Foreword
The Earth’s genes, species and ecosystems are products of over 3 000
million years of evolution, an are the basis for the survival of our own
species. Biological biodiversity (often shortened to „biodiversity“) is
a measure of the variation in genes, species and ecosystems. It is valuable
because:
 diversity is the base of
the stability and sustainable function of natural systems
of its enormously wide
range for potential and unexplored uses
here there is evidence
that removal of ecosystem components can have negative impacts, and
variety is inherently
interesting and more attractive.
Human intervention has resulted in a profound modification of the origin
landscape, through deforestation, agriculture, drainage of wetlands, mining,
urbanisation and so on. As a result, many animals and plants had to find
refuge in relatively small enclaves, sometimes only secure in legally designated
protection areas.
In return, humans have created landscapes serving their own needs: grasslands,
pastures and croplands, often intermixed with remaining woodlands and lined
with hedges and waterways. Large mammals have retreated to remote remnants
of their original habitat, other have become extinct. Many species from
distant biogeographic regions of Europe have become established in the
newly created environment. Today, the invasion of species as a result of
human activities is still continuing and can have negative impact on native
populations.
Three kinds of action taken to conserve wildlife and nature can be identified:
action for the protection
of species (such as laws that control hunting)
action to protect special
areas (e.g. as National Park, Nature Reserves or Protected Landscapes)
action designed to integrate
nature conservation into national and regional planning, and into policies
for different economic sectors.
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