Biodiversity: Preserving the Variety of Life on Earth
Johannes Vogel
Natural History Museum – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin
Humboldt University, Berlin
© HwaJa Götz
Over the last 3.8 billion years, an enormous number of species have evolved in an interdependent process. “Life has functioned in cycles and can even cope with profound environmental changes,” said Prof. Johannes Vogel, Ph.D., Director General of the Natural History Museum – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science (Berlin). As Professor of Biodiversity and Scientific Dialogue at Humboldt University in Berlin, Vogel advises the EU Commission and the German Federal Government, for example, on environmental matters. On invitation by the Daimler and Benz Foundation, more than 260 visitors gathered at the evening function in Stuttgart’s Mercedes-Benz Museum on June 6 as part of the “Dialogue in the Museum” series to hear his lecture titled “Threatened Biodiversity? What Must Happen to Ensure We Won’t Lose Diversity of Life”.
As a part of nature and of the natural material cycles, humans are dependent on this biodiversity that surrounds them, said Vogel. In the meantime, however, biodiversity is declining dramatically, especially as a result of expanding agriculture and forestry, the constantly increasing world population, and climate change. This is also due to the fact that humans cover around half of their calorie requirements with only four species on average, with an increasingly one-sided diet.
An agricultural landscape consisting only of forests and green space is contributing to the current decline in biodiversity, Vogel noted. Where flowers are lacking, there are no pollinators; where there are no flower meadows, there is also a shortage of food for numerous insects and thus also for birds. In Luther’s time, around 95% of natural vegetation still existed and there were at most 500 million people worldwide; today there is less than 50% natural vegetation, with a global population of around 7.5 billion – accompanied by a further sharp increase in consumption of resources. Especially in the oceans, the situation is now critical: Some 90% of stocks are overfished.
Scientifically identifying and researching as many species as possible is a matter of great urgency, Vogel warned: There is currently a danger that we will lose the existing biodiversity of our planet more rapidly than we can discover it. We now have a multiple crisis to overcome, since the severe decline of natural habitats, the related disappearance of many animal and plant species, the degradation of land and soil resulting from intensive large-scale agriculture, and global warming have mutually intensifying effects. “The world must therefore work together in view of these current developments. We can achieve this for example through institutions that research biodiversity,” Vogel said. “A sustainable ecological economy is also possible, and the financial resources for this are available.” It is simply not enough to point to the responsibility of the supposed decision-makers, he continued: “It’s not only up to politics and companies; what counts is above all the actions of each and every one of us.” It is therefore important to bring the issue of nature conservation to the attention of society in general. “This is an important task for us researchers: We must arouse motivation among citizens and enthuse them for the significance of nature and biodiversity.” Dealing with nature is always emotional, Vogel concluded, and herein lies an important lever for social change.
Dialog in the Museum
June 6, 2019
Mercedes-Benz Museum
70372 Stuttgart
Speaker:
Prof. Johannes Vogel, Ph.D.
Natural History Museum – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science
Berlin
Humboldt-University
Berlin