What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given species, ecosystem, biome, or an

entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. To be more specific, Biodiversity is the variety of all living things; the different plants, animals and micro organisms, the genetic information they contain and the ecosystems they form. Biodiversity is usually explored at three levels - genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. These three levels work together to create the complexity of life on Earth. It describes the variety of life on Earth, from micro-organisms to mighty whales, along with the habitats they depend upon. Biological diversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources.

Biodiversity conservation, the practice of protecting and preserving the wealth and variety of species, habitats, ecosystems, and genetic diversity on the planet, is important for our health, wealth, food, fuel, and services we depend on. It plays an integral role in supporting many sectors of development.

Genetic Diversity Genetic diversity refers to the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It is distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary. Genetic diversity serves as a way for populations to adapt to changing environments. With more variation, it is more likely that some individuals in a population will possess variations of alleles that are suited for the environment.

Species Diversity Species diversity is the effective number of different species that are represented in a collection of individuals. The effective number of species refers to the number of equallyabundant species needed to obtain the same mean proportional species abundance as that observed in the dataset of interest. The diversity of species on Earth is incredible. Right now, there are more than 1.7 million species that have been discovered and named while scientists think that there are millions more we dont know about. The different plants, animals and other forms of life interact with each other in so many ways that we are still figuring them out. Over time, many species of plants and animals have evolved to depend on one another. For example, some plants can only be pollinated by a certain kind of bird or insect. In relationships like these, if one species becomes extinct, the other species could too.

Ecosystem Diversity Ecosystem diversity refers to the variety of ecosystems in a given place. Within any broader landscape there is a mosaic of interconnected ecosystems. Ecosystem diversity can also refer to the variety of ecosystems present in a biosphere, the variety of species and ecological processes that occur in different physical settings. To conserve biodiversity, conservation at the landscape level is critical. This enables the protection of a representative array of interacting ecosystems and their associated species and genetic diversity.

Why is Biodiversity important?

Everything that lives in an ecosystem is part of the web of life, including humans. Each species, by virtue of its existence has a vital role to play in the circle of life. Maintaining a wide diversity of species in each ecosystem is necessary to preserve the web of life that sustains all living things. The richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, economic development and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change. A healthy biodiversity provides a number of services which are essential for our health, prosperity and quality of life. These services include:

Ecosystem Services Regulate our climate Control floods Pollinate crops Purify our water Absorb Carbon Dioxide Stop erosion Biodiversity Supplies Diverse food products Timber and fuel Textiles Medicinal products Breeding stocks, population reservoirs Fresh water Fertile soils Social Benefits Peace & tranquility Beautiful landscapes Amazing wildlife Discovery & learning Recreation & tourism Cultural values Healthy environment

Services provided by Biodiversity

Biodiversity provides many necessary services; such as primary production, liberation of oxygen, and soil formation. Supporting services include soil structure and fertility, pollination, nutrient cycling, primary production, and the growth and reproduction of living organisms. Soil structure and fertility: Soils are increasingly recognized as a multi-functional resource that provides additional ES such as drinking water purification, biodiversity, a CO2 sink, and other services. ES derived from soil formation relate to the maintenance of crop productivity on cultivated lands and the integrity and functioning of natural ecosystems. Pollination is most important for agriculture but also for forestry. Production of 75% of the worlds most important crops and 35% of the food produced depends on animal pollination. Pollination from natural vectors improves productivity, and, in some cases, the quality of the product. Nutrient cycling: Agriculture and forestry depend on continuous recycling of 30 to 40 chemical elements. Many aspects of natural ecosystems facilitate nutrient cycling at local and global scales. For example, soil organisms decompose organic matter, releasing nutrients to plant growth, to ground water, and to the atmosphere. Migration of insects, birds, fish, and mammals helps move nutrients among ecosystems. ES derived from nutrient cycling are related to soil maintenance, primary production, and to regulation of gases, climate, and water. Primary production, growth, and reproduction: Energy capture, performing the chemistry of living things, and growing and reproducing populations of target species be they crops, trees, fish stocks, or other is the basis for all economic production from biological natural resources.

These overarching services provide us with a wide range of Products including: Provision of all food Pharmaceutical goods Building materials Fuel: wood, fuel crops, fossil fuels (created from breakdown biologically diverse matter

over millions of years) Genetic resources for medicines, foods and other products

Some more specific services which we all rely on include: Pollination of plants that provide products and services Purification of air and water Detoxification and decomposition of wastes Stabilisation and moderation of the Earths climate Moderation of floods, droughts and temperature extremes and creation of drainage systems Generation and renewal of soil fertility, prevention of soil erosion, nutrient cycling Control of pests and diseases Capacity to regenerate and recover after damage (both from human and natural causes)

Cultural and Social Services provided by biodiversity include: A healthy living environment Resources for recreation Educational resources Aesthetical value Spiritual meaning Artistic inspiration

Threats to biodiversity
In part as the value of biodiversity and the resulting ecosystem services are poorly understood by a lot of people. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005) reports that there has been a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the earth's biodiversity, with some 10-30% of mammal, bird and amphibian species currently threatened with extinction, and 15 of 24 ecosystem services being degraded. Fortunately, it comes at a time when the earth probably contains more species than ever before, and there's some redundancy built into the system.

Habitat loss. Habitat loss, alteration and fragmentation directly affect the species that rely on the habitat that is being changed. Habitat loss is particularly serious in southern Ontario where urbanization, agriculture and road density are greatest. Invasive species. Invasive species are harmful non-native species whose introduction or spread threatens the environment, the economy and society, including human health. Invasive species originate from other continents, adjacent countries or from other ecosystems within Canada. Free from predation and competition that would normally limit their distribution and abundance in their natural habitats, many invasive species reproduce rapidly and damage, displace or destroy native species in our forests (e.g., emerald ash borer), agricultural areas (e.g., plum pox virus), wetlands (e.g., purple loosestrife) and lakes and rivers (e.g., zebra mussel). The zebra mussel disrupts ecosystem composition and structure, clogs water intake pipes, and affects public beaches.

Pollution. Pollution is emitted in many different forms, including atmospheric pollution, soil and water pollution, pesticides, particulate matter, and heavy metals. There are thousands of pollutants circulating through the Earth's ecosystems, and many of these materials have significant, large-scale impacts on forests and aquatic ecosystems. Acid precipitation, for example, has had a significant impact on Ontario's maple forests and industrial pollutants such as DDT is known to have caused significant declines in populations of many bird species including Peregrine Falcon and Bald Eagles. Pollution can also disrupt ecological processes. For example, scientists are now linking light pollution to declines in migratory songbirds.

Population growth. Human population growth adds to the impact of all the other causes because more people require more space and more resources. There are now about 6 billion people on Earth, more than twice as many as in 1950. While the rate of increase is slowing, it still adds more than 90 million people each year. Habitats, even healthy ones, can support just so many of anything, including people.

Over-consumption or unsustainable use. Over-consumption is the harvest of species at a rate higher than can be sustained by the natural reproduction of the population. In Ontario, for example, wild American ginseng has been over-harvested from its natural rich woodland habitat to the point of being endangered.

Climate Change and other Cumulative impacts. Biodiversity Strategy adds an additional letter. People have added carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and other greenhouse gases to the atmosphere by extracting and burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas. The effect of these gases has been to trap heat and accelerate the rate of global warming and climate change. Climate change is a major threat to the world's biodiversity. The cumulative impacts of pollution, habitat modification, the global redistribution of species and over-harvesting place many ecosystems at risk. These cumulative

impacts cause alteration, reduction and loss of ecosystem function, populations and species, degradation, loss and fragmentation of habitat. They also damage human health.

Biodiversity Conservation
Biodiversity is the life support system of our planet- we depend on it for the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. Wetlands filter pollutants from water, trees and plants reduce global warming by absorbing carbon, and bacteria and fungi break down organic material and fertilize the soil. It has been empirically shown that native species richness is linked to the health of ecosystems, as is the quality of life for humans.

Medicines originating from wild species, including penicillin, aspirin, taxol, and quinine, have saved millions of lives and alleviated tremendous suffering. 40% of all prescriptions are for medicines that originated from plants and animals. No one knows how many more cures await discovery, hidden in Earths poorly studied species.

There are 80,000 species of edible plants known on Earth, but 90% of the worlds food comes from a mere 20 of these species. Edible plant species, both those we know of and those we dont, offer a tremendous resource of possibilities that could greatly add to the security of our food. How many of these have high potential for commercial exploitation and for feeding the hungry? Certainly a great many. Breeding cultivars with their wild counterparts can also confer resistance to diseases and increase crop yield.

This incorporates the preservation, maintenance, sustainable use (conservation), recovery and enhancement of the components of biological diversity, where: Conservation - is the sustainable use of resources and encompasses protection as well as exploitation and; Preservation - is an aspect of conservation meaning to keep something without altering or changing it.

Sustainable development This refers to development that meets the needs of the current generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs; it simply refers to intra and intergenerational equity. A balance between the environment, development and society results to sustainable development which ensures biodiversity conservation. This is only possible in the presence of good enforced and implemented policies/ conventions, environmental institutions.

Convention on biological diversity (CBD) Conservation of biological diversity and sustainable use of its components came into the limelight in 1972 (United Nations Conference on Human Environment; Stockholm). In 1973, UNEP identified conservation of biodiversity as a priority area, hence there was need to get the legal mandate for conservation of world resources. There were negotiations for a legally binding instrument to address biological diversity and its loss to enhance fairness and equity in sharing of the benefits of biodiversity; this led to the opening of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992; Rio de Janeiro under the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)/ Earth Summit.

The convention was inspired by the growing concern all over the world for sustainable development. The convention objectives were: Conservation of the biological diversity; Sustainable use of its components; A fair and equitable sharing of its benefits. This was the first global comprehensive agreement that addressed all the aspects of biological diversity; genetic resources, species diversity and ecosystem diversity.

Importance of Biodiversity in Bangladesh

Over the past few decades, biodiversity has become the issue of global concern due to its rapid reduction worldwide. It is also widely supposed that it is the poorest people of most developing countries, who depend most immediately upon local ecosystems for their livelihoods, that will be most affected by the consequences of this biodiversity loss (CBD, 2006). It is, therefore, essential to conserve this threatened biodiversity for the well being of these people. To date, various programs and strategies have been undertaken to tackle this problem at both national and regional levels. Governments throughout the world have been strengthening their conservation capacity by developing and adopting various policies, legislations and innovative approaches.

Bangladesh has practiced both in situ and ex situ conservation methods to maintain the remnants of the countrys biological diversity. The declaration of protected areas, ecologically critical areas (ECAs), World Heritage Sites and Ramsar sites are some examples of in situ conservation; alternatively, ex situ conservation measures includes botanical gardens, preservation plots, gene banks, arboretums, etc. There are also five eco parks and one safari park in the country, which also contribute significantly to biodiversity conservation.

The country has ratified most of the international treaties and conventions related to conservation of biodiversity. As a signatory party of these agreements the government has

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developed various legislative policies and inventions to conserve its remaining biodiversity (Ali and Ahmed, 2001; Kothari et. al., 2000). Following are the major legislative policies and approaches taken by the government which provide provisions for biodiversity conservation in the country. These include the following: National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP); National Conservation Strategy (NCS); Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) (Amendment) Act, 1974; Bangladesh Forest Act, 1978 and subsequent amendments; National Environment Management Action Plan (NEMAP); The Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act, 1995 and Environment Conservation Rules 1997; Sustainable Environment Management Programme (SEMP); and the Nishorgo Support Project (NSP) for the co management of protected areas.

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Importance of Biodiversity Conservation in Sustainable Development

Biodiversity conservation is undoubtedly very important for sustainable development. The importance of this cannot be said in words. They have any drawbacks as well. As biodiversity affects, and is affected by many sectors of the economy. As discussed earlier, the link between biodiversity conservation, sustainable management of natural resources, and economic development are related. It is important to understand the linkages between the factors and other national and international development processes. Truly sustainable development requires entities to redefine their policies on land use, food, water, energy, employment, development, conservation, economics and trade. Protection and sustainable use of biodiversity requires the participation of ministries responsible for such areas as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, energy, tourism, trade and finance. Conservation of biodiversity and its use in sustainable development have been impeded by many obstacles. The threats to the conservation system identified have been caused as a result of the following underlying or root causes, which are affecting all or parts of region: lack of integrated planning and weak inter-sectoral co-ordination; limited management and enforcement capacity; lack of financial and technical resources for ecosystem management and conservation; regulatory frameworks and policies not harmonized or co-ordinated among sectors and between the three countries; lack of co-ordination among the three countries to address transboundary issues and management needs of the region as an integrated ecosystem unit; limited income generation opportunities leading to unsustainable use of natural resources and pressure on the ecosystem; limited incentives or disincentives to prevent or control environmentally unsustainable practices;

The need to mainstream the conservation and sustainable use of biological resources across all sectors of the national economy, the society and the policy-making framework is a complex challenge at the heart of the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD). This will mean cooperation with many different actors, such as regional bodies and organizations. Integrated management of natural resources, based on the ecosystem approach, is the most effective way to promote this aim of the Convention. Provision by developed country Parties of resources to implement the Convention is critical and essential. The Strategic Plan can promote broad-based action by bringing about a convergence of actions around agreed goals and collective objectives.

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Conclusion
In the foregoing, an attempt has been made to relate biodiversity to the global millennium goals in order to achieve sustainable development. The long term perspective for sustainable development requires the broad-based participation of various stakeholders in policy formulation, decision-making and implementation at all levels in particular of issues of biological diversity and this must be encouraged. During the last few decades a noteworthy area of Bangladesh forests has been converted to other land use practices (e.g., agricultural crop fields) due to countrys enormous population pressure. It is now essential to conserve the countrys remaining natural forest patches by bringing them under a well defined protected areas network system, ensuring a fair representation of all vegetation types. However, in Bangladesh, simply declaring a protected area under the provision of the law, but excluding the needs of the rural people, cannot stop the rapid loss of biodiversity or secure the future of protected areas, since the local people will consider such efforts to be ignoring their traditional rights.

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