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Related Concept Videos

Biodiversity and Human Values01:24

Biodiversity and Human Values

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Human civilization relies on biodiversity in many ways. Sudden changes in species biodiversity result in environmental changes that can modify weather patterns and therefore human civilizations.
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What is Biodiversity?01:19

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Biodiversity describes the variety of living things at multiple organizational levels: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Species diversity includes all branches of the evolutionary tree from single-celled prokaryotic organisms, bacteria, and archaea, to the eukaryotic kingdoms: plants; animals; fungi; and protists. To date, there have been about 1.75 million species identified, and new species are discovered every week.
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Symbiosis00:58

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Symbiotic relationships are long-term, close interactions between individuals of different species that affect the distribution and abundance of those species. When a relationship is beneficial to both species, this is called mutualism. When the relationship is beneficial to one species but neither beneficial nor harmful to the other species, this is called commensalism. When one organism is harmed to benefit another, the relationship is known as parasitism. These types of relationships often...
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Threats to Biodiversity01:50

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There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
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Ecological Niches02:02

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All organisms have a position within an ecosystem. The complete set of living and nonliving factors—including food resources, climate, and terrain—that define the position of a given organism are collectively referred to as the organism’s ecological niche.
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What is Conservation Biology?01:57

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Conservation biology is a scientific field that focuses on the preservation of biodiversity in order to protect ecosystems while meeting the needs of the human population. Humans require properly functioning ecosystems to maintain our supply of natural resources, including food, medicines, and building materials.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 28, 2025

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
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JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

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On the functional relationship between biodiversity and economic value.

Carola Paul1,2, Nick Hanley3, Sebastian T Meyer4

  • 1Institute of Forest Management, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, 85354 Freising, Germany.

Science Advances
|February 18, 2020
PubMed
Summary

The link between biodiversity and economic value is complex and varies significantly. Understanding these relationships is crucial for effective conservation and management of ecosystems.

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Environmental Economics
  • Conservation Biology

Background:

  • Biodiversity's contribution to human welfare is a primary driver for conservation in managed ecosystems.
  • The assumed positive-concave relationship between biodiversity (b) and economic value (V) lacks comprehensive understanding.
  • Existing scientific and political discourse often relies on this simplified biodiversity-economic value premise.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and analyze the factors influencing the functional relationship between biodiversity and economic value (bV).
  • To explore how ecosystem functions (F) and services mediate the bV relationship.
  • To identify drivers of variability in bV relationships beyond the positive-concave model.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies examining biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and economic value.
  • Analysis of how individual links and their interactions shape the bV relationship.
  • Examination of mediating factors including ecosystem service diversity, trade-offs, inputs, and utility functions.

Main Results:

  • Biodiversity-economic value (bV) relationships exhibit greater variability than previously assumed.
  • Observed forms include negative-concave/convex, strictly concave, and convex relationships.
  • The underlying biodiversity-function (bF) relationship and other factors significantly influence the bV form.

Conclusions:

  • The functional form of the biodiversity-economic value relationship is highly context-dependent.
  • Accurate valuation requires explicit consideration of ecosystem services, trade-offs, inputs, and human preferences.
  • Nuanced conclusions for managed ecosystems necessitate a departure from the simplified positive-concave bV model.