Biodiversity and ecosystem services

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given species, an ecosystem, a biome or the planet. Human societies depend on the supporting services offered by biodiversity because they underpin the supply of provisioning, regulating, cultural and other services. Or as phrased in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment [201], “it’s the diversity of biota across the world that underpins the capacity of the world’s ecosystem in providing most of its goods and services.” Drylands are endowed with a rich biodiversity including charismatic wildlife species such as the lion ( Panthera leo ), African elephant ( Loxodonta africana ), leopard ( Pan – thera pardus ) and buffalo ( Syncerus caffer ). While these species attract millions of 79 tourists annually, it is commonly overlooked that drylands host a vast number of trees and shrub species such as acacia and baobab and many of the world’s grasses. Over – all, 10,000 mammals, birds and amphibian species occur in the world’s drylands and the drylands of SSA provide a habitat for 60% of mammal, bird and amphibian species found in that region [202] .

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