Biodiversity 7

BIODIVERSITY

All living beings–animals, plants and microbes–living in soil, water, on trees,
in and on other animals; useful and/or harmful; cultivated, domesticated,
or wild; their genes and the ecosystems in which they live, make up the
Biodiversity of the earth.
The variety of life on earth—biological diversity–and the natural patterns it
forms is the result of billions of years of evolution, shaped by natural
processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans.
Biodiversity forms the web of life of which we are an integral part, and
upon which we so fully depend. Biodiversity provides humans with many
goods and services.
An environment rich in biological diversity offers the broadest array of
options for sustainable economic activity. The loss of biodiversity often
reduces the productivity of ecosystems, thereby shrinking nature's basket
of goods and services, from which we constantly draw. It destabilizes
ecosystems, and weakens their ability to deal with natural disasters such as
floods, droughts, and hurricanes, and with human-caused stresses, such as
pollution and Climate Change.
Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity is fundamental to
sustainable development.
Through the activities and projects related to this theme students will
discover and understand the importance of biodiversity and the different
issues concerning this theme.

Key Aspects and Issues

Awareness, understanding and appreciation of Biodiversity

Genetic/Species
Habitats/Ecosystems.

Importance/values of Biodiversity

Food Security
Ecological Services
Health and Healing
Aesthetic Pleasure
Religious and Cultural.

Threats to Biodiversity

Human activities related to growing population, agriculture,
industrial and other development projects (dams, roads, etc.)
Pollution–air, water, soil
Over-exploitation of natural resources
Climate Change.

Conserving Biodiversity

Creating awareness about value and threats
Protecting...