By remaining disconnected from nature, totally absorbed in the urban world, a person can become so egocentric and anthropocentric that he or she considers that any living being that falls outside the parameters of what he or she considers to be known and beautiful deserves to disappear, to be crushed and extinguished from the face of the Earth along with all its fellow creatures. It happens with mice, cockroaches, even vertebrate animals.
But all the elements of the planet fulfill a vital function, which allows the correct functioning of the planet. The totality of living beings converge in the ecosystems, so that life survives and thus, to avoid the propagation of plagues. A large number of people would like certain pests or insects to cease to exist, but below we will see “the organisms that would change the world if they disappeared”. Let’s see:
Bees
If these insects were to disappear from the face of the Earth, mankind would die of starvation, since these beings are responsible for pollinating flowers and promoting the proliferation of seeds. It is believed that more than 90% of agricultural crops depend on this process.
Cockroaches
They are the main sustenance of birds. If they were to disappear, so would the birds, endangering some of the most important ecosystems. As if that were not enough, cockroaches contribute to the nitrogen cycle, which is a vital substance for the planet. They also help with the decomposition of organic matter.
Flies
They are insects that are not very well seen by most people, but they fulfill a very important mission by pollinating plants. They also control small insect plagues; if they were to disappear from the Earth, they would alter the cycle of life and a planetary imbalance would occur.
Mosquitoes
Many find them annoying, but they play a vital role as food for migratory birds, which are also essential for the functioning of marine and terrestrial life throughout the planet. It is believed that there are more than 4,000 species worldwide.
Spiders
Without them, the natural balance of the Earth would be altered to such an extent that life would disappear around the globe. They play a very important role, because they feed on small insects and control pests that can affect the ecosystem where they are found.
Parasites
They are essential to keep under control the population of insects and plants, which sometimes turn out to be pests. If they were to disappear completely, we would be invaded by many species that are dangerous to life.
Frogs
These animals have inhabited our planet for thousands of years. They control pests and prevent the spread of fungi that are very harmful to the health of living beings. One of the most dangerous is the chytrid fungus.
Ants
Their disappearance would provoke a worldwide crisis, as the soil and subsoil would be seriously affected. If this happens, so much organic matter would accumulate that the Earth could explode in a matter of months.
Bats
Bats are an order of mammals, of which there are more than 1,000 species distributed throughout the world. They are great pest controllers and if they were to disappear from the planet, many harvests of corn, tomatoes and numerous other crops essential to humanity would be lost.
Cats
These beautiful animals, besides being an excellent companion for people, are distinguished for being excellent hunters and help to keep under control the rodent population in rural areas and big cities, more precisely rats and mice that affect the healthiness of some places.
Large herbivores
For example, tapirs, zebras, elephants, giraffes or rhinoceroses, among other large non-carnivorous animals are essential for the ecosystem. The entire balance of nature would be seriously affected by the extinction of just one of these species. Their disappearance would cause a chain effect of mass extinctions of other animals, which in the food chain are nourished by these vegetarian friends.
But the damage of losing one of these species from this planet would not only affect the fauna kingdom, but also the plant world, since many plants use the cooperation of these large herbivores for the task of disseminating their seeds. Scientists foresee that if this were the case, it would also be the end of a lot of plant species.
Many people have a phobia of insects and especially of some specific animal; they would like with all their might that they become extinct. They ask themselves: “Why did God create all these ugly creatures?”, but they ignore all the data we have just presented. Every insect, however ugly or tiny or whatever it may be, is necessary for the balance of the ecosystem. We are all interconnected. We are all part of the fabric of the universe. Each part is fundamental. If even a small part is altered, the whole is altered.
