Frequently Asked Questions

What does biodiversity mean?
Biological diversity (biodiversity) is the variability among living organisms, this includes diversity within species (genetic), between species and at the ecosystem level.

Why is biodiversity important?
It is the combination of life forms and their interactions with one another and the rest of the environment that has made Earth a uniquely habitable place for humans and other forms of life. Biodiversity provides a large number of goods and services such as agriculture, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, horticulture, construction and waste treatment. The loss of biodiversity threatens our food supplies, opportunities for recreation and tourism, and sources of wood, medicines and energy. It also interferes with essential ecological functions.

Why is the world's biodiversity in danger?
Habitat fragmentation, degradation, and loss of forests, wetlands, coral reefs, and other ecosystems pose the biggest threat to biological diversity. With the loss or degradation of habitats, plant and animal species disappear. For example, forests contain many of the known terrestrial species, but approximately 45% of the Earth's original forests have been cleared, most of which during the past century.

Species have been disappearing at 50-100 times the natural rate, and this is predicted to rise dramatically. Based on current trends, an estimated 34 000 plant and 5 200 animal species (including one in eight of the world's bird species) face extinction. Beside habitat loss and degradation, alien invasive species have become a major threat to indigenous species as their natural habitats are overcome and colonized.

Global atmospheric changes, such as ozone depletion and climate change, only increase the pressure on threatened species. A thinner ozone layer lets more ultraviolet-B radiation reach the Earth's surface where it damages living tissue. Global warming is already changing habitats and the distribution of species.

Agricultural diversity that has developed over thousands of years of plant cultivation and animal domestication is also being lost. This is mainly due to modern commercial agriculture which focuses on a relatively few crop varieties and animal breeds.

Which kind of global action is being taken?
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the principal international instrument in developing sustainable conservation and use of biological resources as stipulated in chapter 15 of Agenda 21. The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD has launched comprehensive programmes of work addressing 5 critical ecosystem-based thematic areas and 13 cross-cutting issues. The adoption of the Ecosystem Approach and the decision to develop a Strategic Plan for the Convention, will greatly contribute to the establishment of a firm policy foundation.

Other biodiversity-related conventions and processes including: the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS); the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, Especially as Waterfowl Habitats (RAMSAR); the World Heritage Convention (WHC); the Meetings of Regional Seas Conventions and the Global Diversity Forum have all made significant contributions to the sustainable management and use of the world's biodiversity.

At the national level, there has been a steady growth in conservation efforts. The number of national organizations involved in conservation has increased, while the number of voluntary conservation organizations and the size of their membership have increased in an exponential manner. The growth in the number of protected areas and the total extent of all protected areas has increased considerably over the last 20 years, but their management and design or these areas is often limited.

The problem is that despite these increased national and international efforts, widespread biodiversity loss continues to occur.

How can biodiversity be measured and monitored?
Measuring and monitoring biodiversity is a complex and ambiguous task since it includes diversity within species, between species and at the ecosystem level. Therefore, a huge number of indicators to assess biodiversity exist. A ecosystem approach has also been developed to take into account the different characteristics of ecosystems. There is still no scientific and political consensus on which set of indicators and their measurement methods are the most important.