Biodiversity, the diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems is fundamental to ecosystem functioning, human well-being, and sustainable development.
It supports essential ecosystem services such as:
- Food production
- Soil fertility
- Climate regulation
- Pollination
- Water purification
However, biodiversity is increasingly threatened by:
- Land-use change
- Habitat degradation
- Climate change
- Pollution
- Unsustainable exploitation of natural resources
Understanding how biodiversity changes across ecosystems and land-use systems has therefore become a major priority for conservation, environmental management, and sustainable development. Biodiversity assessment provides the scientific basis for monitoring ecological change, identifying conservation priorities, and evaluating the impacts of human activities on ecosystems.
This short course introduces the fundamental concepts, methods, and tools used in rapid biodiversity assessments of data-limited environments and rapidly changing landscapes.