Value of Biodiversity – Direct and Indirect
The value of biodiversity can be broadly divided into two categories- a) direct values and b) indirect values.
Direct values are the benefits obtained through the goods provided by biodiversity. Examples of such direct values include food, timber, fuelwood, medicines, linen, wool etc. These goods can be used by humans for their own consumptive needs as well as for generation of revenue through trade and research.
Indirect values are those benefits which correspond to the services obtained from biodiversity and which is of much significance to society at large rather than to individuals or corporates. Examples of indirect values include services like pollination by bees, maintenance of water and oxygen cycles by plants, decomposition of dead material by bacteria and fungi, worshipping various animals and plants, sacred groves, aesthetic beauty of fauna and flora etc.
It must be indeed clear that these indirect values are as important, if not more, as the direct values. Let us now discuss these various values of biodiversity in detail.
Consumptive value
Consumptive value refers to tangible resources obtained from biodiversity that are used by humans for their sustenance, day to day activities and other necessities. In other words, these goods are not used for any market value. Such resources include various kind of edible items like fruits, berries, meat, medicinal plants, firewood, timber, wool, linen etc. Such resources are extremely important for communities that live in or near various kinds of forest areas and wetlands as these people directly consume these them. It has been reported that about 80,000 edible plant species are obtained from the wild, 90% of present-day food crops have been domesticated from wild tropical plants and 75% of the world’s medicinal demands are dependent upon plants or plant extracts.
Economic (Productive) value
Economic value of biodiversity comprises of all tangible resources that are used for market purpose. These products are sold for profit value and help in generating revenue for individuals, organisations and countries. The economic value of biodiversity helps in providing employment to millions of people. A number of industries like food industry, wood industry, paper industry, silk industry, textile industry, leather industry, pharmaceutical industry etc are dependent on the products obtained from biodiversity. Animal products like tusks, silk, wool, musk, fur, lac, honey are all traded in the market. Scientists and researchers play an important role in utilizing the economic value of biodiversity as they manipulate genes of wild varieties of plants and animals and introduce desirable traits into crops and domesticated animals. An important area of research that has emerged in the last 50 years is that of bioprospecting, which is defined as systematic and organized search for useful products derived from micro-organisms, plants and animals, which can be further developed for commercialization and the overall benefit of society. In this respect, traditional knowledge gathered by localcommunities and people who have been living in forest areas and wild habitats for centuries, also play a vital role. Their knowledge is of immense value in the field of bioprospecting.
Ecological value
Perhaps the mostsignificant, yet underrated value of biodiversity is related to the ecological services that it provides. These refer to the various processes occurring in an ecosystem that is being contributed, maintained and regulated by biodiversity or the biotic component. Moreover these processes or ecosystem services are extremely vital for the very existence of human society. Ecological services can be generally divided into the following categories
- Regulation and Stabilisation: These include services like climate regulation, mitigation of storms and floods, erosion control, pest and disease control, regulation of rainfall and underground water recharge.
- Purification and Detoxification: These services comprise of filtration, purification and detoxification of air, water and soils.
- Cycling Processes: These include basic ecosystem processes like nutrient cycling, soil formation, nitrogen fixation, carbon sequestration etc.
- Habitat maintenance and interactions: Vegetation supports all the fauna in this world, which in turn are useful to us in myriad ways. Biodiversity is also a storehouse of genetic material that are essential for human sustenance. A number of native insects, birds and other animals help in pollination of agricultural crops, forest trees and native flowering plants through their interactions with flora.
Despite their critical importance, ecological services are many times overlooked in policy decisions as they are not considered to be of much monetary value when compared with the consumptive and economic value of biodiversity. However, it is now being realized that ecological services are much more valuable than economic services.
Social value
The social value of biodiversity includes cultural and spiritual values that have long influenced the existence of human societies. Many of the beliefs, rituals and customs have passed on through a number of generations and is an indication of how ancient people were closely interwoven with their surrounding environment. The religious texts of all religions emphasize the need for humans to value the environment, to protect, preserve and sustain it. In almost every religion, there are rituals involving animal and plant worship and also glorification of animals and animal related deities.
The religious, spiritual and cultural importance of biodiversity is particularly visible in India, where many plants and animals have ritual significance. Plants and trees like Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum), Pipal (Ficusrelegiosa), Banyan (Ficusbenghalensis), Khejdi (Prosopis cineraria) Neem (Azadirachtaindica), Sandalwood (Santalum album) etc. are of immense religious importance to a number of religions. Flowers that are considered auspicious and offered in temples include Lotus to Goddess Lakshmi; Hibiscus offered to goddess Kali. A number of animal species are considered sacred on account of their association with different deities. Some animal species are consideredas vehicles (or vahanas) of deities and are hence revered. Important among these are the chariot of horses for Sun God, swan for Lord Brahma and Goddess Saraswati, elephant for Lord Indra, owl for Goddess Lakshmi, the bull for Lord Siva, eagle for Lord Vishnu, the rat for Lord Ganesh and the lion for Goddess Durga.
Furthermore, the life of the indigenous tribes and local communities in many parts of the world, especially in developing nations, still revolves around the forests and other ecosystems where they dwell. In India, we have the Bishnoi community as the best example for their intense connect and devotion to nature and towards its protection. Thus biodiversity has always helped communities in finding a spiritual solace in nature andhas kept societies united through the cultural and spiritual value it provides. One major benefits of such traditional beliefs and rituals is that it has led to preservation of biodiversity in different parts of the world by local communities. An example of such preservation is the case of sacred groves which will be discussed in detail towards the end of this section.
Aesthetic value
Biodiversity provides a rare beauty aspect to our planet, that differentiates Earth from all other planets and stars of the universe, all of which are barren. Biodiversity enhances the beauty of any landscape and adds immensely to the quality of life through scenic enjoyment and outdoor recreation. Each ecosystem and every species adds to the richness and beauty of life on this planet. They provide opportunities for recreational activities such as bird watching, river rafting, hiking, rock climbing, nature and wildlife photography. Areas such as national parks, sanctuaries, zoological and botanical gardens, butterfly parks, nurseries are all a source of pleasure and aesthetic satisfaction and keep us closer to the rich biodiversity around us. In urban areas, establishment of biodiversity parks is gaining much importance today due to the various benefits that it provides. If not nearby, then people are willing to go far off places to enjoy nature and wildlife. This type of tourism, which is famously referred to as eco-tourism, is gaining much relevance today and has now become a major source of income in many countries which are blessed with immense biological resources, and this includes India as well, which is one of the seventeen megadiverse countries of world. It is also providing employment to thousands of people belonging to indigenous communities living in biodiverse areas. Recent studies have estimated that globally, protected areas receive about 8 billion visits in a year, generating billions of dollars of revenue which is much more than when these same areas are used for economic purposes like production and logging of wood or mining or dam construction. Natural ecosystems, once destroyed, are extremely difficult to re-establish, and a species that becomes extinct, is gone forever, thereby damaging the aesthetic beauty. It is therefore imperative that biodiversity be protected for its aesthetic value as well.
Ethical value
The world today faces a serious ethical challenge in protecting and preserving Earth’s biodiversity. Ethical values related to biodiversity conservation highlights the importance of protecting all forms of life, since every species and individual has the right to exist on earthandno organism should be harmed unnecessarily. The most fundamental ethical principle to followed here is ‘to live and let others live’.Today, human beings are too much focussed on themselves, using and exploiting the natural resources for our own betterment and development, resulting in irreversible loss of biodiversity. Another ethical principle concerning biodiversity is that every species on this earth has an ‘intrinsic value to the ecosystem’. However, we human beings are more concerned today with the instrumental value of biodiversity, that is, we try to assess how a particular species is of importance to mankind and are more interested in propagating and preserving only those species. The challenge for humanity is to move from a predominantly anthropocentric (human oriented) perspective to a more eco-centric (ecosystem oriented) perspective, and try to reach a balance between the two, in order to counter the current environmental crisis. Achieving this balance also forms the basis for the much endorsed global sustainable development efforts.
Ethical values also include human rights. This is especially important when we take into consideration the millions of indigenous tribes and local communities living in biodiversity rich areas across the world. These indigenous people face exploitation and injustice when their forest areas are destroyed due to activities like deforestation, animal poaching commercial forestry, pollution and mining. They are not given sufficient compensation for their land being used and any monetary benefits generated from the products obtained from these biodiversity rich areas are not equitably shared with them. Many of these people are not allowed any kind of ownership to their ancestral lands. As a result, these communities feel violated and isolated. Taken as a whole, this results in more damage to biodiversity and considerably lowers the success of conservation efforts. The challenge today is to ensure that these communities, their traditions and knowledge are valued as indispensable in biodiversity protection and preservation.
Ethical value of biodiversity, therefore, helps us to realize our co-dependence with nature, which in turn brings about a sense of appreciation for and generosity towards the natural world. Both these virtues are essential if we have to protect, preserve and sustain biodiversity and all its values for future generations.