B
iological diversity (often
shortened to biodiversity) is
a term that came into
widespread use during the 1980s
but is based on far earlier groundwork
carried out in the 18th century by
naturalist Carolus Linnaeus. Biodiversity
is greater in tropical regions, the world’s
most biodiverse countries being Brazil
followed by Colombia and Indonesia.
Loss of biodiversity as a global
phenomenon is increasingly considered
to be a crisis on a par with climate
change — and perhaps even more urgent.
Scientists are starting to abandon their
customary cautious, measured language.
A three-year study from the UN-affiliated
Intergovernmental Science-Policy
Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services warned that biodiversity collapse
threatens humanity and is likely to result
in mass human migration.
According to the figures, the world’s
wild animal populations have declined
by an average of about 60 per cent since- Since the rise of agriculture and the
start of human “civilisation”, mammals
have experienced an 83 per cent drop in
numbers. Research in Germany has found
flying insect numbers down 76 per cent in
27 years. Once diminished, these numbers
are hard to regenerate. Unless this trend
is stopped, our children and grandchildren
may miss out on seeing animals in the wild
that earlier generations took for granted.
The Anthropocene is a name given
to the present era in which the Earth’s
ecology is being significantly shaped by
humans. Underway is what has been
referred to as the “sixth mass extinction”,
in which species extinction rates have
been estimated to be 100–1000 times
greater than in prehuman times. In
response to this tragedy, it is normal to
feel a sense of grief and loss; anger and
despair also deserve expression.
Yet this sense of urgency does not
guarantee that the biodiversity crisis will
receive its deserved attention in the mass
media or that decision-makers will take
the appropriate action. Media coverage is
required to educate the public but a deeper
and more challenging question is whether
sufficient people care and feel willing to
help make a difference.Tackling the causes
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity
has been ratified by 195 countries and
the EU, the US being a high-profile non-
signatory. In 2018, the UN’s biodiversity
head Cristiana Pas‚ca-Palmer stated
that the world needs its own Paris-style
biodiversity agreement within two years
and there are hopes this will be signed in
China in 2020.
Globally, key factors behind
biodiversity loss include habitat loss,
invasive species, over-hunting, human
population increase and climate change.
As with climate change, protecting
biodiversity involves trusting independent
scientists and acting on their advice. In
the tug-of-war between biodiversity and
national obsessions around maintaining
economic growth, biodiversity is at risk
of coming off second-best.
Agriculture in particular has
a huge impact. According to a UN Global
Resources Outlook study, land use change,
mostly for agriculture, is responsible for
more than 80 per cent of biodiversity loss.
Cleared vegetation is commonly replaced
with monocultures that, together with
pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, have
biodiversity impacts. Unsurprisingly,
organic farms have been found to host
more biodiversity than their conventional
counterparts. To help dwindling insect
numbers, scientists have started to urge
a substantial reduction in pesticide use
and the purchase of organic food.
Biodiversity (and correspondingly the
scope for biodiversity loss) is greatest
in the tropics. For tropical regions,
the four big deforestation-linked
industrial commodities are palm oil,
soya, beef and timber/paper. WhereRebuilding
biodiversity
When tackling environmental challenges, avoiding plastic
straws and carrying a cloth bag tend to come to mind. These
measures are important but perhaps there are other issues that
are far less tangible but require more urgent attention — such as
maintaining the planet’s biodiversity.Wo rds MARTIN OLIVER102 | wellbeing.com.au
planet
BIODIVERSITY