
Because our life depends on the longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem, and all of the other ecosystems that make up our world. Ecosystems provide vital human services that sustain our health, well-being and livelihoods. Not surprisingly, many of these ecosystems, and the species that depend on them, are in real trouble.
Over the millennia, the earth has been guided by small scale incremental forces driven by natural events. Over the last century, that has changed. Recent studies and fossil records suggest that the average extinction rates over the last 100 million years averaged around seven species per year. Fast-forward to today and the species extinction rate is estimated to be in excess of 3,000 species per year. That’s right, from a few to 3,000, and according to many scientists, is accelerating rapidly. (Check out the book The End of the Wild by Stephen M. Meyer)
The global response to the loss of our biodiversity began in 1992 during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, where the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was opened for signature. The CBD is an international, legally binding treaty with three primary goals; conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from its genetic resources. Each of the signatories, or parties to the CBD, are obligated to develop national strategies to conserve and sustain the use of biological diversity. For the past 18 years, the primary tool to do that has been conserving the biodiversity that we have left. Now we realize that is not good enough. Not only do we need to continue to protect critical habitat to protect species like the red-cockaded woodpecker, we also have to begin restoring degraded, damaged or destroyed ecosystems. Fortunately the CBD recognized this during the drafting of the convention, yet up until very recently has not been employed to any great extent. Now is the time!
As the Global Restoration Ambassador for the Society for Ecological Restoration, I will be attending the CBD, Conference of Parties in Nagoya, Japan next week. As a delegate, I will be participating directly with the Parties to the Convention to showcase how ecological restoration can enhance biodiversity, sustain people’s livelihoods and mitigate future climate change.
Throughout next week I will be blogging and twittering from Nagoya.
I want to know what you think. What should communities around the world be doing to conserve biodiversity? How can ecological restoration become a major catalyst for saving our planet’s flora and fauna? What do you want me to convey to the participants of the conference. My voice is much stronger with you. Don’t be shy. I won’t – our life depends on it!
Further Reading
My Experience as a Biohabitats InternMy Experience as a Biohabitats Intern
Biohabitats’ Chris Streb on the Rewilding Earth podcast: restoring & reimagining urban environments
Breathing from Center: Preparing for Transition & Leading with Our Values
Get to know Cullen Simon, Mechanical Engineer
More From This Author
Eat Gulf Oysters“I just want to say one word to you. Just one word….plastics.”
Thoughts on Salamanders
The ultimate Earth Day dinner party
A Look at the Degree of Conservation Along the Colorado River: a guest blog post by freelance writer Meika Jensen