The term first came to public attention in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit at which a convention for the preservation for the maintenance of biodiversity was signed by over 100 world leaders [excluding the USA as they feared it would undermine the patents and licences of US biotechnology companies]

The maintenance of biodiversity is important for ecological stability and maintaining the gene pool, and as a resource for research into, for example, new drugs and crops

What is causing a reduction in biodiversity in both the developed [EDC] and less developed [ELDC] worlds?

Most of the threats currently faced by species of plants and animals are linked to human action. In some cases this action, for example, hunting, deliberately aims to reduce species numbers[ e.g. White Rhino-sole purpose of which is to cut the horn off for illegal sale to Asian (mainly China) who mistakenly believe it has aphrodisiac powers]. There few Rhinos left and some subspecies have disappeared altogether e.g. Javan and Sumatran. Similar fate is facing the tiger e.g. Bengal

For example, goats were introduced on the South Atlantic island of St Helena in the 15,00's and within 75 years vast herds were grazing the island. There were once estimated to be 100 plant species, today 40 are known, 7 are now extinct and the rest are under threat.

The reasons for human action are well known- land cleared for farming, herding, settlement and industry. Although much attention has been focused on the biologically rich ecosystems such as rainforests, coral reefs and mangrove swamps, widespread alterations have already occurred in the habitats of temperate latitudes such as in the UK.

In other situations species are inadvertently affected, for example, where habitats are destroyed or modified by people wishing to use the land for other purposes [For example , Korean Hyundai Company has just been given concession for deforestation and mineral exploration in key Siberian Tiger territory].

Some topics in this essay:
Stone Age, St Helena, Earth Summit, DATA MALAYSIA, Fund Nature, Siberian Tiger, Sumatran Similar, UK UK, White Rhino-sole, Darwin Initiative, habitat destruction, species example, giant panda, maintenance biodiversity, reductions biodiversity, % loss, human action,