Conservation and Biodiversity

Conservation biology is the scientific study of how to protect and manage biodiversity. It applies ecological principles to maintain species, habitats and ecosystems for the benefit of all living things and future human generations. Understanding why conservation matters and the strategies used to preserve biodiversity is a key component of Topic 3.

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Why Conserve Biodiversity?

There are several categories of reasons for conserving biodiversity:

Ecological Reasons

• Ecosystem stability — Biodiversity contributes to the stability and resilience of ecosystems. Diverse ecosystems are better able to recover from disturbances (e.g., fires, droughts, disease outbreaks).
• Ecosystem services — Ecosystems provide essential services that humans depend on, including:

Ecosystem Service	Description	Example
Provisioning	Direct products obtained from ecosystems	Food, timber, fresh water, medicines
Regulating	Benefits from regulation of ecosystem processes	Climate regulation, flood control, water purification, pollination
Supporting	Services necessary for the production of all other services	Nutrient cycling, soil formation, photosynthesis (oxygen production)
Cultural	Non-material benefits	Recreation, ecotourism, aesthetic and spiritual value