Biodiversity
Preserving Biodiversity and the Ecosystem Services it Provides
The diversity of life found on Earth represents an enormous asset. The extent of how this asset is valued is far from understood and its value most likely far exceeds any economic estimate. However, by framing the issue in terms of economics and the benefits that the ecosystem services provide to mankind this concept will likely garner more support than using vague and disconnected rhetoric. The services nature provides are incredibly valuable to the health and well-being of humans and they need to be made aware of this fact in way in which they can begin to appreciate the value of the services nature provides them in terms in which they can appreciate. If this approach can resonate with people then it will certainly gather more support than previous attempt to engage with the population.
The most important step is to identify the best way to frame the issues of biodiversity and the problems this poses in a way that can be effectively understood. Studies have shown that the understanding of the concept of biodiversity is pretty limited for most (Wilheim-Rechmann & Cowling, 2011). There are many barriers to the research and understanding of these issues and the elements that make up a species habitat among researchers and thus communicating these issues with the public can be a complex affair (Dennis, Dapporto, Dover, & Shreeve, 2013). The obvious advantage to preserving biodiversity is that it can lead to a better quality of life for all inhabitants of the planet. However, the path to build appreciation by those who can influence it the most is riddled with uncertainty. Communicating these concepts in a way that can influence the population is difficult. However, if this barrier can be overcome then it can benefit our species as well as nearly every other species on the planet.
Works Cited
Dennis, R., Dapporto, L., Dover, J., & Shreeve, T. (2013). Corridors and barriers in biodiversity conservation: a novel resource-based habitat perspective for butterflies. Biodiversity and Conservation, 2709-2734.
Wilheim-Rechmann, A., & Cowling, R. (2011). Framing biodiversity conservation for decision makers: insights from four South African municipalities. Conservation Letters, 73-80.
