What is the importance of biodiversity? There are no simple
answers to this question. Biodiversity itself is a complex,
perhaps amorphous concept, extending from genes to ecosystems and
biomes, and to interactions and processes. Moreover, how does one
define "important?" There are a myriad of ways in which we value
biodiversity. Our value systems range from purely economic to
ecological ones. Cultural values are also prominent but rarely
universal. Values of biodiversity may also exist wholly outside
the human context, as is the case of inherent values of species.
It is therefore easy to get overwhelmed by the question of why
is biodiversity important. There are, however, ways to bring
the question into focus. As in human life, sometimes how we
value others comes most into focus when we are about to lose
them from our lives. A friend moves to a new city or a
grandparent dies. Their passage often provokes reflection upon
what they meant to us and the ways in which they were important
to us. In other words, we sometimes can most easily articulate
the value of something to us when we are about to lose it.
Similarly, many wild species are about to depart from our lives,
and their passage can force us to come to grip with whether
their extinction and hence their existence has value to us or
not. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) maintains a list of
imperiled or extinct species that can serve as a useful point of
discussion on why is biodiversity important. The list, known as
the "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species", is being compiled for
species all over the world. It is relatively easy to get a list
of all the species known to be currently threatened with
extinction in your country, to become familiar with some of
these species, and then to ask, individually and as a group, is
their fate important to us and how?
- The Red List of Threatened Species is constantly being
updated and modified. For the most recent version, access
the following Internet site: http://www.redlist.org
(Alternatively, if you do not have access to the Internet,
your instructor will provide a list of species for your
country.)
- From the web page, select the "Search" option.
- The new screen will display a series of options for
searching the database. From the menu "Select one or more
countries," choose your country.
- Now choose "Search" and you will generate a list of
species.
- Then "Sort" them by Kingdom and inspect the list. These
are the species that, without concerted conservation effort,
are about to be lost from your country.
There are a variety of reasons why not letting these species
go extinct is important. (Note that some of these species may
in fact already be extinct. -- Examine the Red List category
for each species.) Reasons why these species are important can
be grouped into several categories. Here is a subset of some
categories used to examine the value of biodiversity:
-
Direct Use Values: Species provide various
goods or products to humans, many of which play important
roles in human economies. Examples include food, medicine,
timber, fiber, etc.
-
Indirect Use Values: Species provide services
to humans as well as to other species. These include
pollination, nutrient cycling, regulation of the
atmosphere and climate. Some other indirect values
include:
-
Ecological Value: All species are
supported by the interactions among other species and
ecosystems, each providing an ecological value to one
another. Loss of species makes ecosystems less
resilient and often less productive.
-
Cultural and Spiritual Value: The identity
of human cultures around the world is attached to
varying degrees to wild species. Wild species are
often referred to in religious texts. Outside of
formal religion, many people feel connected to species
for reasons that can be hard to explain. Some may be
inspired by a species' intrinsic beauty, revere it for
its strength, or admire it for its cleverness.
Whatever the case, cultural diversity is closely
linked to wild species.
Using the list you generated consider: What does it matter if
these species go extinct in your country? In other words, why
are they important?
Search through the list of imperiled species of your country
and identify three species that provide a significant
ecological value, function, or service. Describe their
ecological value. Ecological values can often be the most
elusive to identify so think hard about each species and how
it fits into and contributes to the ecosystem where it
lives. Does the species provide pollination services? Does
it prey on pests? Does it play a role in nutrient and
carbon cycles? Think broadly about ecosystem interactions
and consider what role these species might play. What
ecological loss would each species' extinction represent?
Write down the species' name and your thoughts on its
ecological role.
Now search through the species list and identify three
imperiled species that provide significant value as a good
or product. Describe that value. Does the species
represent a source of food? Of fiber? Of materials? Of
medicine? Is it traded? What loss would its extinction
represent? Write down the species' name and your thoughts
on its value as a good.
Now search through the species list and identify three
imperiled species that have cultural value. Describe that
value. Does the species play a role in myth or literature?
Is it beautiful? Is it scary? Is it intriguing or curious?
What loss would its extinction represent? Write down the
species' name and your thoughts on its cultural
significance to you.
As a class, bring together your lists of case species and
associated values. Discuss as a group whether we as a society
bear an obligation to act as responsible stewards of these
species. Should we conserve them for the present or the
future values (potential value) that they
contribute to the human species? Take sides and explore all
perspectives. One extreme position is that the fates of none
of these imperiled species matter in the larger context of
human suffering that is so widespread today. Another extreme
is that we must save every species at any cost because they
all have an inherent right to exist (intrinsic
value). The bottom line is to consider whether we have
an obligation to our children and their children to find a way
to conserve these species (bequest value). What
do you as an individual and your class as a group decide?
