The UN has proclaimed 22 May the International Day for Biological Diversity to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
The term biodiversity (from “biological diversity”) refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life. Biodiversity includes not only species we consider rare, threatened, or endangered but also every living thing—from humans to organisms we know little about, such as microbes, fungi, and invertebrates.
Over the last century, humans have come to dominate the planet, causing rapid ecosystem change and massive loss of biodiversity across the planet. While the Earth has always experienced changes and extinctions, today they are occurring at an unprecedented rate. Major direct threats to biodiversity include habitat loss and fragmentation, unsustainable resource use, invasive species, pollution, and global climate change.
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) made European Red List of Threatened Species wich is a review of the status of European species. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at the European level so that appropriate conservation action can be taken to improve their status.
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity is pleased to announce the Biodiversity Day 2022 slogan: “Building a shared future for all life”. To build shared future, we can take some of 22 Actions for Biodiversity even today, so let’s start!