Why is Biodiversity Important?

Everything we are and everything we see is biodiversity. The variety of life across the planet and the environments in which they live are not just examples of biodiversity, they're the result of it. Biodiversity is essential for sustaining life and promoting the evolution of future generations in all corners of the world (1). Humans rely on biodiversity in our ecosystems to provide the services we need to survive (1). These include provisional services such as food, clean air and water, medicine, and building materials, cultural services such as aesthetics and recreation, and regulating services such as water purification and climate regulation (1,2). This makes conservation and promotion of biodiversity paramount on all levels, from local to global. 

Everything on Earth is connected in one way or another. A change in one ecosystem structure or function (whether natural or human induced) has a ripple effect on its biodiversity and the services it provides (2). For instance, a disturbance on a local level (say, the placement of a dam) interrupts the natural hydrologic cycle and influences the colonization patterns and movements of native species on a regional scale (3). The degradation of ecosystems impedes natural processes and regulating services and over time, influences our climate (2). Climate change affects global biodiversity so ultimately, our interactions with our ecosystems tend to create a vicious cycle. It is therefore imperative to mitigate extensive, long-term transformations by promoting biodiversity through responsible land use and management. This will require international cooperation and agreement to direct regulation and sustainable practices at the national, regional, and local levels.

Resources

1. EPA. (2018, September 11). EnviroAtlas Benefit Category: Biodiversity Conservation. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/enviroatlas/enviroatlas-benefit-category-biodiversity-conservation
2. Selman, P. H. (2012). Sustainable landscape planning the reconnection agenda. Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. 
3. Marcucci, D. J. (2000). Landscape history as a planning tool. Landscape and Urban Planning,49(1-2), 67-81. doi:10.1016/s0169-2046(00)00054-2