[0:06]This spider monkey is an unwitting climate activist. Large fruit eaters such as this one spread the seeds of tropical hardwood trees in their dung, helping to build up forests, which absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And this is just one of perhaps millions of interactions that guarantee a healthy and functioning planet.
[0:36]Humans have spent hundreds of years documenting life on earth, and we now have a catalog of around 1.6 million species. However, there may be 7 or 8 million more that we don't yet know about. We have a good idea of the large animals such as mammals and birds, but there are doubtless even some of these that we've missed. And the smaller you go, the more species there are left to find. As the human impact on the planet intensifies, scientists fear that many species could be lost before we even discover them. So why is it so important that we protect our planet's biodiversity? When we think of protecting wildlife, we tend to picture the superstars. But the organisms that do most of the hard work keeping our planet healthy are the unglamorous ones. This biodiversity provides us with the food we eat, from the microorganisms that enrich the soil where we grow our crops, to the pollinators who give us fruit and nuts and the fish that are the main source of animal protein for around a billion people. Many of our medicines originate from plants and fungi, and many more may lie undiscovered in remote corners of the world. For instance, there's a fungus that grows on the fur of sloths, that could help treat some forms of cancer. The natural world shelters and protects us, too. Trees and shrubs protect our homes from flooding, and coral reefs and mangroves shield our coastlines from storm surges. And all that is not to mention the great spiritual and cultural value that nature holds for human beings the world over. But despite the overwhelming benefits of a healthy planet, many human actions are destroying biodiversity. Changes to habitats for grazing, mining, and crop production, including the use of harmful fertilizers, have had a huge impact on land and sea. We hunt animals for meat and prized body parts, more than 300 mammal species risk being consumed to extinction. And then there's climate change. This affects the whole world, putting huge pressure on wildlife. In 2016 and 2017, half the corals in the Great Barrier Reef died as a result of the warming of the seas. So what must we do now to slow down the crisis we're faced with? In addition to cutting our carbon emissions, we must find ways of using land and water that cause the least damage to the environment, leaving enough space for natural habitats to thrive. We must urgently protect the so-called biodiversity hotspots. But equally, we should be rebuilding biodiversity wherever and however we can. Sometimes this is as simple as giving plants and animals the space they need to succeed, and sometimes they need hands-on management from humans. In 2020, with the help of reintroduction experts in the south of England, white stork chicks hatched for the first time in 600 years. Hands-on management was also critical to restoring the population of mountain gorillas in the Verunga National Park in Central Africa. This included using a proportion of the money raised through tourism to help human communities coexist with their animal neighbors. We must provide pathways for global development that work with rather than against nature. And we need to give the communities affected a seat at the table. The benefits provided by nature are indispensable for making human life both possible and worth living. We need all the riches of our living planet to help us live healthy, happy lives long into the future. Find out more about biodiversity and its importance by visiting our online Q and A. Go to royalsociety.org/biodiversity.
