INTRODUCTION



WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY ?

Biodiversity (from “biological diversity”) refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life. 

Biodiversity includes not only species we consider rare, threatened, or endangered but also every living thing—from humans to organisms we know little about, such as microbes, fungi, and invertebrates.

We use the term “bio-cultural” to describe the dynamic, continually evolving and interconnected nature of people and place, and the notion that social and biological dimensions are interrelated.

This concept recognizes that human use, knowledge, and beliefs influence, and in turn are influenced, by the ecological systems of which human communities are a part.

This relationship makes all of biodiversity, including the species, land and seascapes, and the cultural links to the places where we live—be right where we are or in distant lands

important to our well being as they all play a role in maintaining a diverse and healthy planet.

IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity is important to most aspects of our lives.

We value biodiversity for many reasons, some utilitarian, some intrinsic.

This means we value biodiversity both for what it provides to humans, and for the value it has in its own right.

Utilitarian values include the many basic needs humans obtain from biodiversity such as food, fuel, shelter, and medicine.

Further, ecosystems provide crucial services such as pollination, seed dispersal, climate regulation, water purification, nutrient cycling, and control of agricultural pests.

Biodiversity also holds value for potential benefits not yet recognized, such as new medicines and other possible unknown services.

Biodiversity has cultural value to humans as well, for spiritual or religious reasons for instance.

The intrinsic value of biodiversity refers to its inherent worth, which is independent of its value to anyone or anything else.

This is more of a philosophical concept, which can be thought of as the inalienable right to exist.

Finally, the value of biodiversity can also be understood through the lens of the relationships we form and strive for with each other and the rest of nature.

We may value biodiversity because of how it shapes who we are, our relationships to each other, and social norms.

These relational values are part of peoples’ individual or collective sense of well being, responsibility for, and connection with the environment.

The different values placed on biodiversity are important because they can influence the conservation decisions people make every day.