Why Is Biodiversity Important: Ecosystem Services, Human Wellbeing & Global Value

Last updated: January, 2026

Why is biodiversity so important? Biodiversity makes life possible. It is a prerequisite for ecosystems to function and to provide clean air, fresh water, and fertile soil. Biodiversity regulates the flow of freshwater and tidal systems, helps mitigate climate change, and buffers the impacts of storms and other natural disturbances.

It also sustains ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, forests, grasslands, and wetlands. These ecosystems provide habitats for countless species, including those essential for crop production, as well as for fish, birds, and wildlife that support food systems and human livelihoods.

Together, these interconnected systems make ecosystems more resilient and stable for our survival and wellbeing.

Biodiversity and crucial ecosystem stability

Biodiversity is essential for the stability and resilience of ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems rely on many interacting species to maintain balance and to keep natural processes functioning under changing conditions.

In a biodiverse forest, for example, trees of different species respond differently to drought, pests, or disease. Some trees may be more resistant to insects, while others tolerate heat or water stress better. When one species is weakened or lost, others continue to grow, stabilizing the forest canopy, protecting the soil below, and maintaining habitat for wildlife. This diversity allows the ecosystem to absorb disturbance without collapsing.

Ecosystems rich in biodiversity are better able to regulate air and water quality, maintain fertile soils, and moderate local climate conditions. Because multiple species often perform similar ecological roles, these systems have built-in redundancy. If one species declines, others can partially compensate, allowing key ecosystem functions to continue.

Over millions of years, this diversity of life has enabled ecosystems to recover from natural disturbances. Forests can regenerate after fires, wetlands can rebound after flooding, and grasslands can recover following drought because biodiversity supports adaptation and renewal rather than breakdown.

When biodiversity is lost, ecosystems become simpler and more fragile. As ecosystems lose species and complexity, their ability to provide essential services weakens, often with far-reaching ecological and social impacts. These outcomes are explored in detail in our article on the consequences of biodiversity loss.

Biodiversity and ecosystem services that support life

Ecosystems do more than provide habitat for plants and animals. They deliver essential ecosystem services that support the processes making life on Earth possible. These services depend on the diversity of species, genetic variation, and ecological interactions that keep natural systems functioning.

When biodiversity is high, ecosystems are better able to regulate air and water quality, maintain fertile soils, support food production, and stabilize climate conditions. These benefits are increasingly undermined by human activities that alter land, water, and climate systems. To understand how biodiversity is being reduced worldwide, see our detailed overview of the major causes of biodiversity loss.

Key ecosystem services include:

• Oxygen production – plants and marine organisms produce the oxygen we breathe.
• Carbon storage and climate regulation – forests, grasslands, soils, and oceans absorb carbon dioxide and help regulate Earth’s temperature.
• Water purification – wetlands, soils, and vegetation filter pollutants and clean water as it moves through ecosystems.
• Soil formation and fertility – microorganisms, fungi, and insects break down organic matter and recycle nutrients needed for plant growth.
• Pollination – bees, butterflies, birds, and other animals help crops and wild plants reproduce.
• Natural pest control – predators and parasites keep pest populations in balance.
• Flood and storm protection – mangroves, wetlands, and coastal vegetation reduce erosion and protect land from storms and tidal surges.
• Food production – healthy ecosystems support agriculture, fisheries, and wild food sources.
• Disease regulation – diverse ecosystems can limit the spread of some pathogens by maintaining natural checks and balances.

For example, a healthy forest or grassland can both provide oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, a primary greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. By removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, these ecosystems help keep Earth’s temperatures within a range that allows life to thrive.

Biodiversity supports food production and food security

Biodiversity plays a critical role in food production and food security. A wide variety of plant species, animals, and microorganisms supports agriculture, fisheries, and natural food systems. Biodiversity is also a prerequisite for a balanced diet, supplying the vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients necessary to maintain good health. No single food source can provide all the nutrition our bodies need.

Food production is closely tied to healthy ecosystems. Presently, around 95 percent of our food is produced directly or indirectly on soils. Biodiversity supports the community of organisms that create and maintain fertile soils, enabling crops to grow. Diverse soil life contributes to nutrient cycling, soil structure, and moisture retention, all of which are essential for long-term food production.

Above ground, biodiversity is equally important. A diversity of native plants is required to support pollinators and insects that naturally control crop pests and parasites. Mimicking natural ecosystems by growing a diversity of crops rather than monocultures helps maintain this balance. By supporting natural predators, biodiversity can reduce reliance on pesticides and fertilizers, substances that degrade soils and contribute to the decline of pollinators.

Food security also depends on genetic biodiversity. Within agricultural systems, genetic diversity determines how well crops and livestock can adapt to pests, diseases, and changing environmental conditions. This diversity has declined sharply. In the 1800s, for example, the United States had over 7,000 named apple varieties, most of which no longer exist. Globally, an estimated 75 percent of plant genetic diversity has been lost since the early 1900s.

Today, the global food system relies on a remarkably narrow range of species. Just nine crops account for most of the world’s plant-based food production, while a small number of domesticated animals provide the vast majority of livestock-derived food. This lack of diversity makes food systems more vulnerable to disease outbreaks, pests, and environmental change.

As the climate continues to warm, the loss of genetic diversity becomes an even greater concern. Crops and livestock that dominate food production today may be unable to adapt to future temperature and rainfall conditions. Less common species and varieties, currently underutilized or neglected, may prove essential for sustaining food production under new environmental realities.

Soil fertility and nutrient cycling

Healthy soils are living systems sustained by biodiversity. Microorganisms, fungi, insects, and plant roots interact to decompose organic matter, recycle nutrients, and maintain soil structure.

In a healthy forest or grassland, fallen leaves and plant matter are broken down by fungi and bacteria, releasing nutrients such as nitrogen back into the soil. Nitrogen is an essential element for plant growth, but plants cannot use it in its raw atmospheric form. Soil microorganisms convert organic nitrogen from decaying matter into forms that plant roots can absorb. Earthworms and insects then mix this nutrient-rich material deeper into the soil, keeping nutrients circulating between soil, plants, and microorganisms.

This continuous nutrient cycling creates fertile, crumbly soil that can retain water, support plant growth, and recover after disturbance such as drought or heavy rain.

When soil biodiversity declines, nutrient cycling slows or breaks down. Nitrogen and other nutrients are more easily lost through erosion or runoff, soils lose structure and fertility, and productivity declines. In agricultural landscapes, this often results in increased reliance on synthetic fertilizers to replace natural nutrient cycles.

Without diverse soil life, ecosystems become less resilient and more dependent on external inputs, weakening their ability to sustain long-term productivity.

Biodiversity and water purification

Biodiversity is essential for the functioning of freshwater systems and the global water cycle. Forests, grasslands, wetlands, and aquatic ecosystems regulate the movement and quality of water by filtering pollutants, stabilizing soils, and maintaining natural flow patterns.

The water cycle needs to function in a way that will allow water to evaporate into the atmosphere and then fall back to the earth as rain or snow.

This cycle depends upon moisture evaporating from trees and grasslands and from the oceans. When we lose these habitats, we lose their contribution of moisture.

The warmer air is causing the oceans to evaporate more rapidly. It is also pulling as much water as it can from already dry areas and makes its vegetation more flammable, which is why we are witnessing wildfires that are very difficult to contain. Additionally, snow on mountaintops is melting earlier and so many forests are dryer for longer periods of time.

Vegetation and soil organisms help water infiltrate the ground, replenish aquifers, and return moisture to the atmosphere through evaporation and transpiration. Wetlands act as natural filters, improving water quality and reducing the impacts of floods.

When these ecosystems are degraded or lost, their contribution to water regulation diminishes, affecting both natural habitats and human access to clean freshwater.

Biodiversity and climate regulation

Biodiversity is an essential part of the solution to climate change. Biologically diverse ecosystems serve as buffers by absorbing excess greenhouse gas emissions, the primary driver of global warming.

Earth’s main natural carbon sinks are plants, oceans, and soils. Together, these systems regulate atmospheric carbon and help maintain climate conditions suitable for life.

Forests and other plant-rich ecosystems absorb carbon dioxide from the air through photosynthesis. Forests store carbon in their biomass, soils, and wood products, making them one of the planet’s most effective natural climate regulators.

Oceans are also major carbon sinks. Phytoplankton — tiny plant-like organisms near the ocean surface — absorb a substantial share of atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. As phytoplankton are consumed by zooplankton and larger marine life, carbon is transported through the food web and eventually deposited on the ocean floor, where it is sequestered away from the atmosphere.

This carbon cycle is increasingly disrupted. Rising carbon dioxide levels have led to ocean acidification, changing seawater chemistry and affecting organisms that form shells, including zooplankton. Because these organisms play a key role in moving carbon to the deep ocean, their decline weakens the ocean’s ability to function as a carbon sink.

Marine biodiversity also supports oxygen production. Phytoplankton contributes a significant share of the oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere, making healthy ocean ecosystems essential not only for climate regulation but for breathable air.

On land, soil is another major carbon reservoir. Grasslands, which cover a large portion of Earth’s surface, store carbon in their extensive root systems and soils. When plants die, carbon is transferred into the soil, contributing to fertility and long-term carbon storage. The loss and degradation of grasslands reduces this capacity and weakens climate resilience.

Beyond carbon storage, biodiverse ecosystems buffer the physical impacts of climate change. Mangroves and coastal vegetation protect shorelines from erosion, storm surges, and rising sea levels. Forests release water vapor into the atmosphere, contributing to cloud formation and rainfall, sometimes far from their location. This process helps stabilize regional climates and supports water cycles critical for ecosystems and agriculture.

As climate change accelerates, the loss of biodiversity further undermines the natural systems that regulate climate. Preserving and restoring biodiverse ecosystems strengthens Earth’s capacity to absorb carbon, regulate water, and buffer the growing impacts of a warming world.

Biodiversity, disease regulation and human health

Biodiversity plays an important role in regulating the spread of infectious disease. Diverse ecosystems contain a wide range of species that interact in complex ways, creating natural checks and balances that can limit the transmission of pathogens.

Researchers describe this phenomenon as the “dilution effect.” In species-rich ecosystems, pathogens encounter a greater diversity of potential hosts, many of which are poor carriers of disease. This reduces the likelihood that infections will spread rapidly or reach high concentrations within any one population.

When biodiversity is lost, these natural controls weaken. As ecosystems become simplified and fragmented, certain species may increase unchecked. If such a species carries a pathogen, disease transmission can intensify in the absence of competitors, predators, or alternative hosts.

Fragmented ecosystems are particularly vulnerable. Once populations fall below their minimum viable size, disease can spread more easily and cause rapid decline.

Beyond disease regulation, biodiversity is also a vital source of medicines. Many modern treatments are derived from plants, animals, and microorganisms found in healthy ecosystems. The loss of biodiversity may therefore reduce not only ecosystem resilience, but also our capacity to discover future medical treatments.

Biodiversity has positive health impacts mentally and physically

Biodiversity can lower your blood pressure and may even reduce your belly fat! It can bestow a sense of belonging, a feeling of harmony with one’s environment. It can instill a sense of awe for the world around us.

Any urban dweller who hankers for a visit to the countryside, the mountains or the beach will tell you how much better they feel when they return back.

In Japan, they actually have a name for this spiritual enrichment: “forest bathing.” The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries instituted a national “forest bathing” program in the early 1980s as a response to an inordinate number of urban dwellers suffering depression and anxiety from being overworked and overloaded with the noise and congestion in their daily lives.

The culture that brought us Zen and mindfulness was now recommending a remedy for stress: immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the forest – breathe it in.  In fact, the government has since designated a number of forest bathing reserves where the rules are to simply be quiet and relax. No running, no work. Just breathe deeply and be present in the moment.

And now, nearly 40 years of extensive research has only confirmed a wide range of health benefits including:

• reduced stress
• increased happiness
• more energy
• feeling a sense of awe witnessing the exquisite beauty of nature
• immune function
• neurological sensitivity
• heart rate and blood pressure improvement by spending time in the forest

Cortisol levels, the hormone released when we sense danger, are lowered. High cortisol levels, common when one feels stressed can cause not only inflammation, but the accumulation of belly fat [39].

Why exactly do we feel better when we are surrounded by nature?

Trees and plants emit substances called phytoncides that kill potentially harmful insects and bacteria. Studies have shown that when people inhale phytoncides, their body immediately begins functioning in a more balanced way.

The body begins to regulate its functions and changes the way it protects itself against viruses, bacteria, and cancer.

A 2007 study published in the International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology found that breathing in phytoncides boosts the immune system and generates expression of anti-cancer proteins. These effects may last between seven and thirty days [40].

And too, the UN Cooperation on Health and Biodiversity reports that a sensitivity to ecology and respect for other species has shown to reduce anti-social behavior in children and young adults.

Biodiversity and the economy

Biodiversity is good for the economy. Direct contributions from biodiversity include the production of food, medicine, clothing, materials, and energy. These goods and services are economically valuable when they are sustainably harvested and produced.

Biodiversity directly sustains key economic sectors, including agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism, textiles, housing, and pharmaceutical industries. Beyond these visible contributions, biodiversity underpins all economic activity by maintaining essential ecosystem functions.

These include stable hydrological cycles, fertile soils, pollination, pest control, nutrient provision, soil filtration, storm protection, balanced climate systems, genetic diversity, disease regulation, and landscapes that support both livelihoods and tourism.

Even major economic institutions recognize this dependence. The World Bank has stated that “Healthy ecosystems, supported by rich biodiversity, are a primary source of growth, resilience and prosperity.” Conversely, the World Economic Forum estimates that nearly half of global GDP — approximately $44 trillion — is exposed to risks arising from nature loss.

Biodiversity sustains livelihoods in rural areas and beyond

Biodiversity is essential for sustaining livelihoods. To meet basic human needs such as food, shelter, clothing, and medicine, many people rely directly on healthy ecosystems.

For farmers, biodiversity provides resilience. A farmer growing multiple crop varieties has alternatives when certain crops fail due to pests, disease, or weather extremes. This diversity reduces risk and supports long-term food security.

Beyond commercial industries, biodiversity is critically important to indigenous and local communities living near biodiversity hotspots. In these regions, maintaining a sustainable economy is inseparable from conserving ecosystems.

If local people are unable to earn a livelihood while living in harmony with their environment, they may be forced to sell access to land and resources to interests that degrade biodiversity, such as logging operations, mining activities, or industrial agriculture. In this way, economic insecurity can accelerate environmental destruction.

The global shift toward sustainability reflects growing awareness of this connection. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals emphasize ending poverty, improving health and education, reducing inequality, and fostering economic growth while protecting ecosystems, restoring forests and oceans, and addressing climate change.

Both governments and non-government organizations increasingly recognize the protection of biodiversity hotspots as an urgent priority and are working to address environmental threats in integrated ways that avoid creating new social or ecological harms.

Biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods in practice

Conservation efforts around the world have demonstrated that protecting biodiversity and supporting livelihoods are not opposing goals. When communities are empowered to manage ecosystems sustainably, biodiversity protection can become a foundation for long-term economic stability rather than an obstacle to development.

In biodiversity hotspots, initiatives that combine ecosystem conservation with sustainable agriculture, efficient water use, renewable energy, and community cooperation have helped reduce environmental pressure while improving quality of life. These approaches show that when people are supported in caring for their local ecosystems, both biodiversity and human well-being can thrive.

Without such integrated approaches, biodiverse ecosystems are often lost to short-term commercial interests, leaving communities with depleted resources, reduced food security, and limited economic prospects. By contrast, conservation-linked livelihoods help preserve ecosystems while enabling communities to meet their needs in sustainable ways.

Biodiversity builds human culture and identity

Biodiversity is an integral part of culture and identity. Human relationships with nature shape how people understand themselves, their history, and their place in the world.

In his essay Mourning and Melancholia (1917), Freud writes of a melancholic who “knows whom he has lost but not what he has lost in him,” and therefore cannot fully grieve the loss. This idea raises an unsettling question: how will we understand our own sense of loss when the living world around us disappears? If birds fall silent and familiar landscapes vanish, will we even recognize what has been taken from us?

For many cultures, biodiversity is not a backdrop to life but a foundation of identity. Aboriginal peoples in Australia, for example, view all life as part of a single interconnected organism. The destruction of their sacred places for infrastructure development represents not only environmental damage, but a direct assault on their creation stories and cultural identity.

Similarly, many Native American cultures were deeply intertwined with their surrounding ecosystems. Their lands, sacred sites, and wildlife formed the basis of spiritual practices, food systems, and social structure. Animals were honored for the lives they gave, and rituals expressed respect for the natural world through dance, dress, and ceremony. With the loss of land and the extinction of species, much of this cultural meaning has been eroded.

The psychological effects of such losses are not limited to indigenous communities. Displacement from one’s environment — whether through forced migration, environmental degradation, or cultural disruption — is often accompanied by profound disorientation and grief. Refugees and displaced peoples frequently experience mental health challenges linked to the loss of place, tradition, and identity.

Even seemingly small disruptions can carry deep emotional weight. The inability to access familiar plants, foods, or materials can sever connections to cultural practices that help define who people are. Losing these traditions is not merely inconvenient; it can represent a loss of self.

Indigenous knowledge and biodiversity preservation

Efforts to preserve biodiversity increasingly recognize the importance of protecting cultural identity and indigenous knowledge. Many conservation alliances work directly with local communities, integrating traditional practices into sustainable land use rather than replacing them.

When indigenous people are taught more sustainable methods — such as using less water for dyeing fabrics or cultivating plants with lower environmental impact — they are encouraged to maintain traditional patterns, symbols, and practices passed down through generations. In this way, conservation supports both ecological integrity and cultural continuity.

Recent interest in plant-based therapies for mental health has highlighted the value of indigenous knowledge. The Shipibo people of the Amazon rainforest, for instance, have maintained the tradition of using ayahuasca in healing rituals for thousands of years. These practices are inseparable from the ecosystems that sustain them, and their preservation depends on protecting the surrounding biodiversity.

There is growing recognition that cultural diversity and biodiversity are closely linked. In many ecosystems, cultural practices reinforce conservation, especially where plants or animals hold religious or spiritual significance. Alliances with local communities are therefore among the most effective ways to ensure biodiversity protection.

Identity rooted in place has long been a source of strength and resistance. In the early nineteenth century, Simon Bolívar drew inspiration from the observations of Alexander von Humboldt, emphasizing that the land belonged to its native peoples and reflected their vitality. This connection between people and their natural world helped mobilize movements against exploitation and environmental degradation.

The loss of biodiversity, then, is not only an ecological crisis. It is also a cultural and psychological one, eroding the relationships between people, place, and meaning that have developed over generations.