Foundations of Biodiversity Conservation: arguments, value systems, and conservation tools

Apuntes

3.3 CONSERVATION AND REGENERATION Why should we conserve biodiversity? With a focus on protecting rainforests, make up as long a list as you can in groups. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkffhaVmC8M Arguments for species and habitat preservation: 1. Ecological 2. Economic 3. Ethical 4. Social 1) Ecological arguments ■ Ecosystems provide us with ecosystem services – Providing food, water, and other resources – Regulating the climate, purifying water, pollination, carbon storage, and controlling erosion and flooding Beyond Carbon: The Contributions of South American Tropical Humid and Subhumid Forests to Ecosystem Services - Scientific Figure on ResearchGate. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-roles- of-tropical-rain-forest-components-in-the-hydrological-cycle_fig3_363508287 [accessed 19 Nov 2024] 2) Economic arguments ■ Ecotourism can bring income – Habitats high in biodiversity attract people to visit ■ Natural capital can bring income – Commercial resources that haven’t been discovered yet (e.g. rosy periwinkle in Madagascar for cancer treatment) ■ Species should be preserved for genetic diversity – Could be used to make commercial crops more productive 3) Et...