BIO DIVERSITY

The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity, is commonly referred to as

biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the
enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the
planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically
diverse Earth. Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies
attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach. In some way or form,
almost all cultures have recognized the importance of nature and its biological
diversity for their societies and have therefore understood the need to maintain it.
Yet, power, greed and politics have affected the precarious balance.
Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how
small, all have an important role to play
A healthy biodiversity provides a number of natural services for everyone:
Ecosystem services, such as
Protection of water resources
Soils formation and protection
Nutrient storage and recycling
Pollution breakdown and absorption
Contribution to climate stability
Maintenance of ecosystems
Recovery from unpredictable events
Biological resources, such as
Food
Medicinal resources and pharmaceutical drugs
Wood products
Ornamental plants
Breeding stocks, population reservoirs

Future resources
Diversity in genes, species and ecosystems
Social benefits, such as
Research, education and monitoring
Recreation and tourism
Cultural values
That is quite a lot of services we get for free!
The cost of replacing these (if possible) would be extremely expensive. It therefore
makes economic and development sense to move towards sustainability.
A report from Nature magazine also explains that genetic diversity helps to prevent
the chances of extinction in the wild (and claims to have shown proof of this).
To prevent the well known and well documented problems of genetic defects caused
by in-breeding, species need a variety of genes to ensure successful survival.
Without this, the chances of extinction increases.
And as we start destroying, reducing and isolating habitats, the chances for
interaction from species with a large gene pool decreases
At least 40 per cent of the worlds economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the
poor are derived from biological resources. In addition, the richer the diversity of
life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, economic development,
and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change.
Despite knowing about biodiversitys importance for a long time, human activity has
been causing massive extinctions. As the Environment New Service, reported back
in August 1999 (previous link): the current extinction rate is now approaching
1,000 times the background rate and may climb to 10,000 times the background
rate during the next century, if present trends continue [resulting in] a loss that
would easily equal those of past extinctions.
A major report, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, released in March 2005
highlighted a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth,
with some 10-30% of the mammal, bird and amphibian species threatened with
extinction, due to human actions. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) added

that Earth is unable to keep up in the struggle to regenerate from the demands we
place on it.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) notes in a video that
many species are threatened with extinction. In addition,
At threat of extinction are
1 out of 8 birds
1 out of 4 mammals
1 out of 4 conifers
1 out of 3 amphibians
6 out of 7 marine turtles
75% of genetic diversity of agricultural crops has been lost
75% of the worlds fisheries are fully or over exploited
Up to 70% of the worlds known species risk extinction if the global temperatures rise by
more than 3.5C
1/3rd of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction
Over 350 million people suffer from severe water scarcity

As explained in the UNs 3rd Global Biodiversity Outlook, the rate of biodiversity loss
has not been reduced because the 5 principle pressures on biodiversity are
persistent, even intensifying:
Habitat loss and degradation
Climate change
Excessive nutrient load and other forms of pollution
Over-exploitation and unsustainable use
Invasive alien species
Most governments report to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity that these
pressures are affecting biodiversity in their country (see p. 55 of the report).

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the Red List
to assess the conservation status of species, subspecies, varieties, and even
selected subpopulations on a global scale.
Extinction risks out pace any conservation successes. Amphibians are the most at
risk, while corals have had a dramatic increase in risk of extinction in recent years.
MISUSE OF LAND AND WATER
Junk-food chains, including KFC and Pizza Hut, are under attack from major
environmental groups in the United States and other developed countries because
of their environmental impact. Intensive breeding of livestock and poultry for such
restaurants leads to deforestation, land degradation, and contamination of water
sources and other natural resources. For every pound of red meat, poultry, eggs,
and milk produced, farm fields lose about five pounds of irreplaceable top soil. The
water necessary for meat breeding comes to about 190 gallons per animal per day,
or ten times what a normal Indian family is supposed to use in one day, if it gets
water at all.
Overall, animal farms use nearly 40 percent of the worlds total grain production. In
the United States, nearly 70 percent of grain production is fed to livestock.
In Indian Agriculture, women use up to 150 different species of plants (which the
biotech industry would call weeds) as medicine, food, or fodder. For the poorest, this
biodiversity is the most important resource for survival. What is a weed for
Monsanto is a medicinal plant or food for rural people
ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN
Many military forces of the world also have an effect on the environment.
Sometimes, the scale of problems they leave when they move out of a training area
or conflict is considerable. In some nations, such as the United States, the military
can be exempt from many environmental regulations.
By no means a complete set of examples, the following illustrate some of the
issues:
In the Gulf War and Kosovo crisis, the US and UK used depleted Uranium which have
environmental consequences as well.

In the Vietnam war, the US used Agent Orange to defoliate the entire Vietnamese
rainforest ecosystem. The effects are still being felt.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, various forces often kill gorillas and other
animals as they encroach upon their land.
In Okinawa, the large US military bases also affect the environment for the local
population.
Vieques, Puerto Rico, the US use live rounds in bombing ranges, and low altitude
flying for training. This also has had an effect on the environment.
A report prepared by the Institute for Policy Studies, April 2000, called The
International Grassroots Summit on Military Base Cleanup provides a lot of details
and many more examples.
NATURE AND ANIMAL CONSERVATION
Preserving species and their habitats is important for ecosystems to self-sustain
themselves.
Yet, the pressures to destroy habitat for logging, illegal hunting, and other
challenges are making conservation a struggle.
Unfortunately, despite the effort put into conservation by organizations and
activists, their work can easily be undermined by those who have other interests.
This occurs, for example, from habitat destruction, illegal poaching, to influencing or
manipulating laws designed to protect species.
The current form of globalization has also been criticized for ignoring sustainable
development and environmental concerns. For many years, critics, NGOs, activists
and affected peoples have been accusing large corporations for being major sources
of environmental problems.
Consequently, helping species and ecosystems to survive becomes more difficult.
Declining Tigers
Take for example the continued declining numbers of tigers, the largest of the big
cats.
The population of tigers is believed to have declined by 95 percent in the last
century.

Tigers continue to face challenges imposed by poaching, retributive killings and

habitat loss.
Tiger bone is also in high demand for traditional medicines in China and some other
parts of the world, often based on mistaken beliefs, or weak evidence for their
effectiveness.
IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, is the worlds oldest
environmental organization, working around the world.
Periodically, they produce the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species to highlight
species that are extinct or extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered or
vulnerable.
Their data suggests that the global tiger population has declined to an estimated
range from 3,402-5,140 tigers, revised down from estimates of 5,000 to 7,000 made
a few years earlier. The Bali, Caspian, and Javan tigers are already classified as
extinct (in the 1940s, 1970s, and 1980s, respectively).
Noting the above declines, the BBC released a collection of videos on tigers and
other species. They also noticed that tigers have disappeared from over 90% of
their historic range over the past century. They add that recent estimates suggest
less than 1,000 scattered over India and fewer than 40 are left in China.
Its not just tigers either. Rare leopards, deer and other animals are also being
illegally traded and many other animals are dwindling in numbers
Declining Lions
And another iconic animal, the lion, is also dwindling in numbers. The BBC reports
(October 2003) that fewer than 20,000 lions now survive in Africa, compared to
200,000 in the early 1980s.
Sport or trophy hunting was cited as a major cause, whereby males, older or
younger, were often targeted. Another reason was the population pressures that
have meant encroachment onto lands closer to lions.
Tourism has not really benefited the people of such communities, and so they do not
see the benefit in preserving them.
Declining Rhinos

Although almost all species of rhinos have been recognized as critically endangered
for many years, the conservation organization, the International Union for
Conservation of Nature (IUCN) notes that rhino poaching worldwide is poised to hit a
15-year-high driven by Asian demand for horns.
As with the killing of sharks just for their fins, whereby the body is discarded once
the fin is cut off the shark, rhinos are often killed just for the horns. In some Asian
countries it is wrongly believed the horns have medicinal value.
The IUCN is finding some 3 rhinos a month are being killed. In some places that
number is even higher. In Africa, the total rhino population is estimated to be
around 18,000 and in India/Nepal only 2,400.
At the end of 2011, the IUCN declared that the West African wild black rhino was
extinct, while a subspecies of white rhino in Central Africa may be extinct. In
addition, the last Javan rhino outside Java is believed to be extinct. Although overall
numbers have been increasing lately, various subspecies are still vulnerable to
poaching.
Declining Vultures
BMA News, published by the British Medical Association (BMA), reported on the
near-extinction of several vulture species in India (July 9, 2005).
The BMA noted that in the 1980s, these birds were the most abundant large birds of
prey in the world. However, in the last 12 years, the population had crashed by
97%.
In a country where these birds actually provide a useful service by scavenging
rotting carcasses, this is seen as a big problem.
How did this happen?
The anti-inflammatory, diclofenac, (similar to ibuprofen), was used by cattle farmers
as a popular cure-all to treat a variety of diseases.
Vultures feeding on carcasses of cows treated with the drug died of kidney failure as
it was a poison for the vultures.
The use of this medication was careless and casual.
Declining Polar Bears

The World Wildlife Fund for Nature lists toxic pollution, oil exploration, and hunting,
as well as climate change, as the threats polar bears face.
Polar bears are found throughout the circumpolar Arctic on pack ice, along or near
coasts, and on islands:
The situation has become dire enough for the Bush Administration in the US to
propose to list the polar bear as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
This itself is an interesting turn of events as the Bush Administration has typically
been reluctant to acknowledge concerns about climate change, and a lot of lobbying
by environmental groups has led to this proposal.
Declining Penguins
A concern about crashing numbers of a particular species of penguin in recent
years, the rockhoppers, shows that there may be numerous complicated factors
causing this, and it is not always easy to know for sure. In the Falkland Islands
alone, the species numbers have dropped from 600,000 to 420,000 in just 6 years,
and down from 1.5 million in 1932. But from all their habitats millions have recently
vanished.
Scientists are struggling to wonder whether it is starvation due to overfishing,
climate change, a combination, or some other factors affecting this species.
Declining Amphibians
Amphibians are particularly sensitive to changes in the environment. Amphibians
have been described as a marker species or the equivalent of canaries of the coal
mines meaning they provide an important signal to the health of biodiversity; when
they are stressed and struggling, biodiversity may be under pressure. When they
are doing well, biodiversity is probably healthy.
Unfortunately, as has been feared for many years now, amphibian species are
declining at an alarming rate.
Declining of Monkeys, Apes and Primates
A

report

by

the

worlds

foremost

primate

authorities,

the

International

Primatological Society, presented the state of primates around the world. They

found that of the worlds 634 kinds of primates almost 50 percent are in danger of
going extinct.
A breakdown showed the following numbers and percentages of primates fell into
the International Union for Conservation of Natures Red List classification for
species as Vulnerable, Endangered or Critically Endangered:
Africa: 63 species and subspecies (37% of all African primates)
Asia: 120 species and subspecies (71% of all African primates)
Madagascar: 41 species and subspecies (43% of all Malagasy primates)
Neotropics: 79 species and subspecies (40% of all Neotropical primates)
Causes included habitat destruction, the hunting of primates for food and an illegal
wildlife trade
CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS AFFECTS
Rapid global warming can affect an ecosystems chances to adapt naturally.
The Arctic is very sensitive to climate change and already seeing lots of changes.
Ocean biodiversity is already being affected as are other parts of the ecosystem.
The link between climate change and biodiversity has long been established.
Although throughout Earths history the climate has always changed with
ecosystems

and

species

coming

and

going,

rapid

climate

change

affects

ecosystems and species ability to adapt and so biodiversity loss increases.

From a human perspective, the rapid climate change and accelerating biodiversity
loss risks human security (e.g. a major change in the food chain upon which we
depend, water sources may change, recede or disappear, medicines and other
resources we rely on may be harder to obtain as the plants and forna they are
derived from may reduce or disappear, etc.).
Climate change is already having an impact on biodiversity, and is projected to
become a progressively more significant threat in the coming decades. Loss of
Arctic sea ice threatens biodiversity across an entire biome and beyond. The related
pressure of ocean acidification, resulting from higher concentrations of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere, is also already being observed.

Ecosystems are already showing negative impacts under current levels of climate
change which is modest compared to future projected changes. In addition to
warming temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events and changing
patterns of rainfall and drought can be expected to have significant impacts on
biodiversity.
Impact in the Arctic
The Arctic, Antarctic and high latitudes have had the highest rates of warming, and
this trend is projected to continue, as the above-mentioned Global Biodiversity
Outlook 3 notes (p. 56).
In the Arctic, it is not just a reduction in the extent of sea ice, but its thickness and
age. Less ice means less reflective surface meaning more rapid melting. The rapid
reduction exceeds even scientific forecasts and is discussed further on this sites
climate change introduction.
In addition, Whole species assemblages are adapted to life on top of or under ice
from the algae that grow on the underside of multi-year ice, forming up to 25% of
the Arctic Oceans primary production, to the invertebrates, birds, fish and marine
mammals further up the food chain. The iconic polar bear at the top of that food
chain is therefore not the only species at risk even though it may get more media
attention.
The worlds northern freezer is on rapid defrost as large volumes of warm water are
pouring into the Arctic Ocean, speeding the melt of sea ice.

Rapidly rising greenhouse gas concentrations are driving ocean systems toward
conditions not seen for millions of years, with an associated risk of fundamental and
irreversible ecological transformation. Changes in biological function in the ocean
caused by anthropogenic climate change go far beyond death, extinctions and
habitat loss: fundamental processes are being altered, community assemblages are
being reorganized and ecological surprises are likely.
Increasing Ocean Acidification

Although it has gained less mainstream media attention, the effects of increasing
greenhouse emissions in particular carbon dioxide on the oceans may well be
significant.
NOAA Ocean Acidification Demonstration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, February 26, 2010
As

explained

Administration

by

the

(NOAA),

US

agency,

the

basic

the

National

chemistry

of

Oceanic
ocean

and

Atmospheric

acidification

is

well

understood.
These are the 3 main concepts:
More CO2 in the atmosphere means more CO2 in the ocean;
Atmospheric CO2 is dissolved in the ocean, which becomes more acidic; and
The resulting changes in the chemistry of the oceans disrupts the ability of plants
and animals in the sea to make shells and skeletons of calcium carbonate, while
dissolving shells already formed.
Scientists have found that oceans are able to absorb some of the excess CO2
released by human activity. This has helped keep the planet cooler than it otherwise
could have been had these gases remained in the atmosphere.
However, the additional excess CO2 being absorbed is also resulting in the
acidification of the oceans: When CO2 reacts with water it produces a weak acid
called carbonic acid, changing the sea water chemistry. As the Global Biodiversity
Outlook report explains, the water is some 30% more acidic than pre-industrial
times, depleting carbonate ions the building blocks for many marine organisms.
In addition, concentrations of carbonate ions are now lower than at any time during
the last 800,000 years. The impacts on ocean biological diversity and ecosystem
functioning will likely be severe, though the precise timing and distribution of these
impacts are uncertain. (See p. 58 of the report.)

Although millions of years ago CO2 levels were higher, todays change is occurring
rapidly, giving many marine organisms too little time to adapt. Some marine

creatures are growing thinner shells or skeletons, for example. Some of these
creatures play a crucial role in the food chain, and in ecosystem biodiversity.
Some species may benefit from the extra carbon dioxide, and a few years ago
scientists and organizations, such as the European Project on OCean Acidification,
formed to try to understand and assess the impacts further.
One example of recent findings is a tiny sand grain-sized plankton responsible for
the sequestration of 2550% of the carbon the oceans absorb is affected by
increasing ocean acidification. This tiny plankton plays a major role in keeping
atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations at much lower levels than they
would be otherwise so large effects on them could be quite serious.
Other related problems reported by the Inter Press Service include more oceanic
dead zones (areas where there is too little oxygen in the sea to support life) and the
decline of important coastal plants and forests, such as mangrove forests that play
an important role in carbon absorption. This is on top of the already declining ocean
biodiversity that has been happening for a few decades, now.
Increasing ocean stratification
As climate change warms the oceans (even just an increase of about 0.2C per
decade, on average), the warmer water (which is lighter) tends to stay on top of
what is then a layer of colder water.
This affects tiny drifting marine organisms known as phytoplankton. Though small,
Phytoplankton are a critical part of our planetary life support system. They produce
half of the oxygen we breathe, draw down surface CO2, and ultimately support all of
our fisheries, says Boris Worm of Canadas Dalhousie University and one of the
worlds leading experts on the global oceans (quoted by Inter Press Service IPS.)
In the same news report, IPS explains that phytoplankton can only live in the top
100 or 200 meters of water, but if it is getting warmer, they eventually run out of
nutrients to feed on unless the cold, deeper waters mix with those near the surface.
Ocean stratification has been widely observed in the past decade and is occurring in
more and larger areas of the worlds oceans, IPS also adds.
Researchers

have

found

direct

correlation

between

rising

sea

temperatures and the decline in phytoplankton growth around the world.

surface

Increasing oceanic dead zones

The past half-century has seen an explosive growth in aquatic dead zones, areas too
low in dissolved oxygen to support life.