Opening the book…
Why Biodiversity Matters
Biodiversity has value both because it benefits people and because many believe species and ecosystems deserve protection simply because they exist. Humans depend on healthy ecosystems for food, clean water, medicine, climate regulation, and many other ecosystem services. Although extinction is a natural process, human activities are causing species to disappear much faster than normal. As biodiversity declines, ecosystems may become less resilient and less able to support human well-being.
Human Health
Many medicines come from plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. Scientists continue to discover new compounds that may help treat diseases. Protecting biodiversity preserves opportunities for future medical discoveries (figure \(\PageIndex{a}\)).
Food Security
Biodiversity helps maintain a stable food supply. Genetic diversity in crops allows breeders to develop varieties that resist diseases, pests, and changing environmental conditions. A lack of diversity can make food systems more vulnerable to crop failures. To help protect crop diversity, seeds from around the world are stored in facilities such as the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway (figure \(\PageIndex{b}\)).
Ecosystem Goods and Services
Healthy ecosystems provide both ecosystem goods (products) and ecosystem services (benefits provided by natural processes) that people depend on every day.
Ecosystem goods include:
- Food crops
- Fish and seafood
- Lumber and paper products
- Medicines
- Fresh water
Ecosystem services include:
- Pollination of crops
- Soil formation and nutrient cycling
- Water purification
- Climate regulation
- Natural pest control
For example, many fruits, vegetables, and nuts depend on pollinators such as bees and other insects. Healthy soils support crop growth by recycling nutrients, while wetlands help filter pollutants from water supplies.
Wild Food Sources
Many people depend on wild fish and other organisms as important sources of food and materials. However, overharvesting (taking too much from nature) can reduce populations and threaten biodiversity. Examples include overfishing, hunting wildlife for bushmeat, excessive logging of forests, and collecting plants faster than they can regrow. When resources are removed faster than they can be replaced, populations may decline or even disappear.
Human Well-Being
Natural areas provide recreational, cultural, educational, and psychological benefits. Spending time in nature can reduce stress, improve mental health, increase physical activity, and strengthen people's connection to the natural world. Parks, forests, beaches, wetlands, and other natural areas also provide opportunities for outdoor recreation, scientific research, environmental education, and cultural traditions.
Summary
Protecting biodiversity helps maintain ecosystem services, supports human health and food security, and increases the resilience of ecosystems to environmental change.
Attribution
This page was heavily revised and rewritten by Erin Rempala and contains adapted content from content originally authored by Openstax and is licensed CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
This page titled 5.2: The Importance of Biodiversity to Human Life was last modified on Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:59:05 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Erin Rempala via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.
The book could not be loaded just now.