Threats to biodiversity
The world's biological diversity has co-evolved with human culture. Humanity has applied growing knowledge and skills to order and manipulate nature to meet changing human needs. In this process, people have hunted, fished, and gathered species for food, fuel, fiber and shelter. They have eliminated competing or threatening species, domesticated plants and animals, cut forests, used fire to alter habitats, and recently even significantly changed hydrological and geochemical cycles. As a result, the landscape and, to a lesser extent, the sea, today reflect human culture.
At a time when humanity's needs for productive biological resources are greater than ever before, we are witnessing the irreplaceable loss of the world's fundamental capital stock -- its species and genes -- and the deterioration of ecosystems' ability to meet human needs. As species disappear, humanity loses today's foods, medicines, and industrial products, as well as tomorrow's. As genetic diversity erodes, our capacity to maintain and enhance agricultural, forest, and livestock productivity decreases. And with the degradation of ecosystems, we lose the valuable serves that natural and semi-natural systems provide.
Related Publications
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Reefs at Risk: A map-based indicator of potential threats to the world's coral reefs (1998)
This global analysis evaluates human pressure on coral reefs for 55,000 coral reef locations worldwide.
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Last frontier forests: Ecosystems and economies on the edge (1997)
Offers the first scientific assessment of the world's large, intact natural forests and graphically depicts the extent of human impacts on global forests.
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Drowning the national heritage: Climate change and U.S. coastal biodiversity (1991)
Examines the status of coastal biodiversity and the potential impacts of climate change. Evaluate various policy responses and recommend specific changes to protect the biological wealth of these vital ecosystems.