Biodiversity Information Sheet

Biodiversity is the variety of different species of organisms on Earth or within an ecosystem. The Amazon
rainforest and ocean coral reefs have a high biodiversity, while a garden typically has a much lower
biodiversity.

Biodiversity is important because it makes ecosystems more stable. In an ecosystem, each species depends
on others for food, shelter or maintenance of the physical environment. This is called interdependence.
The higher the biodiversity, the more food and shelter there is available for the species that live there.
This means that each species is less likely to depend on only one other species. If there is high biodiversity
in an ecosystem, the plants and animals that live there are more likely to cope if something changes in
the environment. Changes may include the introduction of a disease, the arrival of a new species (or
departure of one) or a change in climate or weather. If one species declines or is lost, there are more likely
to be others that can perform the same role in the ecosystem.

The Living Planet Index (LPI), which

brings together data collected
by scientists all over the world,
shows that wildlife populations
(Compared with 1970)

declined by an average of 68%

Wildlife Population

between 1970 and 2016. This

trend is not yet slowing down. The
decline in wildlife and wild places
is mostly due to human activities.
It is starting to prevent the living -68%
system from working as required
to provide for the needs of the 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
growing human population.
The LPI is one of many different Year
indicators that confirm that
biodiversity is declining.

Why Is Biodiversity Declining?

Over the past few decades human activities have destroyed and degraded forests, grasslands, wetlands
and other important ecosystems. Of the Earth’s ice-free land surface, 75% has already been significantly
altered. Most of the oceans are polluted and more than 85% of wetland area has been lost. This destruction
of ecosystems has resulted in one million species (500 000 insects and 500 000 animals and plants) being
threatened with extinction over the next one hundred years. Many of these extinctions are preventable
with conservation and restoration of natural habitats.

Pollution from human activities affects the concentration of gases in the atmosphere and the level of
gases dissolved in bodies of water. Some organisms are unable to survive when the levels of specific gases
become too high, while some thrive in polluted water. Environmental change from pollutants therefore
affects the distribution of these organisms. Climate change is also impacting where organisms live. The
increase in average global temperature is causing many plants and animals to move to cooler regions, as
well as affecting the usual migration patterns of many species.

A high biodiversity of microorganisms in the soil keeps it healthy, allowing plants to grow. Healthy soil can
also filter water and store the carbon from dead plant matter instead of it returning to the atmosphere.
Farming has contributed to the degradation and erosion of soil, which reduces the biodiversity of the
microorganisms living there.

Our Climate, Our Future

Biodiversity Information Sheet

Why Does It Matter?

Biodiversity allows us to cope with a changing world. The air that we breathe, clean water, weather patterns,
a healthy climate and the food that we eat are all reliant on the stability of the planet’s ecosystems. As
conditions change because of climate change, some species will not survive. The greater the variety and
number of different species in an ecosystem, the more likely it is that the role of those that are lost can be
taken on by other organisms.

As conditions change on our planet, scientists will need to explore new varieties of food crop species and
find those that will allow us to continue to grow enough food to meet the needs of the human population.
If we do not protect biodiversity, there will be fewer options for us to draw on when we need them most.

We rely on chemicals and materials discovered in the natural world for many important advances in
science. If we are not careful, species that offer vital solutions to challenges we face in the future may be
lost before we have the chance to discover them.

What Are the Solutions?

We must prioritise protection and restoration of wildlife and wild places, find innovative ways to meet our
needs without damaging the natural world, and work to end practices that damage the living system of
our planet.

• We need to reduce carbon emissions and slow down climate change.

• We need to carefully choose places to plant more forests. This will strengthen landscapes, improve
soil quality and capture carbon to help in the fight against climate change.
• We need to prevent deforestation. We can reduce the need for new materials by reducing the number
of new products that we make and use, making items reusable rather than single-use, recycling paper
and wood products, and producing as much as possible with this recycled material.
• We need to plant trees in urban environments. This improves air quality, prevents floods and keeps
residential areas cool. Having trees nearby also improves the physical and mental health of people
living and working there.
• We need to promote farming in ways that learn from and enhance natural systems creating a more
natural ecosystem compared to a farm growing a single crop. This is called agroecology.

Untitled by © naturepl.com / Christophe Courteau / WWF is Untitled by © Shutterstock / Fulltimegipsy / WWF is licensed
licensed under CC BY. under CC BY.

Our Climate, Our Future