Biodiversity Loss Old
What is Biodiversity? (Explain why listing this under physical risk)
Biodiversity Loss
Biodiversity loss refers to the degradation of an ecosystem's or population's biodiversity, often resulting in a negative impact on the corresponding impact on the ecosystem. Biodiversity is threatened by a variety of sources including climate change, land use, consumption patterns, and natural disasters.
Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms that exist and thrive in the world, including plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. As a result of climate change and human development, the biodiversity of ecosystems throughout the world has been lost. In 2022, the World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Report found that global populations of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians have declined an average of 69% since 1970 [1]. This is in large part due to the repurposing of native habitats for human needs, like crop and livestock production. Poaching of already endangered species, deforestation, and overfishing are direct human activities that contribute to the loss of organismal populations. Climate change has only exacerbated these problems, resulting in habitat loss after climate disasters, water pollution, and rising temperatures that increasingly make lands and waters uninhabitable to native species. These factors combine to cause population decline or extinction of biological life.
Biodiversity loss refers to the reduction or disappearance of biological diversity, including the loss of species, habitats, and genetic diversity within ecosystems. This phenomenon is a significant environmental concern, as biodiversity plays a crucial role in maintaining the balance and health of ecosystems.
Causes
The primary causes of biodiversity loss include:
- Habitat Destruction: The alteration or destruction of natural habitats due to human activities such as deforestation, urbanization, and agriculture.
- Climate Change: Changes in climate patterns can alter habitats and ecosystems, making them inhospitable for certain species.
- Pollution: Pollution of air, water, and soil can harm wildlife and plant species.
- Overexploitation: Excessive hunting, fishing, and harvesting of species can lead to their decline or extinction.
- Invasive Species: Non-native species introduced to an ecosystem can outcompete native species for resources.
Consequences
The loss of biodiversity can have far-reaching consequences, including:
- Ecosystem Instability: Reduced biodiversity can lead to weakened ecosystem resilience and functionality.
- Loss of Services: Ecosystems provide essential services like pollination, water purification, and climate regulation. Biodiversity loss can impair these services.
- Economic Impact: Many industries, such as agriculture and pharmaceuticals, rely on biodiversity. Its loss can have economic repercussions.
Mitigation and Conservation
Efforts to mitigate biodiversity loss include:
- Protected Areas: Establishing and managing protected regions to conserve habitats and species.
- Sustainable Practices: Promoting sustainable agriculture, forestry, and fishing to reduce environmental impact.
- Conservation Programs: Implementing species-specific conservation programs and breeding endangered species in captivity.
- Policy and Legislation: Enacting laws and policies to protect biodiversity and regulate activities that contribute to its loss.
Living Planet Index [2]
The Living Planet Index is a measure designed to assess the state of the world's biological diversity and ecosystem health. It is a key component of the Living Planet Report, which is produced by the World Wildlife Fund in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London and other partners. The Index provides insights into trends in global biodiversity by tracking changes in populations of vertebrate species over time. It is a valuable tool for understanding the impact of human activities on wildlife. The index tracks population trends of thousands of vertebrate species, normalizing the data to account for variations in population size. The data spans from the year 1970 to the present, and describes vertebrate populations from locations across the globe.
Population and Existence of species
The pie chart visually represents the distribution of endangered species across various classes. Each segment of the pie chart represents the proportion or percentage of existing species within different classes as categorized by the LPI (Living Planet Index).
Below are the maps displaying the United States and the world, marked with scattered points representing the presence of these species. The color-coded points indicate their distribution across these geographical regions.
The Living Planet Dataset 2022
The dataset encompasses various pieces of information, including:
- ID
- Binomial
- Replicate
- Excluded_LPR_2022
- Citation
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Genus
- Species
- Subspecies
- Authority
- Common_name
- Location
- Country All_countries
- Region
- IPBES_region
- IPBES_subregion
- Latitude
- Longitude
- Specific_location
- System
- T_realm
- T_biome
- FW_realm
- FW_biome
- M_realm
- M_ocean
- M_biome
- Migratory_fw_fish
- Units
- Method
Additionally, the dataset includes population data of these species spanning from 1950 to 2020.
The dataset is explained in detailed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1i4CIAIjVFjjlgLpPodS0thA2IBsjXXhB/view?usp=drive_link
Access the complete dataset here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SDuX9mH3Qd4pLqbTW0zLIhnvF8hwgLe4/view?usp=drive_link
IUCN Red List [3]
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species describes the global extinction risk status of plant, animal, and fungus species. It is managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), a global organization that works on environmental conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. The IUCN Red List assesses the conservation status of species based on criteria such as population size, distribution, and trends, placing them into one of seven threat categories: Least Concerned, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild, or Extinct. This dataset is widely used by scientists, conservationists, policymakers, and the general public to understand the status of biodiversity and direct conservation efforts.
Perimeter of presence of species categorized by IUCN
The bar chart illustrates the distribution of species categorized by the IUCN based on their presence perimeter. Each section of the bar chart corresponds to the perimeter of species presence within different classifications according to the IUCN.
The IUCN Dataset
The IUCN dataset offers a comprehensive insight into the conservation status and distribution of various species assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It contains valuable information on taxonomic classifications, conservation categories, habitat types, and geographic presence or absence of species.
This dataset serves as a critical resource for understanding the threats to biodiversity, highlighting species at risk of extinction, and guiding conservation efforts worldwide. It enables researchers, conservationists, policymakers, and the general public to access and analyze data crucial for prioritizing conservation actions, identifying regions of high biodiversity significance, and tracking changes in species' statuses over time.
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By leveraging this dataset, one can explore trends in species conservation status, identify patterns in threatened species distribution across different habitats, and strategize conservation initiatives targeted towards safeguarding vulnerable ecosystems and species.
The dataset's rich information on taxonomic classifications, conservation categories, and geographic distributions provides a foundation for informed decision-making, advocacy, and initiatives aimed at preserving and restoring global biodiversity.
The dataset is explained in detailed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jhCuZr-1bdh3AafpuxNPIMKIbEQKCH-z/view?usp=drive_link
Access the complete dataset here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14eseGYDiRcC5vmV3gFRR_zb0QlIH0bJz/view?usp=drive_link
Habitat Suitability Index (HSI) change database for Marine Animals [4]
Marine biodiversity loss refers to the decline or reduction in the variety and abundance of life forms within marine ecosystems. It encompasses the diminishing diversity of species, populations, and habitats in oceans, seas, and other saltwater environments. This loss can occur due to various factors, including human activities, climate change, pollution, habitat destruction, overfishing, and invasive species.
Habitat Suitability Index
It's a measure used in ecological and environmental studies to assess the suitability of a particular habitat for a species or a group of species. The HSI considers various environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, food availability, and other habitat characteristics, to determine how suitable an area is for the survival, growth, and reproduction of a specific species.
Sample Data
This data set contains how HSI has changed in recent years for five marine species: Chelonia_mydas/Sea Turtle, Dugong_dugon/ Sea cow, Eretmochelys_imbricata/Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Sousa_chinensis/White Dolphin, Tursiops_aduncus/Bottleneck Dolphin. The researchers have also predicted future existense of these species with the model.
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| Longitude | Latitude | Chelonia_mydas/ Sea Turtle | Dugong_dugon/ Sea cow | Eretmochelys_imbricata/ Hawksbill Sea Turtle | Sousa_chinensis/ White Dolphin | Tursiops_aduncus/ Bottleneck Dolphin |
| 48.21279373 | 29.95392157 | 0.093623143 | 0.019389927 | 0.056866902 | 0.099732909 | 0.308660305 |
| 48.21279373 | 29.98137255 | 0.174165535 | 0.018249256 | 0.163189632 | 0.070556241 | 0.309168893 |
| 49.1037859 | 27.56568627 | 0.134171131 | -0.042434908 | 0.004515824 | 0.056653198 | -0.053345495 |
Access the complete dataset here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KPMP6N2j-tZvqbSbnugVMPt6NJWjLzWT/view?usp=drive_link
HSI Index plots for Gulf Area
These geo-plots display the distribution of five endangered marine animals in the Gulf area. The intensity of the plot colors indicates the degree of change in the Marine Habitat (Habitat Suitability Index).
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Ecosystem Services:
Ecosystem services are the benefits an ecosystem's functions provide humanity. These benefits fall into four main categories: provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services.
Provisioning Services: The material benefits of an ecosystem including, water, lumber, food, natural fibers, and a variety of medicines.
Regulating Services: Functions which maintain the health of an ecosystem, including water filtration, waste decomposition, pollination, erosion control, pollution mitigation, nutrient runoff, and climate regulation.
Supporting Services: Functions which are fundamental to ecosystem health, including soil formation, the nutrient and water cycles, photosynthesis, and biomass production.
Cultural Services: The benefits derived from ecosystems which posses cultural importance, including ecotourism, outdoor recreation, as well as many places, species, phenomena, and practices which have cultural/religious value.
References
- ↑ Living Planet Report 2020 | Official Site | WWF. (2020). WWF; World Wide Fund For Nature. https://livingplanet.panda.org/en-us/
- ↑ Living Planet Index. (2021). Livingplanetindex.org; WWF. https://www.livingplanetindex.org/data_portal
- ↑ Pauly, Daniel et al. (2019). Data from: Climate change impacts on marine biodiversity, fisheries and society in the Arabian Gulf [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.mt588k1
- ↑ Resources. (n.d.). IUCN. https://www.iucn.org/resources
5. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - Biodiversity