Why biodiversity is important

…all life deserves to

exist in its own right

and is more beautiful

and mysterious than

anything the human

mind can conjure.

Because…

“One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity,

of life, of the marvellous structure of reality.”

Albert Einstein

…just as genetic diversity increases the odds of survival

within species, species diversity increases the odds of

survival for life as a whole.

In the same way, species diversity is nature’s way of assuring longevity for the

existence of life on earth. Species diversity is life’s way of protecting itself.

Humans are only one tiny strand of this magnificent strategy.

When a species exhibits great genetic diversity, it has a larger pool of genes

available to it. Having more genes makes the species better equipped to respond

to changing conditions.

Because…

…humans are genetically

predisposed to value life,

and by presiding over

species extinction, we

deny our own nature.

Evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson, says species loss may go against biophilia, or the

tendency of humans to focus on life and lifelike processes. If this is true, then

contributing to the destruction of living things goes against what it means to be human.

Because…

Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/conservation/issues/biodiversity-important1.htm

…all the progress ever

made by humans has

drawn its inspiration and

materials from nature’s

bounty.

Almost 40 percent of all prescription drugs sold worldwide contain natural compounds

found in different plant, animal and fungal species [source: USAID]. Penicillin stands as

a classic example of how humankind has benefitted from a drug obtained from another

organism.

Humans rely heavily on the great variety of organisms that share the planet with us.

Plants, animals, bacteria and fungi provide raw materials for human use. We base our

diets on food crops and the animals that eat them. We clothe ourselves using material

derived from plant and animal fibres. We take advantage of single-celled organisms,

from bacteria to yeast, to drive important industrial and manufacturing processes.

Because…

Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/conservation/issues/biodiversity-important1.htm

…a species-rich

ecosystem is more

sustainable than one

which is species-

depleted.

Pollination is just one service provided by the complex interplay of living things.

Ecosystem services also purify water, generate fertile soil, break down wastes, help

control pests and moderate weather extremes.

Because…

Source: http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/conservation/issues/biodiversity-important1.htm

…every species plays a unique part in the

magnificent biosphere that sustains all life,

including humans.

• The biosphere is an awe-inspiring and

delicate system, the complexities of which

we cannot hope to understand. Despite all

our ingenuity, we have never come close to

emulating nature’s beauty, sustainability and

balance.

• Systems thinking tells us that changing one

part of a system can wreak unintended

consequences in another part.

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever

we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things

connect.”

― Chief Seattle, 1854

Because…

…humans and all other forms of life are

interconnected, evolved from the same

source.

…extinction is final and represents the loss

of millions of years of unique evolution.

…there is a virtuous circle at play here

where more life begets more life, and less

life begets less life.

When we destroy other forms of life, we destroy ourselves.

Because…