Biodiversity

Category

Loss of biodiversity a critical concern!

Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter. As humans put increasing pressure on the planet, using and consuming more resources than ever...

Tuesday Plant Talk | Value of rainforests

  Rainforests – especially tropical rainforests – are said to have ‘an outsized role in the world, with their significance outweigh by their size.. Of the Earth’s ecosystems, rainforests support the largest variety of plants and animal species, house the majority of indigenous groups still living in isolation from the rest of humanity, and power the mightiest rivers. Rainforests lock up vast amounts of carbon, moderate local temperature, and influence rainfall and weather patterns at regional and planetary scales. BUT...

The IUCN Red List: Guiding Conservation for 50 years

  Established in 1964, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species has evolved to become the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global extinction risk status of animal, fungus and plant species. The IUCN Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world’s biodiversity. Far more than a list of species and their status, it is a powerful tool to inform and catalyse action for biodiversity conservation and policy change, critical...

World heritage important for biodiversity

New research underscores the vital role played by the World Heritage Convention in protecting biodiversity A UNESCO and IUCN assessment of the status of species reveals that UNESCO World Heritage sites harbour over 20% of mapped global species richness within just 1% of the Earth’s surface. Safeguarding these biodiversity hotspots is essential if the Kunming – Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is to be achieved. UNESCO is appealing to the 195 States Parties to the Convention to scale up investment in...

Biodiversity is the focus of latest Environmental Education Journal

The Spring 2023 edition [ Vol 132 ] of Environmental Education Journal – of which I am editor – is now available for members of NAEE. This edition focuses on learning about life on Earth; its contents include: The importance of insects to general biodiversity – Nikki Banfield Curiosity and connection through nature journaling – Bethan Burton Champions of biodiversity – Jordan Allen & Allison Hands Keeping biological records – Sam Amy Shaping sustainable futures through education Matt – Darsen-Law...

World Biodiversity Day!

  The International Union for Conservation of Nature is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, and education. A key area of IUCN’s work and success  is in BIODIVERSITY   Visit IUCN website to find out more    ...

Soil is much more than dirt…

Soils underpin our ecosystems, our climate and human culture. Some of the biggest issues affecting our world and its inhabitants have soil at their heart. Healthy soil supports biodiversity: biodiverse soils can host millions of organisms in each teaspoon. Sustaining life in soil is essential to ensure soil health, which supports our ability to grow food and farm effectively. When managed well, soil can store significant amounts of rainfall, preventing flooding and dirty run-off which can affect the health and...

COP15 ends with landmark biodiversity agreement

The United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) ended in Montreal, Canada, on 19 December 2022 with a landmark agreement to guide global action on nature through to 2030. Representatives from 188 governments have been gathered in Montreal for the past two weeks for the important summit. ”By 2030: Protect 30% of Earth’s lands, oceans, coastal areas, inland waters; Reduce by $500 billion annual harmful government subsidies; Cut food waste in half” Full details here...

Biodiversity conference 2022 ( COP 15 )

COP15 is shorthand for the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity The 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the UN Biodiversity Conference will convene governments from around the world to agree to a new set of goals to halt and reverse biodiversity loss over the next decade and beyond through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). While they are both Conferences of the Parties, and numbered similarly, COP15 and COP26...

‘Humans must live in harmony with Nature’ – biodiversity summit told

Make Bold Environmental Action Central Focus of Post Pandemic Economic Recovery, Speakers Urge as General Assembly Holds First Ever Global Biodiversity Summit The COVID‑19 pandemic is a wake‑up call to the world to halt an alarming decline in its rich biological diversity, but it is also a unique opportunity to put bold and ambitious environmental action at the heart of national post‑coronavirus economic recovery strategies as the international community strives to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goals, speakers said today as...