In the light of evolution II: Biodiversity and extinction

Abstract

First paragraph The Earth s biodiversity is a wellspring for scientific curiosity about nature s workings. It is also a source of joy and inspiration for inquisitive minds, from poets to philosophers, and provides life-support services. According to Kellert (2), biodiversity affords humanity nine principal types of benefit: utilitarian (direct economic value of nature s goods and services), scientific (biological insights), aesthetic (inspiration from nature s beauty), humanistic (feelings deeply rooted in our inherent attachment to other species), dominionistic (physical and mental well-being promoted by some kinds of interactions with nature), moralistic (including spiritual uplifting), naturalistic (curiosity-driven satisfaction from the living world), symbolic (naturestimulated imagination, communication, and thought), and even negativistic (fears and anxieties about nature, which can actually enrich people s life experience). Whether or not this list properly characterizes nature s benefits, the fact is that a world diminished in biodiversity would be greatly impoverished.