Overview
Biodiversity is a contraction of "Biological Diversity" and refers to the richness of life on Earth and the interconnections between all living things. It's not simply about "having many species," but encompasses diversity at three levels—genes, species, and ecosystems—and their interactions. This concept, popularized by E.O. Wilson and others in the late 1980s, has become one of the most important keywords in environmental science and policy today.Theoretical Background
Origins and Development
- 1980: Thomas Lovejoy used the term "Biological Diversity."
- 1985: Walter G. Rosen proposed the shortened term "Biodiversity."
- 1986: The "National Forum on BioDiversity" was held at the Smithsonian Institution, and E.O. Wilson edited and published a book of the same name, leading to widespread adoption.
Evolution of the Definition
Initially used in the context of Conservation Biology to express "the value of nature being lost," the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992 provided a clear definition under international law."The variability among living organisms from all sources... This includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems." (CBD Article 2)Today, this is generally interpreted comprehensively to include "relationships with human society (ecosystem services)" and "links to cultural diversity."
Detailed Explanation
Why is "Diversity" Necessary? (Portfolio Effect)
An important theory in ecology is the "portfolio effect." Just as diversifying financial investments can reduce risk, ecosystems with diverse species have greater resilience against environmental changes (climate change, pest outbreaks, etc.).- Functional Redundancy:
The Modern Crisis: The Sixth Mass Extinction
The Earth is currently said to be in its sixth "mass extinction" period in geological history.- Extinction Rate: According to IPBES, species are disappearing at least tens to hundreds of times faster than the average over the past 10 million years.
- Causes (HIPPO): E.O. Wilson organized the main factors as HIPPO:
Recently, Climate Change has been added and has become the greatest threat.
Critical Examination
Ambiguity of Concept and Difficulty of Measurement
"Biodiversity" is such a comprehensive concept that quantitative measurement and monitoring is extremely difficult.- Proliferation of Indicators: There are numerous indicators such as Species Richness, Shannon Index, and Phylogenetic Diversity, and evaluations vary depending on which is used.
- The "Species" Definition Problem: The very definition of "species" differs by taxonomic group (biological species concept vs. phylogenetic species concept), making accurate species counts difficult.
Concerns About Economic Valuation
There are persistent ethical criticisms of movements to convert nature into economic value (financialization of nature), such as ecosystem services and natural capital accounting, arguing that they "neglect intrinsic value" and "nature should not be commodified."What IKIMON Can Do
"Difficulty of Measurement" Is IKIMON's Opportunity
The biggest bottleneck in biodiversity conservation is the lack of baseline data on "where, what, and how much exists." Detailed surveys by experts are too costly and time-consuming, making it impossible to collect data over wide areas and long periods.This is where IKIMON's "citizen participatory monitoring" becomes an essential solution.
- Prioritizing "comprehensiveness" and "immediacy" over rigor
- Lowering the barrier of "species definition problems" through AI-assisted identification
- Solving cost problems by making data collection enjoyable
References
- Wilson, E. O. (1988). Biodiversity. National Academy Press.
- CBD (1992). Convention on Biological Diversity.
- IPBES (2019). Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.