Bài giảng why is biodiversity important

Categorizing ValuesDirect Use ValueGoods Indirect Use Value regulation, pollination, nutrient recycling Potential or Option Value Future value either as a good or service Cultural, Sp

Why is Biodiversity Important?

Values are Subjective:

Perspectives and Scales

Land developer

Government agency

The Value of Biodiversity

Intrinsic/inherent value

Source: Wikimedia

Example: Tuatara from New Zealand

Categorizing Values

Direct Use

Value(Goods)

Indirect Use Value

regulation, pollination, nutrient recycling

Potential (or Option) Value

Future value either as a good

or service

Cultural, Spiritual and Aesthetic

Existence Value Value of knowing

something exists

Bequest Value Value of knowing

that something will be there for future

generations

Direct Use Value: Goods

• Industrial products (waxes, rubber,

oils)

• Medicine

Source: © AMNH-CBC

• Diversity is critical for

developing new strains

and breeds, i.e that suit

Building Materials, Paper Products, and Fuel

building materials for

housing in rural areas rely

on bamboo in 2002.

While synthetic fibers, such as

polyester, that are manufactured

from petroleum products are

becoming increasingly common,

cotton (Gossypium sp.) is still the

single most important textile fiber in

the world, and accounts for over

40 percent of total world fiber

production in 2003

Paper Products in Vietnam

Source: baophutho.vn

• According to the

National Forestry

Development Strategy,

Vietnam’s annual paper

and pulp production

reached 2.2 million tons

in 2011

• Bai Bang Paper

Company, one of the

most famous Vietnam

factories, produces

about 90 thousand tons

of paper annually.

Industrial Products

Originating plant or animal Product/End use

Pará rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) Rubber

Carnauba palm (Copernicia

cerifera)

carnauba wax

Wax plant (Euphorbia

antisyphilitica) candelilla wax

Jojoba plant (Simmondsia chinensis) jojoba oil

coccus)

carmine dye*

Rubber production among

top seven countries

Source: the Association of Natural Rubber-Producing Countries, 2010

• About 80% of the people in

developing countries use plants as a primary source of

medicine.

• 57% of the 150 most-prescribed drugs have their origins in

biodiversity

Source: © AMNH-CBC

Pharmaceuticals and Other Molecules

Amoxicillin Antibiotic Fungus

Captopril Antihypertensive Animal

Digitoxin Cardiotonic Plant

Morphine Analgesic Plant

Penicillin Antibiotic Fungus

Quinine

Antimalarial, antipyretic Plant Salicin Analgesic Plant

Vinblastine Antitumor Plant

Codeine Analgesic Plant

Artemisin Antimalarial Plant

Drug Source Use

Barbaloin, aloe-emodin Aloe (Aloe spp.) antibacterial, skin

conditions, purgative Atropine Belladonna (Atopa

Joint fir (Ephedra sinica) Asthma, emphysema,

bronchiodilator, hay fever L-Dopa Velvet bean (Mucuna

deeringiana)

Parkinson’s disease

Menthol Mint (Menta spcs.) Nasal conges tion

M orphine Opium poppy (Papaver

Scopolamine Thornappl e (Datura metel) Sedative

Taxol Pacific Yew (Taxus

Study Protected Areas Ethnic groups Population Area (km2) No of Medicinal Plants

Sam et al.,

2008 Ben En

Kinh, Muong, Thai, Tay,

Tran & Ziegler

2001 Banh Ma

Kinh, Ta ku, Van kieu,

H Mong, O

Du, Tay

93,333 91,113 610

Chi 1996 All 54 ethnic groups 85,000.000 330,000.000 3200

Medicinal plants used in Vietnam

Source: Hoang Van Sam et al., 2008

Value of Vietnam’s non-timber forest product exports in 1996

Source: Ha Chu Chu, 1996

Indirect Use Values: Services

• Regulating global processes,

such as atmosphere and

climate

• Soil and water conservation

• Nutrient cycling

• Pollination and seed dispersal

• Control of agricultural pests

• Genetic library

• Inspiration and information

• Scientific and educational

• Tourism and recreation

• Cultural, spiritual, and

aesthetic

• Community Resilience

atmosphere, and also

has the potential to

moderate the rising

Global Processes: Climate

Regulation

• Forests and other vegetation modify climate: by affecting sun reflectance, water vapor release, wind patterns and moisture loss Forests help maintain a humid environment, for example, half of all rainfall in Amazon basin is

produced locally from forest-atmosphere cycle

Source: Bain © AMNH-CBC

•Filters excess nutrients

and traps sediments that

would otherwise impact

neighboring marine and

aquatic areas

Other services:

•Minimizes damage from

waves and floods

•Serves as a nursery for

juvenile commercial fish

•Provides habitat for many

birds, fish, and shellfish

Source: Ersts © AMNH-CBC

Soil and Water Conservation

Example: Coastal wetlands and mangroves

Pollination and Seed

Dispersal

• Many flowering plants

depend on animals for

Economic value of ecosystem services

Medical Models

Hibernating bears may improve the treatment of:

– trauma patients– kidney disease– osteoporosis

Source: New Jersey Fish and Wildlife

Spiritual and Cultural Values

• The survival of natural

areas and species are

important to different

cultures around the

world.

• Thousands of cultural

groups in the world,

each have distinct

Use of non-timber forest products

by Tay ethnic minority

Source: Vu Van Dung et al., 2002

Aesthetic Value

Source: Brumbaugh © AMNH-CBC

Ecological Value: Does Diversity

Make Communities More

Resilient?

• Resilient ecosystems are characterized by:

– Constancy (Lack of fluctuation)

– Inertia (Resistance to perturbation)

– Renewal (Ability to repair damage)

• Not all species are critical to an ecosystems function; many fill redundant roles; basis for

community resilience and integrity

• If too many species or keystone species are lost, eventually it leads to the failure of

ecosystem function

Source: Brumbaugh © AMNH-CBC http://research.amnh.org/biodiversity/crisis/index.html

Kelp Forest Food Webs

Non-Use or Passive Values

• Existence value

• Bequest value

• Potential or Option value

Why Do Values Matter?

Mac Hunter (University of Maine), Georgina Cullman, Nora Bynum, and Ho Ling Poon (American Museum

of Natural History) provided assistance for production

of images and accompanying text

This is a product of the Network of Conservation

Educators and Practitioners (NCEP)

http://research.amnh.org/biodiversity/ncep/