GROUP 4:
BIODIVERSITY LOSSES
Group Members:
(EDWARD, BERNICE, JEFFREY AND FRANCIS)
Presentation Outline
• Definition of Biodiversity and levels
• Importance of Biodiversity
• Biodiversity Loss/Threat and Examples
• Using DPSIR to analyze Biodiversity Loss
• Examining biodiversity loss in three
developing countries-Ghana,
• Reference
Definition of Biodiversity
• Biodiversity refers to the comprehensive
umbrella term for the degree of natures variety
or variation within the natural system; both in
number and frequency.
• In general, it refers to the variety of all forms of
life on earth. The different plants, animals, micro-
organisms, the genes they contain and the
ecosystem they form.
Con’t
• Biodiversity is therefore considered at 3 major
levels:
1. Genetic diversity: This is the variety of genetic
information contained in all of the individual
plants, animals and microorganisms occurring
within populations of species. Simply it is the
variation of genes within species and
populations.
2. Species diversity: This is the variety of species
or the living organisms.
Con’t
3. Ecosystem diversity: This relates to the
variety of habitats, biotic communities and
ecological processes in the biosphere.
Importance/Benefits of Biodiversity
The importance of biodiversity is seen in the roles
its plays in the supply of ecosystem services. These
are the PRSC services
• P=Provisioning
• R=Regulating
• S= Supporting
• C= Cultural
Con’t
Operationalizing PRSC
• For instance, in agriculture, biodiversity is the
basis for
• Provisioning Service ( food, fresh water, fuel or
fibre as the end product)
• Regulating Service (such as pollination, pest and
disease control, climate and flood regulation)
• Supporting Service (such as micro-organisms
cycling nutrients and soil formation)
• Cultural Service (interms of spiritual or aesthetic
benefits or cultural identity)
Biodiversity Loss
Threats to species and ecosystems are the greatest
recorded in recent history and virtually all of them are
caused by human mismanagement of biological resources
often stimulated by misguided economic policies and
faulty institutions.
Biodiversity Loss or A threat by definition refers to any
process or event whether natural or human induced that is
likely to cause adverse effects upon the status or
sustainable use of any component of biological diversity.
Con’t
Examples of biodiversity loss and threat
Among the examples of biodiversity loss are
Conversion of mangroves to aquaculture enterprise
(the loss leads to declining fisheries, timber and fuel,
the reduction of storm protection and increased
vulnerability of the impacts of extreme events.
Conversion of forest (biomes) to croplands, source of
fuel, grassland for animals, timber logs….. It is on record
that more than half of the worlds 14 biomes, 20-50% of
their surfaces have already been converted to
croplands (Oslon and others, 2001)
Con’t
Some Threats that causes biodiversity loss;
Habitat alteration/destruction
Overharvesting/ overexploiting biological
resources
Pollution
Climate changes
Introduced species/Biological invasion
Population Increase
Institutional/ policy failure
Using DPSIR to analyze Biodiversity Loss
Analysis on Ghana, Forest Loss
Drivers Pressures State Impact
Industry Deforestation Quality of the air Societal impact
Population growth Pollution Carbon sink decreased Health problems (RTIs)
Urbanization Change in Forest use Loss of species Loss of ecosystem
High concentration of CO2 services (PRSC)
Responses
Mitigation Measures Adaptation Measures
National Environment Policy National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
National climate Change policy National Renewable Energy Act
National Biodiversity Action Plan
The Forest Protection (Amendment) Act, 2002 (Act 624)
Timber Resources Management (Amendment) Regulations, 2003 (L.I. 1721)
Concessions Act, 1962 (Act 124)
Percentage of forest land area by number of years
Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
% forest land area 24.2 23.7 23.2 22.7 22.2 21.7 21.2 20.7
Source: World Development Indicators, 2015 World Bank Available: [Link]
25.0
24.0
23.0
22.0
%21.0
20.0
19.0
18.0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Years
Reference
Thecla M. Mutia, BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION,
Presented at Short Course IV on Exploration for
Geothermal Resources, organized by UNU-GTP, KenGen
and GDC, at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, November 1-22,
2009.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 2007.
Global Environment Outlook (GEO 4)
