The UN Biodiversity Conference, COP15, scheduled for completion on December 19. This weekend we look at how humanity depends on biodiversity for a healthy and thriving global ecosystem.
When a species goes extinct, it takes with it all the physical, chemical, biological, and behavioral traits that were chosen for that species after being tested and retested in countless evolutionary experiments spanning many thousands and perhaps millions. years of evolution.
This includes constructions for heating, cooling and ventilation; to move most effectively and efficiently through water or air; for generating and storing energy; to produce the strongest, lightest, most biodegradable and recyclable materials; and for many, many other vital functions.
The value of nature is not limited to human applications, but the loss of nature and biodiversity also means great losses to human potential.
Here are some examples of how nature has inspired engineered solutions.
way of the dragonfly
Inspired by the energy efficiency of dragonfly blades, especially at low wind speeds, Professor Akira Obata, formerly of Japan’s Nippon Bunri University, designed corrugated blades for micro wind turbines that spin and generate electricity at wind speeds as low as 3 km/h.
Most wind turbines work poorly when the speed is below 10 km/h; some will not spin at all. By lowering minimum wind speed requirements, these micro wind turbines can harness wind energy in easily accessible locations such as rooftops and balconies, and do not require expensive towers to capture the higher wind speeds at higher elevations.
By studying and understanding the aerodynamics of dragonfly flight, Obata was able to produce inexpensive, lightweight, stable, and efficient micro wind turbines that can be deployed at off-grid locations in developing countries.
What’s blacker than black?
Some butterflies, birds, and spiders have evolved super-black coloration, achieved through a variety of complex light-trapping mechanisms that could lead to new energy-efficient solar irradiance designs.
The micro- and nanostructures of surfaces largely determine their light-absorbing or -reflecting properties. Understanding not only the composition of the pigments involved, but also the fine structure and physics of these surfaces can be helpful in designing more energy-efficient systems for heating and cooling buildings and more productive solar energy collectors.
‘mist basking’
Two species of beetles actively harvest water from fog using a sequence of behaviors referred to as “fog bathing”. Late at night, before the nighttime fog descends on the coastal stretches of the Namib Desert, the beetles emerge from the sand and climb up the dunes to position themselves in the fog lane.
They tilt their bodies forward while facing the mist and harvest moisture on their backs, which consist of hardened forewings called elytra that cover and protect their hindwings used for flight.
There, the small water droplets of the mist collect, merge into larger droplets, which run down the smooth, hydrophobic (i.e. water-repellent) surfaces to the beetles’ mouths by gravity.
given WHO Estimates that half of the world’s population will live in water-stressed environments by 2025, the specific chemistry and structure of hydrophobic surfaces found in Namib beetles has sparked tremendous scientific interest for their potential human applications.
Birds and Fossil Fuels
Planing and soaring birds are masters of aerodynamic efficiency, and their feathered design at the wingtips inspired engineers to add small upward-pointing “winglets” that reduce drag caused by vortices at the tips of aircraft wings.
By copying this wingtip design, commercial airlines have saved 10 billion gallons of fuel and reduced their CO2 emissions by 105 million tons per year.
To sequester that amount of carbon, you would have to plant about 16 million hectares of trees every year – an area larger than the territory of Norway or Japan.
Extinction is not a foregone conclusion
The waste of extinction is perhaps best highlighted by the near-extinction of the humpback whale.
Excessive hunting nearly wiped out these gargantuan creatures, which are among the largest to have ever walked the planet, and the humpback whale population plummeted to just 5,000 in 1966.
Conservation organizations and scientists sparked a major public and political outcry and the humpback whales have recovered to an estimated 80,000 today. The humpback whale uniquely has bumpy “nubs” on the front of its fins that allow these giants to maneuver with exceptional agility.
The tubercles give the whales a hydrodynamic advantage – they minimize drag, improve their ability to keep moving and allow them to turn at sharper angles, which is crucial when attacking prey. Among other applications, these engineers have inspired to create some of the most efficient industrial fan blades and wind power generators. If the humpback whales had gone extinct, we might never have been able to take advantage of the tubercle design.
The extraordinary organisms featured above, and the sustainable designs they inspire, make a compelling case for why we need to conserve biodiversity.
The organisms that create the support systems enable all life on earth, including human life: millions of species are endangered, but the loss of even a single species can have enormous negative consequences for humanity.
The story is based on the UN Development Program (UNDP) Notebook, How sustainable technical solutions depend on biodiversity
