Despite the numerous benefits and advantages gotten from biodiversity, it is under serious threat as a result of human activities. The main dangers worldwide are population growth and resource consumption, climate change and global warming, habitat conversion and urbanization, invasive alien species, over-exploitation of natural resources and environmental degradation.

1. ABDUL-BAQI ALHASSAN
(MSC ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE POLICY AND MANAGEMENT)
INSTITUTE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT STUDIES- GHANA
BY

2.  DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
 IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY
 INTRODUCTION
 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
 CONCLUSION
 REFERENCES

3. Biological diversity ‘means the variability among
living organisms from all sources including, inter
alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic
ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which
they are a part; this includes diversity within
species, between species and of ecosystems’.
(Convention on Biological Diversity 1992).
Conservation is the protection, preservation,
management, or restoration of wildlife and natural
resources such as forests and water. (Earth Watch
Institute)

4.  It is the cornerstone of our existence on Earth.
 Medicines originating from wild species,
including penicillin, aspirin, taxol, and quinine,
have saved millions of lives and alleviated
tremendous suffering
 It offer a tremendous resource of possibilities
that could greatly add to the security of our
food.
 Biodiversity is the life support system of our
planet
 The connections between biodiversity and our
sustainable future appear closer and closer the
more we look

5. Despite the numerous benefits and
advantages gotten from biodiversity, it is
under serious threat as a result of human
activities. The main dangers worldwide are
population growth and resource
consumption, climate change and global
warming, habitat conversion and
urbanization, invasive alien species, over-
exploitation of natural resources and
environmental degradation.

7. Habitat destruction, degradation and
fragmentation
It is the single most important threat to
biodiversity conservation. Lands are
converted to ranches, agricultural land,
urban areas and other human usages;
habitat is lost for forest organisms. Most
of the habitats destroyed are those which
contain the highest levels of biodiversity.
In this case, habitat loss is caused by
clearing, selective logging, and burning.

8. Rapid population growth
The geometric increase in human population is
a fundamental threat to biodiversity
conservation. People have now settled in areas
of high biodiversity, which have relatively rich
soils and other attractions for human activities
and this has led to biodiversity loss. The quest
for socio-economic development, for example
industrialization, urbanization and expansion
of infrastructure may necessitate the
exploitation of the countries natural resources.

9.  Wildlife Trade in Ghana
Export permit fees charged by the
Wildlife Division are relatively very
low and, based on uncertain
international market prices, pose
potential threats to the national
economy and wildlife heritage

10.  Introduction of exotic species
Species originating from a particular area,
introduced into another area have led to
different forms of imbalance in the ecological
equilibrium leading to biodiversity loss. The
introduction of exotic species into areas
surrounding forest fragments have been
detrimental to forest health. These exotic
organisms interrupt the forest ecosystem and,
since they have few or no natural enemies in
their new environment, they are difficult to
eradicate.

11. Overexploitation
Overexploitation means harvesting species
from the wild at rates faster than natural
populations can recover. Overfishing and
overhunting are both types of
overexploitation. Overhunting still poses a
big threat to biodiversity conservation.
The overexploitation of fisheries is an
example of a tragedy of the commons—
people take more and more of a common
resource until it is no longer available.

12. Species often become threatened or
disappear when several of these factors are
combined. The fragmentation of habitats
decreases the size of populations and make
these more vulnerable to other factors.
As much as population increase may equally
increase exploitation of natural resources,
this is often done in a manner that reduces
the ability of the resource to renew and
sustain itself. There is therefore the need to
exploit our natural resources in a manner
that may not cause irresponsible loss of
biodiversity.

13. CBD-Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), UNEP-
United Nations Environment Programme, Handbook of the
Convention on Biological Diversity; Earth scan Publications
Ltd., London, UK
McNeely, J.A et al (1995), Human influences on
biodiversity (in Global biodiversity assessment, V.H.
Heywood Ed. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK,
pp. 711-821
Shah, Anup (2014), “Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions.”
Global Issues [Online], Available:
http://www.globalissues.org/article/171/loss-of-
biodiversity-and-extinctions
Stedman-Edwards, P. (1998), Root causes of biodiversity
loss. An analytical approach (WWF-WorldWide Fund for
Nature, Washington DC

14. THANK YOU