INTRODUCTION

Our planet is facing an accelerated disappearance of ecosystems and the

irreversible loss of valuable biodiversity. In the past 50 years, humans have
transformed more than any other time period ecosystems. However, despite the
technological illusion, all people depend on nature to live a dignified, healthy and
secure life.

Biodiversity is not static: it is a system evolving in both species, as well as each

individual organism. A current species may have started millions of years ago, and
99 % of all species that have ever existed on Earth are extinct
 Development
LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Our planet is facing an accelerated disappearance of ecosystems and the
irreversible loss of valuable biodiversity. By diversity we mean the wide variety of
living things-plants, animals and microorganisms-living on Earth and the
ecosystems they inhabit. Human beings, like all other living things, are part of this
system and also depends on it. In addition, biodiversity includes genetic
differences within each species and variety of ecosystems.

All this provides the biological diversity of biological resources human being. These
were the basis civilizations, because through biological resources have been
developed as diverse as agriculture work, the pharmaceutical industry, the pulp
and paper industry, horticulture, construction and waste treatment. The loss of
biodiversity threatens food supplies, opportunities for recreation and tourism and
sources of wood, medicines and energy. In addition, negatively it interferes with
essential ecological functions.

The interactions between the various components of biological diversity is what

allows the planet can be inhabited by all species, including humans, because
thanks to it processes such as purification of air and water and are given
detoxification and decomposition of wastes, stabilization and moderation of the
Earth's climate, moderation of floods, droughts, extreme temperatures and wind
force, generation and renewal of soil fertility, including nutrient cycling, the
pollination of plants, etc.

The most visible form of this ecological damage is the extinction of animals such as
pandas, tigers, elephants and whales, due to the destruction of their habitat and
excessive hunting or capture. However, other less conspicuous but equally
important species are also in danger. As an example , we can mention the wide
range of insects that help pollinate plants.
While the loss of species catches our attention, the most serious threat to
biodiversity is the fragmentation, degradation and direct loss of forests, wetlands,
coral reefs and other ecosystems. All these issues are exacerbated by atmospheric
and climatic changes occurring globally and that directly affect habitats and the
beings that inhabit them. All this destabilizes ecosystems, and weakens their ability
to deal with these natural disasters.

Biodiversity or biological diversity, according to the International Convention on

Biological Diversity, the term by referring to the wide variety of life on Earth and the
natural patterns that form, the result of billions of years is evolution by natural
processes and also the growing influence of human activities. Biodiversity also
includes the variety of ecosystems and genetic differences within each species that
allow the combination of multiple forms of life, and whose mutual interactions with
the rest of the environment underlying the sustenance of life on the world.

The term "biodiversity" is a carbon copy of the English "biodiversity". This term, in
turn, is a contraction of the term "biological diversity" that was used for the first time
in October 1986 as the title of a conference on the subject, the National Forum on
Biodiversity, convened by Walter G. Rosen, a who he is credited with the idea of
palabra.1

The Earth Summit held by the UN in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 recognized the global
need to reconcile the future preservation of biodiversity to human progress based
on criteria of sustainability or sustainability promulgated in the International
Convention on Biological Diversity which was approved in Nairobi on May 22,
1992, date subsequently declared by the General Assembly of the UN International
Biodiversity Day.

Origin and evolution of the term

Heliamphora chimantensis, carnivorous plant found only in the Gran Sabana,

Venezuela.

Various epiphytic species in a jungle of Central America (Costa Rica). The

ecosystems of the tropics are home to most of the current global biodiversity.

According to the RAE, the term biodiversity defines "variety of animal and plant
species in their environment" However the concept, because of its intuitive nature,
has presented some difficulties for its precise definition as Fermín Martin Piera4
said in arguing that the employment abuse
Could "empty of content" because in his words, "often happens in the history of
thought that new paradigms coexist for a while with old ideas", considering along
with other authors that the concept of biodiversity was already noted by the own
theory of evolution.

In the early twentieth century, ecologists Jaccard and Gleason proposed in

different publications the first statistical indices destined to compare internal
diversity of ecosystems. A mid-twentieth century, the growing scientific interest
allowed the development of the concept to describe the complexity and
organization, until in 1980, Thomas Lovejoy proposed the expression diversity
biológica.5

Definition

If in the field of biology biodiversity refers to the number of populations of

organisms and species, to ecologists the concept includes diversity of durable
interactions between species and their immediate environment or biotope, the
ecosystem in which organisms live. In each ecosystem, living organisms are part of
a whole interacting with each other but also with the air, water, and soil around
them.

Three levels are usually distinguished in biodiversity:

• Genetic or intraspecific diversity, diversity consisting versions of genes (alleles)

and its distribution, which in turn is the basis of variation between (the variety of
genotypes).

• Specific, understood as systematic diversity, consisting of the plurality of genetic

systems or genomes that distinguish species.

• systemic Eco, the diversity of biological communities (biogenesis) whose

integrated sum constitutes the biosphere.

It should also include the internal diversity of ecosystems, which traditionally refers
expression diversity etc.

Biodiversity that is now on Earth is the result of four billion years of evolution.

Although the origin of life has not been precisely determined, evidence suggests
that it may have arisen ago 3800-3235000000 years. More recent research has
opened the possibility of even started 4100 million years ago while not yet
conclusive. Until about 600 million years ago, all life consisted of bacteria and
microorganisms.
The history of biodiversity during the Phanerozoic 540 million years -last starts with
rapid growth during the Cambrian explosion, a period during which first appeared
the edges of multicellular organisms. Over the next 400 million years

global biodiversity showed a relative improvement, but was marked by occasional

mass extinction events. [citation needed]

The apparent biodiversity shown in the fossil record suggests that a few million
recent years include the period with the greatest biodiversity of Earth history.
However, not all scientists hold this view, since it is not easy to determine if the
abundant fossil record is due to an explosion of biodiversity, or-just to higher
availability and preservation of recent geologic strata.

Some, like Alroy and others think that improving sampling modern biodiversity is
not much different from that of 300 million years ago. Estimates of the current
macroscopic species vary from 2 to 100 million, an estimable logical value in 10
million species, approximately.

Most biologists agree however that the period since the appearance of man is part
of a new mass extinction, the Holocene extinction event, caused especially by the
impact that humans have on ecosystem development. It is estimated that the
species extinguished by action of human activity is still lower than those observed
during the mass extinctions of the past geological eras. However, many believe
that the current rate of extinction is sufficient to create a mass extinction in the
space of less than 100 years.

Those who disagree with this hypothesis argue that the current extinction rate can
be maintained for several thousand years before biodiversity loss exceeds 20% in
mass extinctions of the past.

new species-an average of three birds are regularly discovered and many already
discovered not yet classified: it is estimated that 40% of freshwater fish from South
America remain unclassified.

aimed at developing human activities that may affect biodiversity

Examples of development activities that can have the most significant negative
consequences for biodiversity are:

agricultural and livestock projects involving land clearing , removal of wetlands ,

flooding for reservoirs for irrigation , displacement of wildlife by fences or domestic
livestock , intensive use of pesticides, the introduction of monocultures of
commercial products in places that before depended on a wide range of local crops
for subsistence farming .

• Projects that include converting fish farming , or aquaculture mariculture of

important natural breeding sites or breeding , overfishing , introduction of exotic
species in natural aquatic ecosystems.
This includes beliefs, myths, legends dreams, language, scientific knowledge,
psychological attitudes in the broadest possible sense, handlings exploitation,
enjoyment and understanding of natural environment.

It is about understanding biological evolution taking into account all aspects of

human intervention.

• In the last 10,000 years animal and plant diversity amazes us today, the result of
a history of billions of years of evolution where living beings have conquered such
different media as ocean and air; have settled in the warm and humid tropical
forest fringes Projects include the construction of access roads, intensive logging,
establishment of industries for forest products that generate more development
near the project site.

• transportation projects covering the construction of major roads, bridges, rural

roads, railways or channels, which could facilitate access to natural areas and the
population of the same.

• Channeling of rivers.

• dredging and filling activities in coastal wetlands or inland.

• Hydroelectric projects involving large water diversions, floods or other important

transformations of aquatic or terrestrial natural areas, resulting in the reduction or
modification of habitat and the consequent necessary transfer towards new areas
and probable violation of the maintenance capacity.

• Irrigation and other water projects that could drain water, drain wetlands habitats
or eliminate vital water sources.

• Industrial projects that produce air pollution, water or soil.

• large-scale loss of habitat due to mining and mineral exploration.

• Conversion of biological resources for fuels or foods on an industrial scale.

Sociocultural aspects

To these can be added with sense cultural biodiversity. Work on biological

biodiversity are incorporating the study the promotion and protection of cultural
biodiversity, besides the specific biodiversity, ecosystems and genetic.

Eugenio Reyes Naranjo defines the Cultural Biodiversity like diversity of knowledge
that human beings have developed through history in its relation to biodiversity.
And also in the cold and arid polar areas; to meet the challenges of locomotion,
food, communication or reproduction have deployed a bewildering variety of
solutions.

But this exaltation of life is suffering a devastating setback due to human activity.
The rate of species extinction has accelerated dramatically, calculating that now is
at least 400 times greater than existed before the emergence of human beings.

If we calculate the rate of extinction of currently based on numbers of species per

area, taking into account the loss of tropical forests (about 1/3 in the last 40 years),
50,000 species become extinct each year (only 7,000 of them known). This
represents 10,000 times the natural rate of extinction, meaning 5% of the total
species per decade. To keep these numbers at the end of the XXI century will be
gone two thirds of all species on Earth.

The richness of biodiversity and ecosystems that are sources of life for human
beings and the foundation for sustainable development, are in grave danger.
Increasing desertification globally leading to loss of biodiversity. have recently
disappeared about eight hundred and eleven thousand species are threatened. It is
easy to understand that this relentless loss of resources is threatening food
security. The loss of biodiversity often reduces the productivity of ecosystems, and
thus decreases the possibility of obtaining various goods of nature, and that human
beings constantly benefits.

The three main causes of biodiversity loss are:

1. La destrucción de los hábitats naturales: Esta es una de las principales causas

de pérdida de biodiversidad en el mundo. Los bosques tropicales, sin duda los
principales almacenes de biodiversidad del planeta, están desapareciendo a un
ritmo vertiginoso.

2. La fragmentación: Campos de cultivo, áreas urbanas, carreteras y autopistas

constituyen barreras infranqueables para numerosas especies. Para estos
seres vivos, su hábitat natural ha pasado de ocupar extensas áreas
ininterrumpidas a quedar dividido en fragmentos aislados de menor extensión.
Es el efecto conocido como fragmentación de los hábitats, responsable de la
extinción local de numerosas especies. Cuando un cierto número de individuos
de una especie queda confinado en una pequeña porción de territorio, el
peligro de extinción es mucho mayor.

3. Los campos sin vida: La aparición de la moderna agricultura industrial, basada

en la especialización y el uso masivo de fertilizantes y pesticidas produce una
 brusca disminución de especies. En los países más intensamente explotados
por estas nuevas formas de agricultura industrial se ha acuñado el término de
desierto verde, para referirse a estos nuevos paisajes, muy pobres en vida
silvestre.

Because of these reasons, the man is facing two serious problems: lack of
scientific knowledge about all living things and the mass extinction of species.
These problems are related and any solution should be based them together to
generate new knowledge and forge a new relationship with the natural world. The
importance of biodiversity should be recognized globally and its treatment should
be included in government agendas and educational programs

So far it seems that man has gotten away with it, as evidenced by the fact that
many species have become extinct and because of human activities and life
continues. But we do not know what we will need for the loss of species. Some
environmentalists compare the decline of biodiversity with a flight in an aircraft
which will gradually remove the rivets. How many rivets we can remove? .....
Although it seems that nothing has happened for the loss of species, but certainly
the world is less beautiful and more monotonous without them. even possibly we
have not detected the magnitude of the damage we have caused.

At the International Conference on Biodiversity to be held in Paris, France,

scientists agreed in alerting the world to the danger of loss of biodiversity. In trying
economic opportunities for countries that are repositories of rich biodiversity, it
insists on the establishment of clear rules on the use of patents and intellectual
property in the field of genetics and biotechnology.
All presentations of the specialists who participated in Paris, moved away from the
fundamentalist approach to conservation without human intervention. You can not
conceive the equation of sustainable development without the human factor. We
must understand that protecting biodiversity is synonymous with fighting poverty in
the world. Sustainable development remains the major challenge to achieve a
balance between development and conservation .

The man, in all ages, has had need for change and at the same time, fear of
change. This contradiction is evident in the industrial civilization that advocated the
ruthless use of the natural environment, and now shows a growing concern about
the loss of biodiversity. The hard to imagine a social development as the current
without affecting the natural environment and this element is the most fragile
biodiversity. However, if in the postindustrial era human societies want to be
masters of their destiny, they must be able to regulate their activity and growth,
obtain the satisfactions they need without damaging the most important legacy of
biological evolution: Biodiversity

The extinction of plant and animal species is one of the most troubling symptoms
of environmental degradation in the world, because it is an irreversible process that
deprives us forever a unique and irreplaceable genetic material that might not even
know yet that practical applications you can take benefit of it destroys humanity.
This is perhaps the easiest concept to understand in the materialistic and
interested in we usually move the world, but it is not the only reason that advises
the conservation of species. Indeed longer you have to suffice the mere fact of not
substantially alter the delicate web that unites the living beings to each other, and
reminds us that each species occupies a particular ecological niche with extinction
or becomes vacant or is occupied by more ubiquitous species. Whereupon they
are simplified or disappear unique food chains, and as if this were not enough, the
only right to coexist on the planet Earth in plant and animal species should
establish itself as the main argument to avoid extinction by all means.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. Renouncing the objective of sustainable economic growth, as serious
environmental consequences have led. The company's growth has exceeded its
limits.

2. Set a goal of substantially reducing the ecological footprint of the European

Union and the Spanish State during the next decade and implement the necessary
mechanisms to achieve them.

3. Tying all sectoral policies of the EU target of halting the loss of biodiversity,
radically changing current policy, especially transport policy, energy, industry,
agriculture and tourism.

4. Reduce the exploitation of natural resources: Reduce renewable resources until

they exceed the capacity of the ecosystem to regenerate those resources and
nonrenewable resources until they exceed the rates of development of substitute
renewable resources. And always at a pace that produce residue levels that the
ecosystem can absorb.

5. Creation of new jobs, "green" that meet environmental needs such as the
construction and operation of water treatment plants, construction of new wildlife
crossings in existing transport infrastructures, promotion of agriculture with local
varieties and local marketing, conducting studies and application ecosystem
restoration or expansion of regional nurseries environment.

6. Apply systems coordination and collaboration between regional and state

administrations, applying performance criteria and mechanisms similar
management.

7. Complete by 2012 the establishment of the Natura 2000 network, including

marine areas, completing the designation of SCIs and SPAs and SACs statement
of approval of the necessary management plans for all spaces.

8. To improve the integrity and connectivity of natural ecosystems by establishing a

network of ecological corridors and recovery of ecosystem integrity.

9. Adoption of the Strategic Plan State Natural Heritage and Biodiversity in 2009,
incorporating the commitments established in the ill-fated Spanish Biodiversity
Strategy

10. Creation Center Warning and Control of Invasive Alien Species, which is
coordinated by the Ministry of Environment centralises all information alien
species.