Ecological and economic importance of biodiversity

As stated earlier, biodiversity is manifested in the form of biological resources.

However, the presence of biological resources is only the end result of a set of
interrelated ecosystem processes, or functions:

Water cycle. The status of a water cycle in any given environment ranges from
ineffective to effective. An effective water cycle is one that retains and makes
available to the system the greatest percentage of rainfall received. One characteristic
tends to be higher and longer duration river/stream flows. High levels of plant cover
(whether grasses or otherwise) are usually required to facilitate an effective water
cycle, which in turn results in higher ecosystem productivity; together with higher
biodiversity levels.

Mineral cycle.

Productive systems are dependent on a varied and available

supply of minerals for regeneration.

Greater biomass levels contribute healthy

mineral supplies, which in turn result in higher ecosystem productivity and higher
biodiversity levels.
Energy flow. Energy flow is a measure of the productivity of the system, and is
determined by the systems ability to convert sunlight into plant production through
photosynthesis, which in turn is dependent on plant cover.

The three processes act in tandem, and therefore constitute a set of processes.
This set can move in three directions: spiralling up, resulting in greater
ecosystem productivity and manifested by greater biodiversity; spiralling down,
manifested by decreased productivity and biodiversity; and neutral.

From an ecological perspective, the diversity increases the ecosystem's stability (capacity to
maintain itself into healthy margins of variation adapting recurrently to changes) and
resilience (ability to respond and recover to great stress events), which is an extraordinary
quality, because it means that biodiversity is able to maintain itself in the time, owing to the
called biogeochemical cycles:

1.

Energy, using the photosynthesis by which green plants convert sunlight, water,
nutrients, and carbon dioxide into chemical fuel (carbohydrates), which is the
basis of all food webs, and is the foremost important source of energy (even including
the fossil one, that derives from it);

2.

Water, activated by solar energy, the transpiration and evapo-transpiration of the

vegetation contribute to the water purification by catching, holding and recycling
rainwater; in addition, wetlands and estuaries purify water and prevent and control
flooding;

3.

Carbon and oxygen cycles, the carbon dioxide produced by animal respiration,
plant decomposition and fuel burning is absorbed by green plants in the biosphere and
phytoplankton in the hydrosphere, which later release oxygen back to the atmosphere,
in order to get a gaseous equilibrium, that enable almost all forms of life to exist.

4. Nitrogen cycle, nitrogen is a key component of all organisms (base of the amino- acid
molecules that integrate proteins), on its natural atmospheric form isnt accessible to
most organisms, needs to be available being transformed by some bacteria that live in
the roots of legumes.
From economics perspective, biodiversity is important in terms of its use or potential use
value to society i.e. a utilitarian view. These uses, which are discussed further in
Chapter 4, include:

Extractive use encompasses direct use of biological resources, for either production or
consumption:
Fuelwood, timber, water, fish, ivory, medicinal plants, fodder, construction
material, dyes, etc.

Employment

Non-extractive use entails use value without extracting the resource (indirect use),
either for production or consumption:

Recreation/Tourism

Education and Research

Employment opportunities

Ecosystem services (as opposed to goods) provided by ecosystem processes,

including:
o Plant production through photosynthesis
o Plant reproduction through pollination, cross-fertilization, gene flow, etc.
o Watershed protection, recharging ground water and buffering extreme
conditions (e.g. floods, drought)
o Production of soil and protection of soil from erosion
o Supply of essential nutrients
o Absorption and breakdown of pollutants and organic waste
Non-use values encompass value that is not derived from use:

Spiritual, historical or cultural value is well-being derived from, for example, a

sense of belonging.

Existence value derived from knowing that a landscape, habitat or species exists, even
though an individual may have no intention of ever visiting that area.
Option value is the value attached to retain the option, or possibility, of having
future access to a given landscape, habitat or species. This value reflects an
individual or societys perception of uncertainty, both in terms of future needs or
desires; and future threats to the biological resource(s) in question.
Bequest value is closely related to existence value, and is the value derived from
knowing that certain landscapes, habitat or species exist for the benefit of future
generations.