Significance of Biodiversity in Ecosystems

🌳 Trees Are Not a Forest: The Hidden Life That Makes Ecosystems Thrive and Regulate Climate 🌍 A roof isn’t a house, and trees aren’t a #forest. Forests are vibrant, interconnected #ecosystems where every layer—from the canopy to the soil—plays a crucial role in creating resilience, regulating climate, and supporting life. Without biodiversity, a forest is just a collection of trees, vulnerable to collapse. The key parts of a living forest work together to sustain the planet to make our River in the Sky: 🌲 Diverse Trees: From towering oaks to evergreens, each species contributes uniquely to the ecosystem, interacting with the soil, water, and air. 🍒 Fruits, Nuts, and Berries: These provide food for wildlife, whose seed dispersal regenerates the forest and enriches the soil. 🍄 #Fungi and #Mycorrhizae: Beneath the soil lies the “wood wide web,” a fungal network that transfers nutrients and water between trees, keeping the forest resilient and adaptable. 🌿 #Lichens and Mosses: These moisture-retaining organisms stabilize soil, purify air, and indicate environmental health. 🌸 #Orchids, Wildflowers, and Shrubs: Vital understory plants that stabilize soil, offer food and shelter for pollinators, and add layers of biodiversity. 🐝 Insects and #Pollinators: Bees, termites, and butterflies recycle nutrients, pollinate plants, and keep the ecosystem thriving. 🐦 Birds and Mammals: Seed dispersers and ecosystem balancers, their activities ensure regeneration and pest control. 🐄 #Grazing Animals: From deer to cattle, their grazing and nutrient cycling reduce fire risks and keep the soil fertile. 🌬️ Volatile Organic Compounds (#VOCs), Bacteria, and Spores: Released by plants and fungi, these particles seed clouds and retain water vapor, regulating humidity and preventing droughts and fires. Forests provide shade and absorb #CarbonDioxide. They create #microclimates, moderate extreme #weather, expand Earth’s livability zones, and ensure steady rainfall through the biotic pump. Without the interconnected web of life, trees alone cannot perform these critical functions. 🌿#Forests protect us, sustain us, and offer hope for a stable #climate. 📖 #Agroforestry #Biodiversity #ClimateManagement #WaterCycle #Forests EcoRestoration Alliance Soil4Climate Inc. AgReserves, Inc. USDA Forest Service Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities COP29 Azerbaijan COP16Riyadh

Scientists are tracking global wildlife’s contributions to humanity. A new study published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity reveals that wildlife plays a crucial role in supporting at least 12 of the 18 categories of "nature's contributions to people" (NCPs), a framework established by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Researchers, led by Becky Chaplin-Kramer of WWF, examined a broad range of ecological studies to map wildlife's impacts on human well-being, from habitat creation to cultural identity. While the role of vegetation cover is often used as a proxy for ecosystem health, Chaplin-Kramer and her team argue that such assessments overlook the vital services provided by animals. The scientists term NCP provided or supported by wildlife as "wildlife’s contributions to people" (WCP). “Without some rewilding… you’re not going to get the same benefits” as with land protection alone, she told John Cannon for Mongabay News. The study underscores the importance of integrating wildlife into conservation strategies to avoid the risk of "empty forests" — landscapes that retain their greenery but have lost the biodiversity that sustains ecosystem services. However, some critics argue that framing wildlife and nature in terms of their contributions to people commodifies them, reducing their intrinsic value. They believe that nature should be preserved for its own sake rather than for human benefit. Proponents of the NCP framework counter that such an approach is necessary, as decision-making often hinges on the perceived value of ecosystems to humans. The urgency of this research is underscored by the ongoing biodiversity crisis. WWF's 2024 Living Planet Report recorded a 73% decline in global wildlife populations. Recent studies indicate that nearly half of all vertebrates are in decline, with freshwater species particularly at risk. Scientists warn that the loss of wildlife abundance diminishes ecosystem function long before species face extinction. To bridge knowledge gaps, the study advocates for enhanced monitoring techniques, such as environmental DNA analysis, acoustic monitoring, and camera traps, alongside satellite data. As policymakers prepare for upcoming biodiversity discussions, researchers hope that a better understanding of wildlife's contributions to humanity will lead to stronger conservation efforts and more sustainable interactions with nature. 📰 Cannon's story: https://lnkd.in/gReyhdmm 🔬 Paper: Chaplin-Kramer et al (2025). Wildlife’s contributions to people. Nature Reviews Biodiversity, 1(1), 68-81. https://lnkd.in/g3wK7zJz Photos: 1/ King vulture, by me 2/ Weevil in West Papua, by me 3/ Right whales, by me 4/ Plains bison at the Wolakota Bison Release, Rosebud-Sioux Reservation, South Dakota. By Clay Bolt / WWF-US.

SMS-12: Biodiversity. Sustainability Made Simple (SMS) - an open discussion series. If you're already a SME, or just want to learn more, 🙋 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒈𝒆💡! Drop a comment, ask a question, reply to help others... SMS-12. Biodiversity: Your Business's Hidden Insurance Policy Think of biodiversity as nature's ultimate risk management system. It's not just about saving pandas - it's about protecting your business's future. Just as you wouldn't put all your investment capital into a single stock, nature doesn't put all its eggs in one basket. Key business impacts of biodiversity: 🕸️ Supply Chain Resilience: - Diverse ecosystems = stable supply chains - Example: Coffee companies facing $12B risk from declining bee populations - Many companies already factoring biodiversity into risk assessments 🏗️ Real Estate & Development: - Biodiverse properties demonstrate higher value retention - Natural flood protection saves millions in infrastructure costs - Natural cooling systems and green infrastructure reducing operational costs 🌿 Risk Management - Biodiversity works like your business insurance: - Genetic diversity: Your backup systems - Species diversity: Your diversified portfolio - Ecosystem diversity: Your market stability 💰 Bottom Line Impact: - Over 50% of global GDP depends on biodiversity and ecosystem services - Property insurance costs rising 30-50% in areas with degraded natural buffers - Companies with strong biodiversity practices showing 15% lower volatility 🚨 Business Risk Alert: - We're losing species 1000x faster than normal - Imagine losing 1000x more backup servers than your disaster recovery plan expected - that's our current biodiversity crisis 💼 Key Actions: - Map your biodiversity dependencies (supply chain, property, operations) - Integrate biodiversity into risk assessments - Invest in nature-based solutions for infrastructure Every healthy ecosystem is working overtime to protect your bottom line, for free. Smart companies aren't just protecting biodiversity - they're turning it into a competitive edge. Resources: [] World Economic Forum. (2024). The Global Risks Report 2024. [https://lnkd.in/gzegf7d9] []TNFD. (2024). Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures. [https://tnfd.global/] []World Business Council for Sustainable Development. (2024). Business Guide to Biodiversity. [https://lnkd.in/g2KMNbsS] []Nature. (2023). How DNA in water could revolutionize biodiversity monitoring. [https://lnkd.in/gkhjsY88] . . . . . . . #SustainabilityMadeSimple #SustainabilityLeader #BusinessStrategy #Biodiversity #RiskManagement #CorporateSustainability #ESG

Happy #BiodiversityDay! This is a great day to reflect on all that biodiversity does for us (and maybe to ask yourself what YOU can do for biodiversty!). One of the many key functions supported by biodiversity is seed dispersal, which shapes the composition and structure of many ecosystems. The myriad benefits to people provided by those ecosystems would not be possible without these unsung heroes. Our new article in #NatureReviewsBiodiversity led by Evan Fricke synthesizes global evidence on seed disperser decline and what it means for plant biodiversity, ecosystem recovery, and climate adaptation. Evan wrote a great summary I'll share below-- read the whole article at https://rdcu.be/emz6t The majority of plant species rely on animals to move their seeds. Birds, mammals, and other seed dispersers shape plant biodiversity, recovery from disturbance, and responses to climate change. But this is breaking down as seed disperser diversity, abundance, and movement decline worldwide. Seed disperser decline threatens plant biodiversity, connectivity, and resilience. Yet despite these being core goals of global efforts to protect, manage, and restore nature, the roles of seed dispersers remain largely overlooked in global biodiversity and restoration strategies. Why are seed dispersers missing from the conversation? One idea: experiments can demonstrate societally relevant impacts of pollinator decline within a growing season. For seed disperser decline, they unfold slowly, across vast scales, and experiments at scale are unfeasible or unethical. But we’re making progress. New data syntheses and models are capturing functional changes across large scales, helping reveal long-term impacts, which range from reduced forest product provisioning and weakened carbon storage to impaired wildfire recovery and degraded habitats for animals. There’s still much to learn: • Which plants and ecosystems are most vulnerable to disperser loss? • How do disperser declines interact with other change drivers? • What are (and how can we measure) the costs to human well-being? • What strategies best restore seed dispersal and its benefits? Thanks to Evan for great leadership in this project and for spotlighting the important facet of biodiversity. Seed dispersers deserve a lot more attention in conservation, from local management to international policy frameworks!

A Resolution for Biodiversity   At the start of 2024 I want to share with you my resolution to continue working for Biodiversity, and I hope you will join me?   Let me tell you why I work so hard for biodiversity:   It used to be thought that biodiversity loss had little impact on ecosystem functioning, as early experiments trying to study biodiversity effects were too short-term in their scope. For example, in an experiment where researchers seeded patches of grassland with varying numbers of species, the first few years provided similar results whether the plot had eight or more species or fewer than that. But after a decade, when those same plots were examined, the plots with greater biodiversity also had a greater abundance of plant life. This was explained by the fact that different species have different niches or ways they utilize the resources around them, and when several species are growing together, they end up having a wider set of mechanisms which they can use to gain resources needed for life.   Relating this message to our world today, a further meta-analysis of 192 studies of species richness (another name for biodiversity) and its effect on ecosystems found that biodiversity loss is among the major drivers of ecosystem change in the world today. This means that any loss of biodiversity in an ecosystem has adverse effects on how that ecosystem functions. A conservative estimate was that when more than 40 percent of the species in an ecosystem disappear, the effects were estimated to be as significant as those caused by major drought.   The science has been quickly building to show that biodiversity means a healthy environment. In fact, by now over 500 controlled experiments have shown that biodiversity loss reduces ecosystem stability and productivity. Yet, until fairly recently there was a prevailing opinion among scientists that biodiversity would have rare or weak effects in nature due to abiotic effects and complex interactions. However, in a landmark study in 2017 through the analysis of 133 estimates reported in 67 different field studies, researchers showed that biomass production increases with species richness throughout a wide range of ecosystems and wild species.   So, will you join me? There are many ways to promote biodiversity. If your work or life doesn’t include it already, here are some simple things perhaps you can consider:   Plant in a garden,   Pick up litter, don’t pollute,   Plant native wildflowers, Plant a tree,   Conserve water,   Visit a botanical garden,   Supporting the birds, reptiles, mammals, and plants that live in your neighborhood,     Supporting institutions that promote the protection and restoration of biodiversity,   Supporting local and regional projects aimed at tackling biodiversity loss,   Supporting political action committed to protecting and restoring biodiversity….     I would love to hear in the comments something you do for Biodiversity! #biodiversity #resolutions