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The Web of Life:: Why Is Biodiversity Important To Us?
The Web of Life:: Why Is Biodiversity Important To Us?
Cristián Samper
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
• Inequities in distribution
Many of the richest countries in
biodiversity are among the least
developed
P. Hebert
The cotton in your
shirt came from here
The E.coli
in your gut
is here
The fungus
on your foot
is here
C. Ziegler
WAB M5.5 Flowering plant family density
WAB M5.6 Terrestrial vertebrate family density
WAB M7.1 Freshwater fish family density
Biodiversity Conservation
Human Population Density
Cultivated Systems
NASA
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)
P. Salaman
Threatened Species
Described Evaluated Threatened %
Mammals 5416 4853 1101 23
Birds 9917 9917 1213 12
Amphibians 5743 5743 1856 32
Reptiles 8163 499 304 61
Fishes 28500 1721 800 46
Invertebrates 1190200 3487 1992 57
Plants 287655 11824 8321 70
TOTAL 1545594 38046 15589 41
Mammals 73 4 77
Birds 129 4 133
Reptiles 21 1 22
Amphibians 34 1 35
Fishes 81 12 93
Invertebrates 359 14 373
Plants 86 24 110
Protists 1 0 1
TOTAL 784 60 844
Variation in DNA
between individuals
Bone fragments and populations was
were removed from used to make
the nasal cavities of inferences about
96 black-footed historical patterns of
ferret skulls colonization, migration,
and population decline.
2.5
Genetic diversity
1.5
0.5
0
Year 1871 1972 1982 1986
N >10,000 110 45 7
Protected areas
Science for conservation
• Taxonomy/systematics
• Natural history/ reproductive biology
• Protected areas/ landscape ecology
• Invasive species
• Climate change
• Sustainable use
• Social and economic sciences
Biodiversity and Human Well-being
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Global
Regional
Local
Human Wellbeing & Primary Drivers
Poverty Reduction Demographic Change
Health and disease Economic Change (incl globalization, trade,
Environmental Security market, & policy framework)
Cultural Security Social and Political Change (incl governance,
Economic Security institutional, & legal framework)
Equity Technological change
Lifestyle and Behavioral change
Ecosystems &
their Services
Supporting (Biodiversity and Proximate Drivers
ecosystem processes) Climate Change
Life on Earth
Provisioning (Food, water, Land and Water Use & Cover Change
fiber, fuel, other biological Factor inputs (e.g., irrigation, fertilizers)
products) Pollution
Cultural (Cultural, aesthetic) Harvest
Nutrient Release
Species Introductions
Life on Earth
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)
Water availability
Food supply and Freshwater supply and
demand demand
Water use and nutrient loss
ons
Lan Erosion and
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dt
issi
em ran water flow
han
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n
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p Forest product supply
em
&t and demand
ion
Climate p itat
Loss
ci
change Pre Hab
ss
of cr
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tat lo
ng
n
ita
tio
ch a
op g
t loss
bita enta
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diver
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ati
ced
ss
on
sity
Lo
&a du
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lbe
do
Biodiversity
loss
• Institutional
• Economic
• Social and behavioral
• Technological
• Knowledge
Future Scenarios