Biodiversity Science and Policy

2007

Conservation Biology, 2002

Agriculture & Food Security, 2013

The accelerating disappearance of the Earth's wild plants and animals constitutes a fundamental threat to the wellbeing and even the survival of humankind. Biodiversity from terrestrial, marine, coastal and inland water ecosystems provides the basis for ecosystems and the services they provide that underpin human wellbeing. However, biodiversity and ecosystem services are declining at an unprecedented rate, and in order to address this challenge, adequate local, national and international policies need to be adopted and implemented. To achieve this, decision-makers need scientifically credible and independent information that takes into account the complex relationships between biodiversity, ecosystem services and people. They also need effective methods to interpret this scientific information in order to make informed decisions. The scientific community must understand the needs of decision-makers better in order to provide them with the relevant information. In essence, the dialogue between the scientific community, governments and other stakeholders on biodiversity and ecosystem services needs to be strengthened. To this end, a new platform has been established by the international community -the 'Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services' (IPBES). IPBES was established in April 2012, as an independent intergovernmental body open to all member countries of the United Nations. The members are committed to building IPBES as the leading intergovernmental body for assessing the state of the planet's biodiversity, I am honoured to be the Founding Chair of the organisation. In the article that follows I have outlined my perception of the background to the problem and of the way forward ecosystems and the essential services they provide to society.

BioScience, 1998

Proceedings of the National …, 2008

The threats to the future of biodiversity are many and well known. They include habitat conversion, environmental toxification, climate change, and direct exploitation of wildlife, among others. Moreover, the projected addition of 2.6 billion people by midcentury will almost certainly have a greater environmental impact than that of the last 2.6 billion. Collectively, these trends portend a grim future for biodiversity under a business-as-usual scenario. These threats and their interactions are formidable, but we review seven strategies that, if implemented soundly and scaled up dramatically, would preserve a substantial portion of global biodiversity. These are actions to stabilize the human population and reduce its material consumption, the deployment of endowment funds and other strategies to ensure the efficacy and permanence of conservation areas, steps to make human-dominated landscapes hospitable to biodiversity, measures to account for the economic costs of habitat degradation, the ecological reclamation of degraded lands and repatriation of extirpated species, the education and empowerment of people in the rural tropics, and the fundamental transformation of human attitudes about nature.

1. Biologists estimate extinction rates in one of three levels. Local extinction occurs when a species in a specific area is lost but the species is still found in other places. Ecological extinction describes a species that is so small it cannot play out its ecological role where it is found. Biological extinction means that the species is gone from the earth. Scientists use measurement and models to estimate extinction rates: studying past records, identifying species-area relationships, examining lists of threatened species. Extinction rates are increasing because of human activities. Our growing population, degrading and eliminating biological environments and biological hot spots all contribute to growing extinction rates. 2. Biodiversity and species extinction are important because species provide enormous economic and ecological services we need to survive. In 100 years, mankind will destroy species that it would take five million years to rebuild. These species may provide genetic information, medicines, and information about natural processes we need to discover. These wild plants and animals are economic, recreational, and health resources. 3. Many human activities endanger wildlife, such as degradation/loss of habitat; capture of wild animals, which prevents their breeding; overfishing, oil spills, and exposure to pesticides; and extinction from nonnative species, which we introduce. 4. To prevent premature extinction of species, we must reduce threats from nonnative species; end illegal poaching and hunting; provide means for people to survive economically without killing native animals for food; maintain predator species, not destroy them; reduce greenhouse emissions and deforestation throughout the world; develop governmental policies to support biodiversity; and protect wild species in sanctuaries.

Human history has followed a pattern—which began in Africa but is now global in scope—of exploiting nature and depleting resources. As we have expanded our influence over the world, we have also extinguished species and populations at an alarming rate. Despite attempts to reduce biodiversity loss, the trend is likely to continue: nearly 20% of all humans—more than a billion—now live within biodiversity hotspots, and their growth rate is faster than the population at large. This article presents nine steps to reduce biodiversity loss, with a goal of categorizing human-caused extinctions as wrongs, such as the slave trade and child labor, that are unacceptable to society. These steps include developing a system of parks that highlight the planet’s biological legacy, much as historical landmarks celebrate human history. Legal prohibitions that are fairly and capably enforced will also be essential in protecting rare and declining species. Biodiversity endowments—from national governmen...

Review of European Community and International Environmental Law, 1992

Loss of Biodiversity and Conservation Efforts, 2024

This essay discusses the critical issue of biodiversity loss and the efforts made to conserve it. Biodiversity, encompassing the variety of life forms and their interactions, is essential for ecosystem resilience, nutrient cycling, and overall productivity. Since 1970, vertebrate populations have declined by 69%, with habitat destruction, overfishing, pollution, and climate change being major contributors. The essay highlights significant ecosystems like the Amazon Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, which are severely impacted. Conservation efforts, such as the establishment of nature reserves and restoration projects, show promise but need a fundamental shift in human behavior towards sustainability for long-term success.