Biodiversity is the diversity of the genes, the species, the ecosystems and their interactions.
What do we know about Biodiversity?
The Biodiversity on Earth is largely unknown. For example on earth are 1,8 million animal-and plant species noted, although the total number of species is estimated at 500-100 million on earth. Of this total 39% are threatened with extinction (in plants, it is 51%).
Is Biodiversity useful?
While the economic value of biodiversity is € 30.000.000.000.000 per year, about 100 unknown species per day become extinct.
This means that the extinction about 100 to 1000 times higher than the normal background extinction.
In addition, biodiversity is beautiful, it is used by people and it is good for the ecosystem services (such as the pollination of flowers and the biological extermination of pests).
Is Biodiversity in danger?
Because of the change of the land use and the climate change, biodiversity is in danger.
Recently a gastric breeding frog vanished because of extinction who was of high interest for researches on means for stomach ulcers.
What can we do?
For the protection of biodiversity, many countries have established protected areas of the earth.
They cover about 12% of the earth’s surface.
In Germany there are 8125 protected areas. These cover only 3% of the territory of the country. If you calculate lesser protected ares like landscape and nature conservation areas it sums up to 12%.
Lars
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