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"Biodiversity must be conserved as a matter of principle, as a matter of survival, and as a matter of economic benefit."
U. N. Environment Program, World Conservation Union, and World Wildlife Fund in their joint report, Caring for the Earth, 1992 |
All over the world, habitats and biodiversity are at risk. Overfishing, overhunting, pollution, sprawl development, population growth, road building, noise and light pollution, habitat fragmentation, and excessive resource consumption all contribute to habitat and biodiversity loss. The loss and/or fragmentation of habitats can result in permanent imbalances that create a ripple effect on all plant and animal species that depend on the habitat for survival. Stemming this ecosystem destruction is important. The economic and commercial benefits of habitat and biodiversity preservation are well documented. Many of our most valuable medicines are copies of chemicals found in nature. Aspirin, one of the most famous examples, is a derivative of salicylic acid, which was first taken from the bark of willow trees. Biodiversity is also very important to farmers - the maximization of crop yields relies on a farmer's access to the many plants and animals in nature that support or protect the crops. Habitats also offer us protection. Wetlands act as rainwater sponges, preventing flooding and saving money and lives. Forests clean carbon dioxide and pollutants out of our air, and offer habitat for countless species.
Biodiversity and habitat also have esthetic value. Without biodiversity and habitats, there would be no hiking, fishing, hunting, or bird watching. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, these activities also have huge market values for the recreation and tourism industries. The number of people participating in wildlife-oriented recreational opportunities has grown significantly in the last 30 years, according to the National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation (conducted every five years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). In New Jersey, the 1996 National Survey found that 95,000 people hunted, 1,059,000 people fished, and more than 1,668,000 adults participated in other wildlife-oriented recreational activities in the state (birdfeeding, wildlife observation, photography, etc.).
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Ecosystems Goods & Services
Ecosystem Goods:
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According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the main threat to the Mid-Atlantic region's biodiversity is unsustainable development - sprawl. Human activity is causing species to disappear at an unprecedented rate. Eleven percent of all birds and 25 percent of all mammals are threatened. In the Mid-Atlantic states, we risk losing species like the Delmarva fox squirrel, piping plover, roseate tern, bog turtle, and Shenandoah salamander. The loss of each species impacts the entire ecosystem - often in ways we cannot predict.
As pointed out by the New Jersey Division of Fish, Game, & Wildlife on their website:
"The species of special animals included on the [list of endangered or threatened animals in New Jersey] are important elements of the natural diversity of the State. Each element has a unique resource potential, utility for education and research, and aesthetic and cultural value. Maintaining natural diversity ensures that animal and plant species and ecological communities will continue to exist for future generations of people in New Jersey."