Download What is biological diversity? - Working Group on Environmental

Biodiversity:
Some Key Trends Worldwide
by Carolle Mathieu
9th WGEA meeting, Brasilia
31 May, 2004
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Overview
• What is Biological Diversity (BD)?
• What is the scope of BD?
• What are some important issues related
to BD?
• Why is it important to protect BD?
• What are major challenges to
maintaining BD?
• What are some means of protecting and
conserving BD?
• What are some of the Conventions
related to BD?
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What is biological diversity?
 It refers to all aspects of variability in the
living world, including diversity within
and between
- Individuals and their genes
- Populations
- Species
- Communities
and the system they inhabit.
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What is the scope of biological
diversity?
• Only about 1.75 million species
have been identified; there are
many other species that are
unknown
• Scientists estimate there are 13
million species; they can range
from 3 to 100 million
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What are some important issues
related to biological diversity?
Species extinction
• Loss of species is a natural process, but
the rate of extinction has accelerated
dramatically as a result of human
activity
• Extinction raises specific concern
because of its irreversibility
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The IUCN/The World Conservation Union
Red List of Threatened Species
From the 2003 IUCN Red List:
 Since 1500 AD, a total of 762 plants
and animals have become extinct
species, while 58 are known only in
cultivation or in captivity
 The current species extinction rate is
estimated to be between 1,000 and
10,000 times higher than the natural
rate
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From the 2003 IUCN Red List:
More than 12,000 species are
known to be threatened with
extinction
Since the 2002 Red List,
2,000 species have been added
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The IUCN 2003
Red List of Threatened Species
Group of
Organisms
# Species in
Group
# Threatened
Species
% of Total
Threatened
Species
Vertebrates
56,586
3,524
6
Mammals
4,842
1,130
23
Birds
9,932
1,194
12
Reptiles
8,134
293
4
Amphibians
5,578
157
3
Fishes
28,100
750
3
1,190,200
1,959
0,20
950,000
553
0,06
Invertebrates
Insects
Plants
287,655
6,774
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From the 2003 IUCN Red List:
Highest number of known
threatened birds and mammals
are in:
Indonesia, India, China,
Brazil and Peru
Highest number of known
threatened plants are in:
Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka,
Ecuador and Brazil
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What are some important issues
related to biological diversity?
Habitat loss and fragmentation
• Habitat loss is identified as a main threat to
85% of all species described in the Red List
of Threathened Species
• Deforestation is one of the leading causes:
about 80% of forests have been cleared
• Urbanization has dramatically increased
the rate
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What are some important issues
related to biological diversity?
Invasive Species
• Second main cause of biodiversity loss
• Introduce species that spread in the
new environment and threaten the
native species, the environment and our
economy
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What are some important issues
related to biological diversity?
Other causes
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•
•
•
•
•
Over-exploitation of our resources
Climatic Change
Pollution
Overgrazing
Desertification
Genetic Diversity
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Why is it important to protect
biological diversity?
 Species and ecosystems provide
goods and services
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Provide food and fuel
Medicine
Purification of air and water
Stabilization of climate
Pollination and dispersal of seeds
Generation and preservation of soils
Control of potential agricultural pests
Protection of coastal shores from erosion
Detoxification and decomposition of waste
Aesthetic
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What are major challenges to
maintaining biological diversity?
• Increasing demand for biological
resources due to population
growth and increased population
Developing countries want to
develop their economy
• Assess the status of biodiversity:
need for more research to
understand value of BD
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What are some means of protecting
and conserving biological diversity?
• Creation of protected areas such as
national parks (in-situ conservation)
• Focus on areas containing high species
richness and protect endangered species
against illegal activities (hot spots)
• Zoos, botanical gardens, gene banks (exsitu conservation)
• Increase public awareness
• Conventions and treaties
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What are some of the conventions related
to Biological Diversity
• Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)
• The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971)
• Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) (1973)
• Convention to Combat Desertification (1994)
• The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety under
the Convention of BD on living modified
organisms (LMO) (2000)
• International Convention for the Control and
Management of Ships' Ballast Water and
Sediments (2004)
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