You may or may not realise that we are now drawing towards the end of what has been officially dubbed the International Year of Biodiversity. But with over 400 partners in the UK alone, including Bristol University, you may have noticed the distinctive logo which features various images of life silhouetted against a bold, green ‘2010’.
Despite being commonplace today, the term Biodiversity (a derivation of Biological Diversity) was first coined as late as 1986 by the prestigious biologist E.O. Wilson. At its simplest, biodiversity relates to the abundance and diversity of life on the planet: from animals to plants; from fungi to bacteria. A more holistic interpretation of the word encompasses more than just diversity of species, but also diversity in ecosystems and habitat types.
The year was declared at the United Nations General Assembly in 2006, and was conceived to serve as a celebration of the diversity of life on earth and to reinforce the aims of the 2010 Biodiversity target, established in 2002 by the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Human-induced extinctions due to over-hunting and habitat destruction have occurred for hundreds of years. In more recent times these problems continue but are exacerbated by more complex and general threats like global warming and ocean acidification. Joseph Alcamo of the United Nations Environment Programme said “Since 1970, we have reduced animal populations by 30%, the area of mangroves and sea grasses by 20% and the coverage of living corals by 40%. These losses are clearly unsustainable”.
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| China's Baiji, or Yangtze River Dolphin, was declared functionally extinct in 2006 after an expedition failed to find any surviving individuals in the river. |
World leaders have essentially failed to meet the target of reducing the rate of decline in global biodiversity they committed to 8 years ago. A paper published earlier this year in the prestigious journal Science collected data from over 30 indicators, including species abundance, risk of extinction and habitat coverage, and concluded that biodiversity continues to be degraded at an alarming rate. “Our analysis shows that governments have failed to deliver on the commitments they made in 2002: biodiversity is still being lost as fast as ever” said the paper’s lead author Dr Stuart Butchart.
It is not that the drive to preserve life on earth has been without its successes; In the UK the Large Blue butterfly and Red Kite have successfully been re-introduced, and the lady’s slipper orchard - once thought extinct in the wild - now has an expanding population in Lancashire. Progress outside the UK includes the recovering wild population of the Black Stilt, a wading bird found only in New Zealand.
However, these token species have required intensive programs of reintroduction and protection to ensure their survival; the Lady’s Slipper was at one point under 24 hour police protection, which is expensive and clearly not an option for the 1,500 or so species which have been identified as being endangered to the point of near extinction.
Hopefully, the victories achieved so far will demonstrate what can be achieved and that species can be returned from the brink of extinction, but more focus is needed on the underlying causes of extinctions such as habitat destruction and pollution of waterways. Unfortunately, many of the most biologically rich and diverse areas of the world are also amongst the poorest. Whilst it is easy to condemn mass deforestation in the tropics, it provides a livelihood for many people.
Despite this, a sustainable approach to wildlife management should not have to conflict with human interest, and the activities which provide short term gain at the expense of the environment are not only interfering with a few lovable characters like the panda, but disturbing the delicate balance of the biosphere which we all depend on.
The year 2010 should certainly be seen as an occasion to celebrate the abundance of life on earth but, much more urgently, should mark the turning point when world leaders recognise the extent of the damage already caused and the degree of effort required to bring it to an end.
