Biodiversity

“Biodiversity” refers to the variety of life. It is now agreed that there is a “biodiversity crisis”, corresponding to extinction rates of species that may be 1000 times what is thought to be “normal”. Biodiversity science has a higher profile than ever, with the new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services involving more than 120 countries and 1000s of scientists. At the same time, the discipline is re-evaluating its foundations – including its philosophy and even core definitions. The value of biodiversity is being debated.

“Biodiversity” refers to the variety of life. It is now agreed that there is a “biodiversity crisis”, corresponding to extinction rates of species that may be 1000 times what is thought to be “normal”. Biodiversity science has a higher profile than ever, with the new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services involving more than 120 countries and 1000s of scientists. At the same time, the discipline is re-evaluating its foundations – including its philosophy and even core definitions. The value of biodiversity is being debated.

Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic activities around the world. This book is the second volume in the new series Biodiversity Hotspots of the World, which highlights the 36 hotspot regions of the world, regions that have been designated as reaping maximum benefit from preservation efforts. This series is our humble attempt to document these hotspots as a conservation and preservation measure.

This book addresses the climate risk influencing biodiversity globally and discusses the sustainable use of biological diversity and its legal implications. The sustainable bio-prospecting will help conservation regarding the resources and livelihood support of those who conserve it from the UN CBD perspective. In mega bio-diverse countries, biodiversity provides a number of ecosystem services as well as sources of income/livelihood for millions of poor and they are also the home of a vast repository of traditional knowledge (TK) associated with biological resources which can be translated therapeutically. As for Climate risks, the risks related to unscientific management and use of biodiversity are far more compared to the benefits for society and business and therefore, reducing pressure on biodiversity and developing a sustainable commodity supply chain is essential for both the industry and the governments. Exploring and further mining of the vastness of biodiversity potential, in the marketplace, has been a subject of great consideration among biotechnologists, food processors, health care specialists and the like, as they are real money-spinners. The book will be of interest to researchers/College/ University students interested in ecology and biodiversity conservation worldwide.