Biodiversity loss and its impact on humanity

Nature
By: , and 

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Abstract

The most unique feature of Earth is the existence of life, and the most extraordinary feature of life is its diversity. Approximately 9 million types of plants, animals, protists and fungi inhabit the Earth. So, too, do 7 billion people. Two decades ago, at the first Earth Summit, the vast majority of the world's nations declared that human actions were dismantling the Earth's ecosystems, eliminating genes, species and biological traits at an alarming rate. This observation led to the question of how such loss of biological diversity will alter the functioning of ecosystems and their ability to provide society with the goods and services needed to prosper.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Biodiversity loss and its impact on humanity
Series title Nature
DOI 10.1038/nature11148
Volume 486
Issue 7401
Year Published 2012
Language English
Publisher Nature Publishing Group
Publisher location London, U.K.
Contributing office(s) National Wetlands Research Center
Description 9 p.
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Nature
First page 59
Last page 67
Other Geospatial Earth
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