Utilitarian Value of Biodiversity — NEET Biology
📚 Practice ConceptThe narrowly utilitarian arguments for conserving biodiversity are obvious; humans derive countless direct economic benefits from nature- food (cereals, pulses, fruits), firewood, fibre, construction material, industrial products (tannins, lubricants, dyes, resins, perfumes) and products of medicinal importance. More than 25 per cent of the drugs currently sold in the market worldwide are derived from plants and 25,000 species of plants contribute to the traditional medicines used by native peoples around the world. Nobody knows how many more medicinally useful plants there are in tropical rain forests waiting to be explored. With increasing resources put into 'bioprospecting' (exploring molecular, genetic and species-level diversity for products of economic importance), nations endowed with rich biodiversity can expect to reap enormous benefits.
Which of the following statements are correct regarding the utilitarian arguments for biodiversity conservation, including bioprospecting? S1: Bioprospecting involves exploring species-level diversity to discover products of economic importance. S2: Nations with rich biodiversity are particularly well-positioned to benefit from bioprospecting due to their natural wealth. S3: More than 50% of drugs currently sold globally are derived from plants, highlighting the 'narrowly utilitarian' argument. S4: The broadly utilitarian argument includes the aesthetic pleasures derived from nature and ecosystem services like pollination and oxygen production. S5: Bioprospecting is primarily focused on ethical arguments, emphasizing the intrinsic value of every species.
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