Sustainable Societies Africa

Biodiversity

Biodiversity refers to the multitudes of unique species of living things that collectively make up Earth's ecosystems. Scientists agree that some level of biodiversity is essential for stable ecosystem functioning because within an ecosystem living things are interdependent. Biodiversity is also valuable as a genetic library of resources for agricultural and pharmaceutical research. For cultures around the world, biodiversity also has intrinsic spiritual value. The greatest threat to biodiversity is species loss caused primarily by habitat destruction and non-sustainable harvesting.