The Web of Life:

Why is biodiversity important to us?

Cristián Samper
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution

Trinidad & Tobago, July 2007

C. Clark
C. Ziegler
L. Mazariegos
B. Lim
C. Castano
 Changes since 1960
• Population increased from 3 to 6 billion
• Economy increased 6 fold
• Food production increased by 2.5 x
• Demand for water has doubled
• Amount of water impounded by dams
quadrupled
• Flows of phosphorous tripled

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)

 Some achievements…
• Documented 1.8 million species
• 11% of world’s terrestrial ecosystems are
protected
• Advances in human health
• Advances in agricultural productivity
• Increased awareness among people
• Stronger multilateral agreements
 But the fact is…
• Biodiversity is still declining

• Many people are still living in poverty

• Inequities in distribution
 Many of the richest countries in
biodiversity are among the least
developed

Much of the capacity and information

is in a few countries, most
biodiversity is in other countries
 How can we bring the best science
to inform policy and benefit society?
Biodiversity science : how much do we know?
 Biodiversity Sciences
• What is this species? (Taxonomy)
• How are species related? (Phylogenetics)
• Where are they found? (Biogeography)
• How do species interact? (Ecology)
• How did they come to be? (Evolution, Paleo)
• How are they used by people? (Ethnobiology)
• What is the impact of people? (Conservation
biology)
M. Vecchione (NOAA)
AE Arnold
DNA BARCODING

P. Hebert
 The cotton in your
shirt came from here

You are here

The E.coli
in your gut
is here

The fungus
on your foot
is here
C. Ziegler
WAB M5.5 Flowering plant family density
WAB M5.6 Terrestrial vertebrate family density
WAB M7.1 Freshwater fish family density
Biodiversity Conservation
Human Population Density
Cultivated Systems

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)

Use of Net primary Productivity
Expansion of marine fisheries

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)

Terrestrial Biomes

NASA
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)
P. Salaman
 Threatened Species
Described Evaluated Threatened %
Mammals 5416 4853 1101 23
Birds 9917 9917 1213 12
Amphibians 5743 5743 1856 32
Reptiles 8163 499 304 61
Fishes 28500 1721 800 46
Invertebrates 1190200 3487 1992 57
Plants 287655 11824 8321 70
TOTAL 1545594 38046 15589 41

IUCN Global Species Assessment (2004)

 Extinct Species (2004)
Extinct Ex Wild TOTAL

Mammals 73 4 77
Birds 129 4 133
Reptiles 21 1 22
Amphibians 34 1 35
Fishes 81 12 93
Invertebrates 359 14 373
Plants 86 24 110
Protists 1 0 1
TOTAL 784 60 844

IUCN Global Species Assessment (2004)

Geography of Extinction

IUCN Global Species Assessment (2004)

Changes in threat processes for Birds

IUCN Global Species Assessment (2004)

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)
Museum specimens, Ancient DNA

DNA was amplified

from specimens
collected > 100 years
ago

Variation in DNA
between individuals
Bone fragments and populations was
were removed from used to make
the nasal cavities of inferences about
96 black-footed historical patterns of
ferret skulls colonization, migration,
and population decline.
 2.5
Genetic diversity

1.5

0.5

0
Year 1871 1972 1982 1986
N >10,000 110 45 7
Protected areas
 Science for conservation
• Taxonomy/systematics
• Natural history/ reproductive biology
• Protected areas/ landscape ecology
• Invasive species
• Climate change
• Sustainable use
• Social and economic sciences
Biodiversity and Human Well-being
 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Global
Regional
Local
Human Wellbeing & Primary Drivers
Poverty Reduction ƒ Demographic Change
ƒHealth and disease ƒ Economic Change (incl globalization, trade,
ƒEnvironmental Security market, & policy framework)
ƒCultural Security ƒ Social and Political Change (incl governance,
ƒEconomic Security institutional, & legal framework)
ƒEquity ƒ Technological change
ƒ Lifestyle and Behavioral change

Ecosystems &
their Services
ƒ Supporting (Biodiversity and Proximate Drivers
ecosystem processes) ƒ Climate Change
Life on Earth
ƒ Provisioning (Food, water, ƒ Land and Water Use & Cover Change
fiber, fuel, other biological ƒ Factor inputs (e.g., irrigation, fertilizers)
products) ƒ Pollution
ƒ Cultural (Cultural, aesthetic) ƒ Harvest
ƒ Nutrient Release
ƒ Species Introductions
Life on Earth
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)
 Water availability
Food supply and Freshwater supply and
demand demand
Water use and nutrient loss

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Ayensu et al. 1999. Science 286:685-686.

 Response options

• Institutional
• Economic
• Social and behavioral
• Technological
• Knowledge
Future Scenarios

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005)