Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences

Abstract

Biodiversity is the diversity of life on earth at various organizational levels, from genes to species and ecosystems. Biodiversity comprises the dynamic web of organisms and the interactions between them and the environment. Biodiversity is fundamental for the maintenance of ecosystem functioning and the delivery of ecosystem services. Ecosystem services are direct benefits that humans obtain from ecosystems, such as food and clean water, or indirect benefits, such as climate regulation and pollination. Human well-being is dependent on ecosystem services and thus on the condition of ecosystems. However, humans are placing increasing pressure on ecosystems, due to the exponential growth of world population over the past decades and increasing consumption patterns. As a result, ecosystems are being degraded and destroyed, resources are collapsing, and the loss of biodiversity has reached unprecedented levels. Ecosystem conditions are seriously threatened along with the maintenance of the benefits provided by ecosystems. The effects on human well-being are felt at several scales from local communities to the global population. Human well-being is being affected worldwide by the consequences of ecosystem changes and biodiversity loss, which include natural disasters, health problems, and poverty. Environmental sustainability is a key concept for the future, being fundamental to find solutions that preserve biodiversity and ecosystems, without disregarding people's needs for ecosystem services and economical development.