Why Biodiversity Matters

Biodiversity refers to the variety of living organisms within a given area. Biodiversity net gain is the movement to create new, additional and sustainable areas of biodiversity (habitats).

Biodiversity enhances our habitat, helping to stabilise the ecosystem providing increased resilience and productivity. Increased biodiversity assists in pollination, nutrient cycling and disease control. These all, in turn, benefit us as human beings.

An increase in plant habitat is beneficial for several reasons. It promotes biodiversity by providing diverse niches for various plant species, which in turn supports a wide range of other organisms. More plant habitat can enhance ecosystem services such as oxygen production, carbon sequestration and soil fertility. Plant habitats can positively impact human well-being by supporting existing agriculture, help clean water sources and provide new diverse recreational spaces.

As the World Wildlife Fund puts it:

“Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find in one area—the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter.

But as humans put increasing pressure on the planet, using and consuming more resources than ever before, we risk upsetting the balance of ecosystems and losing biodiversity. WWF’s 2022 Living Planet Report found an average 69% decline in global populations of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians since 1970. 

The 2019 landmark Global Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services reported 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction - the highest number in human history. 

Three-quarters of the land-based environment has been significantly altered. More than a third of the world's land surface is now devoted to crop or livestock production.”

The simple truth is that this matters. Getting this right matters. Let’s get it right.