The problem: the extent of biodiversity loss

What is biodiversity?

Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is defined by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) as: “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.” Biological resources, which have often been commercialized, are defined as: “genetic resources, organisms or parts thereof, populations, or any other biotic component of ecosystems with actual or potential use or value for humanity” (UNCBD 2000). In this paper, the use of scientific terms broadly follows the CBD definitions unless otherwise indicated; yet, for ease of reference, the term “biodiversity” encompasses biological resources, ecosystems, and habitats.

In economic terms, biodiversity can be metaphorically viewed as “Earth's infrastructure”; therefore, broad policy guidance can be designed in a similar fashion as for man-made infrastructure in public economics. This entails mapping the different economic characteristics that define private and public goods and services against recognized biodiversity products and services (Heal 2000; OECD 2003).

What is being lost?

As implicit in the breadth of its definition, measuring biodiversity is complex and there is a lack of widely accepted and adequate biodiversity indicators. This knowledge gap generates a wide range of estimates of what and how much is being lost.