The Biodiversity Challenge
The Earth is a complex and sensitive system regulated by physical, chemical and biological processes and influenced, as never before, by human factors. Scientific evidence indicates that our planet is experiencing an unprecedented rate of species extinction, the consequences of which could be numerous and far-reaching, for ecosystems and for human societies.

Over the past decade, it has become increasingly clear that biodiversity underpins the life-support system of our planet. Both natural and managed ecosystems deliver important ecological services such as the production of food and fibre, the capacity to store carbon and recycle nitrogen, and the capacity to adapt to climate and other changes. Scientists have also come to understand that changes in the structure and function of a given ecosystem resulting from biodiversity change and loss can reduce the availability of these vital services and affect the aesthetic, ethical and cultural values of human societies.

Despite significant advances in biodiversity science, many questions remain, particularly in terms of the cycle of interactions between natural processes and human activities. To better understand and predict how biodiversity change will affect the Earth system and the organisms that depend upon it, future investigations require a more integrative approach that draws on the strengths of both natural and social sciences. Initiatives to measure and describe biodiversity at the level of genes, species and ecosystems must continue, but they must also be coupled with efforts to determine how humans can be motivated to conserve biodiversity and use it in sustainable ways.

Without question, the most pressing challenge is the need to establish the scientific foundations for appropriate future social actions aimed at maintaining an acceptable level of biological diversity on our planet.