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Biodiversity is critically important to human health, economies and livelihoods. Humans have caused the loss of 83% of all wild animals and half of all plants. To mark the International Day for Biodiversity, here are five reasons why biodiversity matters to humans – and why we need to protect it.
There are numerous reasons why biodiversity is important, but one of the most vital is that ecosystems need it to stay alive. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, biodiversity is "essential to the existence and proper functioning of all ecosystems." Having a diverse environment gives all kinds of life the ability to better ...
This time though, humans are to blame. Never before has a single species exerted such influence on the planet and the evolution of its inhabitants, or put its own survival in such jeopardy. Biodiversity underpins life as we know it, including the air that we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink.
Mountains are home to over 85% of biodiversity, but they are vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis and human intervention. Home to over 85% of amphibian, bird and mammal species, mountain habitats need to be higher up the biodiversity loss agenda, experts say.
Plants are essential for medicines. For example, 25% of drugs used in modern medicine are derived from rainforest plants. Biodiversity loss is also linked to increases in disease as humans encroach into untouched nature through deforestation and urbanization. An estimated 43% of emerging infectious diseases come from wildlife. “
Why is biodiversity important? Both the 2019 IPBES and 2020 WWF reports stress that the loss of habitats and species pose as much of a threat to life on Earth as climate change. For biodiversity is not only vital for a flourishing natural world.
Biodiversity loss is one of the biggest risks facing the world over the next 10 years, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2023. Nature is vital to our health and well-being – and a source of medicine, with more than 40% of pharmaceutical formulations derived from natural sources.
Humans and livestock account for the remaining 96%. The world’s impact on nature is clearly large, but so is the world’s dependence upon it. Roughly 60% of global GDP is at least moderately dependent on nature’s diverse services, from clean water supplies to pollination services (Figure 1).
Drones patrol popular surfing areas scanning the sea for signs of sharks that could pose a danger to humans. AI scans the drone footage to give a positive identification. The system can warn surfers of the presence of sharks – and keep the sharks safe from the frequently fatal consequences of an encounter with humans.
Microbial diversity is a large part of the biodiversity that is being lost. And these microbes – bacteria, viruses and fungi, among others – are essential for maintaining healthy ecosystems. Because humans are a part of these ecosystems, our health also suffers when they vanish, or when barriers reduce our exposure to them.
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