Biodiversity, microbes and human well-being

Biodiversity Loss Threatens Human Well-Being

T he diversity of life on Earth is dramatically affected by human alterations of ecosystems [1]. Compelling evidence now shows that the reverse is also true: biodiversity in the broad sense affects the properties of ecosystems and, therefore, the benefi ts that humans obtain from them. In this article, we provide a synthesis of the most crucial messages emerging from the latest scientifi c lite...

Consequences of residential development for biodiversity and human well-being

www.frontiersinecology.org © The Ecological Society of America R development is a leading driver of land-use change and has transformed human and natural communities around the world (McMichael 2000; Alberti 2005; Hansen et al. 2005). The density and extent of housing is a strong predictor of atmospheric carbon emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels (MacKellar et al. 1995) and of the dec...

Biodiversity and Social Well-being: the Case of South America

1.Current Ecological and Social Problems in South America 1.1. Antagonism between Conservation and Development 1.2. The Blindness of Macroeconomic Parameters 2.Diversity and Homogenization in Southern South America since European Colonization 2.1. Three Waves of Eco-Cultural Homogenization: The Case of Southern Chile 2.1.1. European Conquerors (1500–1800) 2.1.2. Independence and Modernization (...

Understanding Human Well - being

Conservation of biodiversity as a strategy for improving human health and well-being.

The Earth's ecosystems have been altered by anthropogenic processes, including land use, harvesting populations, species introductions and climate change. These anthropogenic processes greatly alter plant and animal communities, thereby changing transmission of the zoonotic pathogens they carry. Biodiversity conservation may be a potential win-win strategy for maintaining ecosystem health and p...