Introduction

The natural world around us is changing at an unprecedented rate. We are currently in the early stages of a mass extinction at the same time that the global climate is rapidly changing. These events are the results of human activities, and the decisions we make about our actions now will determine how long they will continue and how severe the effects will be.

This section has three parts. The first deals with why biodiversity is important to humans, both in concrete and abstract ways. The second covers human activities and their impacts on the natural world. Finally, what to conserve and how to conserve it is the focus of the third.

Part 1: Why biodiversity is important

Part 2: Human activities and their impacts

Part 3: Conservation priorities