Biodiversity and its value, Ecosystem Change,

Human well being

Cairo UniversityEconomics and political science

Presented by: Asaad Tolba Abdel-Halim

Biodiversity, which plays a critical role in

overall sustainable development and

poverty eradication, is essential to our planet, human well-being and to the livelihood and cultural integrity of

people

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the extraordinary variety of living creatures and ecological communities growing and interacting with each other all over the world. It is the richness and complexity of species and ecosystems throughout the planet - continually acquiring and honing the adaptations necessary for survival under constantly changing conditions.

Species diversity refers to the variety of different living things

Genetic diversity refers to the variations between individuals of a species — characteristics passed down from parents to their offspring.

Ecosystem diversity refers to the great variety of environments produced by the interplay of the living (animals and plants) and non-living world (earth forms, soil, rocks and water).

Types of biological diversity

Biodiversity Value

Economic Values: A biologically diverse natural environment provides humans with the necessities of life and forms the basis for the economy. Everything we buy and sell originates from the natural world.

Cultural Values: Most people feel connected to nature, often for reasons hard to explain. Some feel a strong spiritual bond that may be rooted in our common biological ancestory. Others are inspired by its beauty. Human cultures around the world profoundly reflect our visceral attachment to the natural world. Thus cultural diversity is linked to Earth’s biodiversity.

Ecological Values: All living creatures are supported by the interactions among organisms and ecosystems. Loss of biodiversity makes ecosystems less stable, more vulnerable to extreme events, and weakens its natural cycles.

Ecological Values

Energy cycle: Plants and photosynthetic bacteria transform energy from the sun into stored chemical energy (foundation for virtually all food webs)

Water cycle: Forests moderate water flows by catching, holding and recycling rainwater. Plants release absorbed rainwater into the air through the loss of water through their leaves (transpiration). Wetlands and estuaries purify water and control flooding

Ecological Values

Nitrogen cycle: Nitrogen is needed by all living organisms, and it makes up a large component of Earth’s atmosphere. In its natural atmospheric form, nitrogen is not directly accessible to most organisms, so it needs to be converted, primarily by bacteria living on the roots of certain plants. Their daily activities help ecosystems functioning. In turn, these ecosystems support life. Healthy ecosystems are more stable and more adaptable to any change, such as extreme events like drought or floods which can alter entire ecosystems

Carbon and oxygen cycles: Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is generated by animal respiration, plant decay and the burning of fossil fuels

Economic value

Nature provides the raw materials we need for survival, and forms the basis for the global economy

Everything we use in our daily lives was originally derived from the natural world

Scientists have identified and named about 270,000 species of plants. Tropical rain forests support some of Earth’s highest levels of biodiversity. At least 1,650 known tropical forest plants have the potential to be grown as vegetable crops

Nature is also the source for many medicines such as aspirin, heart stimulants, antibiotics, anti-malarial and cancer fighting compounds

Climate regulation, water purification, soil regeneration, nutrient cycling, waste recirculation, crop pollination and production of timber, fodder, and biomass are provided by our living environment for free.

Cultural value

"The co-evolution of culture, life forms, and habitats has conserved the biological diversity of this planet. Cultural diversity and biological diversity go hand in hand."

From aboriginal creation myths and other ancient religions to the work of generations of artists, poets, musicians and storytellers, nature has been the foundation of human cultural identities, spiritual practices and creative expression throughout the ages

Earth is home to an estimated 10 to 20 million species, but only a fraction is known and scientifically classified. The interdependence among organisms and their environments creates and sustains the conditions needed for survival by all living creatures.

Biodiversity is disappearing at an alarming rate, at levels from genes and species to ecological communities. Some ecologists predict that 50 per cent of all mammals and birds will be extinct within the next century. Biologists believe the loss of these resources threaten the functioning of natural systems and the overall well-being of human society.

There is considerable pressure from human activity on nature and

biodiversity. Action is necessary to counteract pressures arising notably

from pollution, the introduction of non-native species, potential risks from

releasing genetically modified organisms and the way in which the

land and sea are exploited.

The assessment and modelling of current impact on wilderness show that there are few areas in Europe proper that have seen little human impact - it is all broken up by roads thus lowering the value of habitats primarily for big mammals. Areas with wilderness qualities can be found in the Arctic and further East

Human Impact - Europe and the Near East.

The main threats to biodiversity

In many European countries, half of the known vertebrate species are threatened and more than one-third of Europe's bird species

are in decline

Millenium Ecosystem Assessment

The United Nations is the most comprehensive evaluation of human impacts on biodiversity

It also examines the dangers that environmental damage poses to human society.

Percentage of birds, mammals, fishes and plants/ Total number of species disappearing

(after Pimms et al., 1995 in Chapin et al., 2000)

Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history

– Humans have increased the species extinction rate by as much as 1,000 times over background rates typical over the planet’s history

– 10–30% of mammal, bird, and amphibian species are currently threatened with extinction

The role of biodiversity in global change

significant and largely irreversible changes to species diversity

The distribution of species on Earth is becoming more homogenous

The population size or range (or both) of the majority of species across a range of taxonomic groups is declining

Growth in Number of Marine Species Introductions in North

America and Europe

Deforestation generally leads to decreased rainfall. Since forest existence depends on rainfall, forest loss can result in a feedback, accelerating the rate of decline in rainfall

Regional climate change

Direct drivers growing in intensity

Most direct drivers of degradation in ecosystem remain constant or are growing in intensity in most ecosystems

Changes in direct driversHabitat transformation:– Further 10–20% of

grassland and forestland is projected to be converted by 2050

Overexploitation, overfishing: – Pressures continue to

grow in all scenarios

Invasive alien species:– Spread continues to

increase

(after Chapin et al., 2000)

Different answers of 2100 to the causes of biodiversity change

T – Tropical forets

G - grasslands

M - mediterranean

D - deserts

N – Northern temperate forests

B – boreal forests

A - arctic

Scenario 1: there is no interaction between causes

scenario 2: Factors with the highest impact affect biodiversity changes

SCENARIOS

Observed recent impacts of climate changes on ecosystems:

– Changes in species distributions

– Changes in population sizes– Changes in the timing of

reproduction or migration events

– Increase in the frequency of pest and disease outbreaks

Changes in direct drivers:Climate Change

A Best case Scenario: If we work together locally/globally and have a ecological focus, the likely temperature increase is projected to be +1.8. Because projecting the climate is difficult to do, each scenario has a lower and upper limit, in this case (+1.1 to +2.9°C)

B Worst case Scenario: If we don’t do much and just go about our business as usual, the likely temperature increase is +4C, with a lower limit of +2.4 and an upper limit of +6.4°C.

The outcomes depend entirely on what we decide to do in the next

few decades

Interrelationship between ecosystem services, aspects of human well-being and human health

The wellbeing of all people, everywhere in the world. The causal links between environmental change and human health are complex because they are often indirect, displaced in space and time, and dependent on a number of modifying forces

Protecting the planet in the next Millenium

Thank you for your

kind attention