Conservation and Sustainable Use of the Biosphere - WBGU

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Impact loops in the biosphere-centred network of interrelations C 1.3 19 larger, closed impact loop. Such impact loops identify specific degradation patterns and the key problems in the biosphere. Obviously, an impact loop cannot reveal all causes and effects, that would only be possible with a complete syndrome analysis in which the individual sequences or chains of action of the impact loop are assigned to one or more syndrome(s) (eg Overexploitation Syndrome; Chapter G). Nevertheless, the impact loops clearly show the anchoring of biosphere damage in the dynamics of global change. In the following, seven of these typical impact loops that have a major influence on the worldwide degradation of the biosphere will be presented as an example. C 1.3.1 Threat to genetic and species diversity Two globally relevant examples were chosen for the description of impact loops in which the effects of the trend genetic and species loss are most important; these examples are typical of the function of biodiversity as ‘survival insurance’ (Fig. C 1.3-1): 1. Threat to food security through the loss of genetic and species diversity. 2. Threat to the acquisition of natural products and active substances through the loss of genetic and species diversity. Threat to food security The extent to which food security and the requisite genetic and species diversity are influenced by global change has already been shown repeatedly by the Council (WBGU, 1998a, b) and is enlarged upon in this report (Section D 3.4). The global significance of this subject became clear in 1997 when it was discussed at the United Nations World Food Summit and the FAO Conference on Plant Genetic Resources (BML and ZADI, 1997). Two trends lead directly to genetic and species loss: the intensification of agriculture and the decline in traditional agriculture. Both trends mean that traditional crop varieties and rare livestock breeds are suppressed by high yielding varieties or breeds. The traditional varieties form a valuable genetic reservoir that is being used to adapt important crops to changed environmental conditions or new pathogens by means of breeding or genetic transfer in order to feed the world (Sections D 3.4 and I 1.2). In this way, genetic and species losses can block or slow down progress in biotechnology and genetic engineering and, ultimately, hamper the increase in food production. As a consequence, the compulsion to extend or intensify the agricultural area may increase, which closes the self-reinforcing effect cycle. This impact loop motivates one of the Council’s biosphere imperatives: preserve resources for food security (Section I 1.2). The loss of natural products and active substances Genetic and species loss hampers the development of new active substances, product substitution, advances in medicine and in biological and genetic engineering by reducing the stock of specimen biological material. Cases have already been brought to light in which a species that demonstrated valuable properties in laboratory tests could no longer be found in renewed field research as a result of ecosystem conversion.This development is amplified by the fact that the loss of traditional social structures and lifestyles is also associated with the loss of the traditional knowledge of the people, with its shamans and medicine men and women, about the various species, their characteristics and possible uses (eg traditional medicinal plants or crops; Sections D 3.3 and E 3.5). Medical and technological progress is losing a living and valuable body of knowledge here. The following is a positive feedback loop: pharmaceuticals groups or other companies dependent on natural products have an interest in protecting genetic and species diversity in the ecosystems that they use so that they can also use these sources in the future. One example of this connection is the contract between INBio, Costa Rica and Merck (WBGU, 1996; Section D 3.3) that can be interpreted as an increase in environmentally sound ways of doing business. C 1.3.2 Misappropriations in natural and cultivated landscapes The destruction of natural ecosystems The insistence of many developing countries upon rapid economic development, which is often associated with neglecting the long-term consequences, is one of the main driving forces for the conversion of natural ecosystems (Fig. C 1.3-2). This mainly – but not only – concerns harvesting primary forests (Section E 2.2) and earning foreign currency from the sale of timber or products manufactured from it in the country, for example. The increasing consumption of energy and raw materials and the ‘downstream’ trends of industrialization, globalization and the increase of world trade are indirect driving forces here. International indebtedness can also contribute to conversion because it heightens the need for foreign currency. Conversion runs in parallel to the expansion of transport routes because they are the prerequisite for removing the timber and open up the
20 C The biosphere-centred network of interrelations HYDROSPHERE ATMOSPHERE PEDOSPHERE Sea-level rise Changes in loads of particulate and dissolved matter Stratospheric ozone depletion Loss of fertility (organic matter, nutrients) Salinization, alkalization Changes in ice-caps and glaciers Changes in oceanic circulation Freshwater scarcity Changes in water quality (pathogens, nutrients, toxins) Changes in local water balance Changes in groundwater level Increasing local air pollution Enhanced greenhouse effect Tropospheric pollution Global and regional climate change Increase in trace gases Erosion, morphological changes Surface sealing Compaction Overfertilization Acidification, contamination Increasing deposition and accumulation of waste POPULATION Rural exodus Urbanization Population growth International migration Urban sprawl Increasing damage to health Loss of biospheric sinks Substance overload of natural ecosystems Fragmentation of natural ecosystems BIOSPHERE Increase of anthropogenic introductions of species Damage to ecosystem structure and function Reinforcement of biospheric sources Resistance formation Overexploitation of biological resources Conversion of natural ecosystems Genetic and species loss Increased food production Expansion of agriculturally used lands Intensification of agriculture Decline of traditional agriculture Expanding monetary sector Increased tourism Tertiarization Increase of environmentally sound economic processes Increased consumption of energy and resources Enhanced labour productivity Enhanced resource productivity Increasing protectionism Expansion of traffic routes ECONOMY Globalization of markets Enhanced capital intensity International indebtedness Industrialization Increasing world trade Growing traffic volume Growing environmental awareness Increased mobility Growing interest in participation Sensitization to global problems PSYCHOSOCIAL SPHERE Demand for higher standards Women’s emancipation Growth of fundamentalist movements Spreading of western lifestyle and consumption patterns Widening national social and economic disparities Widening international social and economic disparities Individualization Mounting poverty Decline of traditional social structures Institutionalization of social services Increasing significance of NGO’s Increasing regional conflicts Democratization Increasing international agreements and institutions Strengthening of national environmental protection Structural employment on the rise SOCIAL ORGANIZATION Increasing importance of national economic policy strategies Knowledge and technology transfer Intensification of education and capacity building Progress in information technology Advance in environmental engineering Development of renewable energies and resources Construction of technical megaprojects Medical progress Mounting technological risks Automation, mechanization Progress in biotechnology and genetic engineering Development of new materials, material substitution SCIENCE/ TECHNOLOGY Impact loop ‘Risk to food security’: = amplifying effect = attenuating effect Impact loop ‘Loss of natural materials and active agents’: = amplifying effect = attenuating effect Figure C 1.3-1 Network of interrelations for the consequences of genetic and species loss. Source: WBGU
Page 1 and 2: World in Transition German Advisory
Page 3 and 4: Members of the German Advisory Coun
Page 5 and 6: German Advisory Council on Global C
Page 7 and 8: VI Dr Helmut Kraus (University of B
Page 9 and 10: VIII G 4 G 5 H H 1 H 2 H 3 H 4 H 5
Page 11 and 12: X D 1.3.1.3 D 1.3.1.4 D 1.3.1.5 D 1
Page 13 and 14: XII E 3.3.1.1 E 3.3.1.2 E 3.3.2 E 3
Page 15 and 16: XIV F 4.3 F 5 F 5.1 F 5.1.1 F 5.1.2
Page 17 and 18: XVI J I 2.4 I 2.5 I 2.5.1 I 2.5.2 I
Page 19 and 20: XVIII L K 2.4.12 K 2.4.13 K 2.4.14
Page 21 and 22: XX Box E 3.9-2 Box E 3.9-3 Box E 3.
Page 23 and 24: Figures Figure C 1.2-1 Figure C 1.3
Page 25 and 26: Acronyms ACFM AGDW AIA AIDS ATBI´s
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Page 30 and 31: Summary for Policymakers A 3 Overco
Page 32 and 33: Summary for Policymakers A 5 vation
Page 34: Introduction: Humanity reconstructs
Page 37 and 38: 10 B Introduction Box B-1 Biosphere
Page 39 and 40: 12 B Introduction Box B-2 Sustainab
Page 42 and 43: The biosphere-centred network of in
Page 44 and 45: Trends of global change in the bios
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Page 56: Genetic diversity and species diver
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70 D The use of genetic and species
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Natural and cultivated landscapes E
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From natural to cultivated landscap
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Development of landscapes under hum
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Development of the cultivated lands
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Amazonia: Revolution in a fragile e
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Amazonia: Revolution in a fragile e
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Introduction of the Nile perch into
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The Indonesian shallow sea E 2.4 10
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Perception and evaluation E 3.1 113
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Spatial and temporal separation of
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 125 E 3.
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 127 tion
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 129 Box
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 131 cons
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 133 Figu
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 135 from
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 137 Habi
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 139 1. O
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 141 vati
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 143 used
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 145 Tabl
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 153 Chan
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 155 rene
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 157 vati
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Sustainable land use E 3.3 159 comb
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Sustainable food production from aq
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Conserving natural and cultural her
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Introduction of alien species E 3.6
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Tourism as an instrument E 3.7 185
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The role of sustainable urban devel
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Integrating conservation and use at
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The biosphere in the Earth System F
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210 F The biosphere in the Earth Sy
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F 2 The global climate between fore
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F 3 The biosphere in global transit
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F 5 Critical elements of the biosph
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Biosphere-anthroposphere linkages:
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250 G Biosphere-anthroposphere link
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G2 The mechanism of the Overexploit
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G 3 Disposition of forest ecosystem
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G5 Political implications of the sy
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Valuing the biosphere: An ethical a
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276 H Valuing the biosphere: An eth
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H 5 Economic valuation of biosphere
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H 6 The ethics of conducting negoti
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A guard rail strategy for biosphere
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Third biological imperative: mainta
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Fourth biological imperative: prese
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Conclusion: an explicit guard rail
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Tasks and issues I 2.1 309 • Pres
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Tasks and issues I 2.1 311 basis of
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Approaches under international law
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Approaches under international law
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Approaches for positive regulations
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Approaches for positive regulations
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Motivational approaches I 2.4 321 t
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Motivational approaches I 2.4 323 c
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Environmental education and environ
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Focuses of implementation I 3.2 335
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The role of the Biodiversity Conven
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Agreements and arrangements under t
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Incentive instruments, funds and in
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Research strategy for the biosphere
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Preserving the integrity of bioregi
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Maintaining biopotential for the fu
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Preserving the global natural herit
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Preserving the regulatory functions
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Monitoring and remote sensing J 2.3
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Biological-ecological basic researc
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Socio-economic basic research J 3.2
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The foundations of a strategy for a
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Focal areas of implementation K 2 K
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Governments and government institut
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Governments and government institut
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International institutions K 2.4 38
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A worldwide system of protected are
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References L 397 Abramovitz, J N (1
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References L 399 Berlyne, E D (1974
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References L 401 Campfire Associati
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References L 403 Promoting the Cons
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References L 405 fied Organisms. UB
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References L 407 Gollin, M A (1993)
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References L 409 Herzog-Schröder,
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References L 411 Kaufmann, L S (199
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References L 413 Leader-Williams, N
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References L 415 Sustaining Society
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References L 417 of forest recreati
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References L 419 Pott, R (1993) Far
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References L 421 pp109-140. Scharpf
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References L 423 schutz und die Wid
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References L 425 des Naturschutzes
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References L 427 Wold, C (1998) ‘
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Glossary M
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432 M Glossary the ecosystems in a
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434 M Glossary terized by its high
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The German Advisory Council on Glob
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440 N The German Advisory Council o
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Index O 443 A Aalborg Charter 194-1
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Index O 445 Especially as Waterfowl
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Index O 447 habitats 52, 81, 154, 1
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Index O 449 phytotherapy; see also
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Index O 451 United Nations Conferen
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