...Biodiversity is one issue to which I attach the greatest importance and that we have to tackle with urgency. Not only we have a moral obligation but it will be significant for our contribution to the next Copenhagen conference on Climate Change at the end of this year. To protect biodiversity is one of today's great challenges. Over the last four and a half years, the European Commission has been at the forefront of the fight against climate change. This is an area where Europe can be justifiably proud of its role as a world leader. And it is an area where we cannot afford to fail. The success of our climate change policy will also be measured by the success of our efforts in stopping the loss of biodiversity. These issues – like so many of the challenges that we face – are irrevocably interrelated, just as the link with energy and energy security has helped to develop our understanding of the importance of climate change. The loss of biodiversity is a global threat that is just as important as global warming. It threatens our natural environment and thus, the quality of our life. But biodiversity underpins also our economies. It is not therefore only because of the love of nature or a vision for our environment that we should keep biodiversity on the political agenda. Efforts made by this Commission have concentrated on our ambitious target: to put a stop to the loss of biodiversity in Europe by 2010. For that, we must implement existing legislation such as the Birds and Habitats...
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...State of Philippine Biodiversity Photo Credits (L-R): Philippine Eagle (Klaus Nigge/National Geographic); Hoya melliflua (Leonardo Co); Mts. Iglit-Baco (PAWB); Platymantis polillensis (GTZ-DENR) The Philippines is a treasure trove of biodiversity or the variety of life on earth. It is believed to harbor more diversity of life than any other country on earth on a per hectare basis. It is in fact one of the 17 megadiverse countries which host 70-80% of the world’s biodiversity. Yet, Philippine biodiversity is alarmingly endangered, making it a biodiversity hotspot as well. As a paradise of biodiversity, the country’s terrestrial ecosystems are home to many of the best and rarest wildlife species. It has more than 52,177 described species, half of which are endemic or found nowhere else on earth. There are more than 1,130 terrestrial wildlife species recorded for the Philippines (49 percent or half are endemic); 157 are threatened (128 are threatened endemic). Floral diversity is just as extraordinary, with between 10,000 and 14,000 species of vascular and non-vascular plants, more than half of which are endemic to the Philippines. Altogether, the country is host to some 5 percent of the world’s species of flora and is ranked 5th in the world in terms of number of plant species. The archipelago is also now recognized as one of the most important centers of amphibian and reptile diversity in Southeast Asia. An estimated total of 359 species of amphibians (101 species) and reptiles...
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...Decline in Biodiversity Deanna Garrett ENV497 Chad Goings July 15, 2013 Decline in Biodiversity Biodiversity is important in ecosystems because every life form works together in order for them to function. When these ecosystems are disrupted or altered, or even lacks biodiversity, it poses major threats to all the life forms in it, whether it happens quickly or over a long period of time. When we lack biodiversity, our ecosystems become unstable, which in turn makes them more vulnerable to disasters and they cannot contribute to our well being. Although policy makers may be faced with challenges, many considerations need to be taken into account to preserve biodiversity and to protect these areas so that these ecosystems can function properly and prosper. When we hear the word ‘biodiversity’, it pretty much explains itself. It is the amount of variation of life forms within a given biome, ecosystem, species, or even the entire plant. Many considerations need to be taken into account to preserve biodiversity and to protect these areas so that these ecosystems can function properly and prosper. With respect to the ecosystem and biodiversity, we need to remember that once our natural resources run out and when most ecosystems are destroyed, it is very hard to restore it to what it was. We need to consider our well being, as well as all the other organisms that we share the earth with. We use biodiversity all the time, whether it is direct or indirect. In order for us to...
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...Abstract The diversification of human induced disturbances upon natural ecosystems has contributed to wildlife habitat fragmentation which has been a serious threat to the survival of natural populations. Possible factors contributing to this decline include changes in food, loss of genetic variation, cover availability, evolution of predation, microclimatic effect, and lack of recolonization following extinctions. Habitat loss and fragmentation are processes that separate small populations, which have higher extinction rates that may lead to a reduction in biological diversity. Recent dramatic declines in forest management have brought some undesirable consequences for forest health and wildlife (Jack Ward, T. (n.d). Standing back and letting nature take its course has become increasingly prevalent. Unfortunately, while appealing as this sounds, this is not tenable in the long-term as it will not protect forests, retain biodiversity, and provide some wood products over time. We are increasingly depending on places beyond our borders to provide our wood places with far less resources and knowledge about how to manage forests responsibly. By importing wood products, we export not only environmental consequences but jobs and dollars ( Jack Ward, T. (n.d). Conservation biology needs to reach out to a much broader community of academics and practitioners in fields as diverse as anthropology, history, political geography, and environmental psychology (Bernstein...
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...Ayla Reau TSEA per.3 May 17, 2010 It is a sad day indeed when your children might never see a live polar bear in the Arctic or an orangutan swinging through the forest of Borneo. The only place future generations will have a chance to possibly see these endangered animals will be in pictures and zoos, since we humans are now causing the greatest mass extinction of species since the extinction of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. In the last two centuries alone the Earth has witnessed world-wide accelerated rates of animal extinction and endangerment, which has taken place alongside industrial progress and rapid human population growth (“Animal Extinction”). So just what is an endangered animal and why should we care? A broad definition is an endangered animal is a species that is threatened with extinction. The extinction of a species is a catastrophic event that impacts the whole planet and its inhabitants including humans, as all life on Earth is interconnected. Therefore, humans should attempt to conserve the natural habitats of the Earth and in turn the animals that live in them. However, that is not the reality, for humans are one of the main causes of animal extinction and endangerment. As Julia Marton-Lefevre, IUCN's Director General said, “hundreds of species could be lost as a result of our own actions”(in Goodman). In the entire Earth’s history there has only been five great mass extinctions, we are now in the midst of the sixth great mass extinction, driven...
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...Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Greater biodiversity implies greater health. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions support fewer species. Rapid environmental changes typically cause extinctions. One estimate is that less than 1% of the species that have existed on Earth are extant.[1] Biodiversity biodiversity is divided into three, phenotypic, genoti, environmental Ecological diversity refers to the sum of the different types of environment or Ecosystem present in a region or the habitat which is the sum total of the climate, vegetation and geography of a region. Ecosystem is a unit of the biosphere in which there is an interaction between the living and nonliving factors so as to maintain a continuous flow of energy. It is a structural and functional unit of a biosphere. There are several kinds of habitats or ecosystems around the world. The variety of diversity of species in an ecosystem is influenced by the ecosystem it self. Examples of ecosystems: Grass land, wet land, desert, aquatic ecosystem etc. Species diversity is the variety of different species in a given area. It is very difficult to estimate the different species in a given area. Most of the species are found near the equator and a few at the poles. Genetic Diversity may be defined...
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...relationship between biodiversity and employment, which are found to differ between the EU and developing world. In the EU, employment related to biodiversity often provides new and skilled employment opportunities for a population increasingly disconnected from the land. In developing economies, however, much of the employment linked to biodiversity is in poor quality, low paid subsistence jobs in the primary industries. Nevertheless, more sustainable farming and forestry practices offer potential both to maintain biodiversity and to enhance employment by supporting safer, more lasting jobs linked to local livelihoods rather than centralised systems of production. Nature conservation and ecotourism also offer opportunities for skilled, knowledge-based and sometimes relatively well paid employment, often helping to diversify local economies and the employment opportunities they provide. The connection between biodiversity, ecosystem services and jobs There is a lack of knowledge about the point (thresholds) at which changes in biodiversity will impact ecosystem services to such a degree that economic activity and jobs can no longer be sustained. The vulnerability of ecosystem services to changes in biodiversity varies considerably depending on the spatial scale, the type of ecosystem service, and the aspect of biodiversity being considered. For certain ecosystems, such as coral reefs, mangroves, or tropical forests, small changes in biodiversity The Social Dimension...
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...An environmental issue Course title Course instructor Name Date Introduction Bio means life while diversity means variation in the various aspects of things. Biodiversity entails the extent of variation of forms of life within a given planet or species. The number of plants’ species, microorganisms, the great diversity of species’ genes, animals, the various planets’ ecosystem such as deserts and coral reefs forms part of biodiversity on earth. However politics and power have greatly influenced the shaky balance. There has been a great biodiversity loss since the human race emerged. (Miller, D. A. 2008 p.23) Biodiversity has as well affected cultural diversities and thus should be keenly dealt with. This ranges from the various types of traditional foods used by the various societies. Biodiversity loss is rendering them extinct. Physical Elements of Biodiversity Loss In the physical reality much can be read on biodiversity loss. For example, the emergence of new breeds of animals and plants can be seen being developed in any other corner of the world. People are keenly trying out new breeds as a means of curbing food shortage. For example, the genetically modified food has been termed as a way of reducing food shortages. This has impacted negatively to human health. Population decline of species, a research done in UK in 2008 clearly revealed that the population of bats was...
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...What is biodiversity? Why does it change? Why is it important to conserve it? INTRODUCTION Presently these days, lots of people live in urban areas. In this case they are separated from the environment. But another important reason why humans will always depend on the environment is because our lives depend on biodiversity. Meaning that we get clothing, medicines, food and furniture from other species. Just because that people rely on biodiversity they have to conserve biodiversity and can save it for future generations (www.scienceclarified.com). But before knowing all the damage this can cause to us, firstly we should know what biodiversity is. Why does it change? Why we have to conserve biodiversity? The aim of this essay is to answer these three questions, so in this paper I will try analyze most important things about biodiversity. MAIN ARGUMENTS The definition of biodiversity has many different connotations, description of species composition interactions between organisms and their environment (Orians, G. H. 1996, p.49). But the major definition of biodiversity is: the variety of life in all its manifestations (Lecture notes). This modern definition can sound like the variety of life on earth, variety of species, and the communities in which they occur. The major elements of diversity are: genetic, taxonomic, and ecological. The first one is Genetic (populations, individuals) – individuals of the same species. It means genetic variations between individuals...
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...Sustainable forest management requires three major criteria which are the maintenance of ecological processes within the forest (soil formation, energy flow, biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nutrient and hydrological cycles), maintenance of biodiversity of forest, improving the net social benefits derived from the mixture of forest uses within the constraints by considering the future. Forest provides habitats for more than half of the fauna and flora on the Earth (SCBD, 2001). Forest biome plays an important role in mitigating climate change by serving as carbon sinks (Hassan et al., 2005). Forest land is the most fundamental natural resources which become reduced mainly due to anthropogenic pressures. For proper management of land, it is essential to have information about existing land cover and about the naturalness of the land. The increment in forest cover does not mean that...
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...Ecology Number 4, Fall 1999 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Maintaining Natural Life Support Processes Issues in Ecology Number 4 Fall 1999 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning: Maintaining Natural Life Support Processes by Shahid Naeem, Chair, F.S. Chapin III, Robert Costanza, Paul R. Ehrlich, Frank B. Golley, David U. Hooper, J.H. Lawton, Robert V. ONeill, Harold A. Mooney, Osvaldo E. Sala, Amy J. Symstad, and David Tilman Critical processes at the ecosystem level influence plant productivity, soil fertility, water quality, atmospheric chemistry, and many other local and global environmental conditions that ultimately affect human welfare. These ecosystem processes are controlled by both the diversity and identity of the plant, animal, and microbial species living within a community. Human modifications to the living community in an ecosystem as well as to the collective biodiversity of the earth can therefore alter ecological functions and life support services that are vital to the well-being of human societies. Substantial changes have already occurred, especially local and global losses of biodiversity. The primary cause has been widespread human transformation of once highly diverse natural ecosystems into relatively species-poor managed ecosystems. Recent studies suggest that such reductions in biodiversity can alter both the magnitude and the stability of ecosystem processes, especially when biodiversity is reduced to the low levels typical...
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...Causes? Agriculture: Overcropping: Theres huge amount of food to feed up people all over the World and https://prezi.com/y6nzp06mxdi7/gm-crops-and-loss-of-biodiversity/ Mining: Poaching: Rhino’s horn is used in Chinese medicine, they often kill the huge rhino to just get this horn -.- Pollution: Invasive species: Australia has some of the world's most distinctive and diverse natural environments, with unique wildlife, and spectacular landscapes, including many national parks and World Heritage Areas.But there r so many species are extinct bcs of Feral cat. Feral cats kill tens of millions of native animals every night and are found across Australia, Each feral cat kills between 5-30 animals per day. While they appear to prefer small mammals, they also eat birds, reptiles and amphibians. What government do to preserved biodiversity? There are several ways the governments can do to preserve biodiversity, such as: Protecting Areas | | Creating protected areas where human activity is limited is the best way to prevent deforestation and exploitation of organisms and the resources they need to survive. In order to truly make a difference, much planning needs to go into the creation of a protected area. It needs to consider all elements of the ecosystem it is trying to protect, so that it isn’t too small. It needs to include all resources that are utilized by its inhabitants; for example, leaving out a stream where half of the mammals go to drink would not make...
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...(kills worms), fungicide (kills mushrooms), and insecticide (kills insects). 49. Chemical pesticides are beneficial to man because the increase food supply and decrease cost. 50. Chemical pesticides accelerate resistance to pesticides. 51. FIRFA regulates the use of pesticides in the U.S. 55. Nicotine sulfate is a naturally occurring pesticide from tobacco plants. 56. Broad-spectrum pesticides kill the good and the bad. 57. DDT initially saved human lives by getting rid of disease but is now taking them because of bioaccumulation. 59. Second generation pesticides are chemicals similar to insect hormones. 61. Human activities have affected earth’s biodiversity with habitat loss. 62. Biodiversity is important to the economy and stability of ecosystem. 63. Human activities that directly cause extinction are habitat loss, introduction of non-native species, and poaching. 64. An animal that was recently removed from the endangered species list is the grey wolf. 65. Wildlife populations can be managed by regulating hunting. 66. The drawback of using zoos for increasing populations of endangered species is that the small gene pool can lead to the bottleneck effect. 67. Reasons that captive breeding fails are that the animals might not breed in captivity, they will not have the skills to survive in the wild, there is less species diversity, and not enough habitat...
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...Do threats to biodiversity pose the greatest challenge to humanity for the 21st century? Introduction: The term biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and the ecological and evolutionary processes that sustain it. Biodiversity includes not only special we consider rare, threatened, or endangered, but every living thing even organisms we still know little about, such as microbes, fungi, and invertebrates. Biodiversity is important everywhere; species and habitats in your area as well as those in distant lands all play a role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Biodiversity is important because it boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops. Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms. There are five main threats to biodiversity that I can cover later on in this report are: 1. Invasive alien species 2. Climate change 3. Nutrient loading 4. Water pollution 5. Loss of habitat 6. Overexploitation In this report my goal is to explain what biodiversity is in detail in depth and explain how important it is to the world. Also, to outline if and how these threats pose a threat to humanity in the 21st century. How important is biodiversity? Biodiversity is important for all species' survival. We need a variety of habitats for...
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...STRATEGIC PLAN FOR BIODIVERSITY 2011-2020 "Living in harmony with nature" 1. The purpose of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 is to promote effective implementation of the Convention through a strategic approach, comprising a shared vision, a mission, and strategic goals and targets ("the Aichi Biodiversity Targets"), that will inspire broad-based action by all Parties and stakeholders. The Strategic Plan will also provide a flexible framework for the establishment of national and regional targets and for enhancing coherence in the implementation of the provisions of the Convention and the decisions of the Conference of the Parties, including the programs of work and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation as well as the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of the Benefits Arising from their Utilization. It will also serve as the basis for the development of communication tools capable of attracting the attention of and engaging stakeholders, thereby facilitating the mainstreaming of biodiversity into broader national and global agendas. A separate Strategic Plan has been adopted for the Biosafety Protocol that will complement the present one for the Convention.8 2. The text of the Convention, and in particular its three objectives, provide the fundamental basis for the Strategic Plan. I.THE RATIONALE FOR THE PLAN 3. Biological diversity underpins ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services...
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