefore, it is necessary for nations to establish legal systems to protect habitats of endangered species and conserve biological diversity.

So the Ministry of Environment organized National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR) to find and conserve native, new, and unrecorded species, and to declare the rights for Korean native species.

The opening NIBR on Oct 10 is therefore meaningful. It will important role to construct a database of natural resources, monitor native species, train taxonomy experts, and foster biological industry as well as to make an inventory of native species.

The writer is director at the Division of Non-Vascular Plants (Fungi/Alage) National Institute of Biological Resources (NIBR).