Global Status of Biodiversity and Threats

Abstract

Biodiversity is important for life on the earth planet. The variability among living organisms from all sources, including, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are part, known as biodiversity. More than 99% of all species that ever lived on Earth are estimated to be extinct. Estimates of the number of Earth's present species range from 2 million to 10¹², of which about 1.74 million have been recorded and over 80% have not yet been documented. The direct and indirect drivers of loss of biological diversity, particularly in developing countries, may include a high rate of population growth and dense population, increasing consumption, technological change-induced effects, economic activity and market failures and improper awareness of biodiversity values at the public and decision-making levels, in addition to a range of policy and institutional weaknesses.