GEF

Unit 5  |  The Importance of Biodiversity 112 Without the biodiversity contained in Madagascar’s forests, we would be without valuable medications that have saved thousands of lives. Given growing human populations and threats such as climate change, maintaining the largest pos- sible reservoir of species and genetic diversity is one way to successfully adapt to a changing world. Biodiversity also directly supports communities around the world through its contribution to ecotourism . Nature-based and sustainable tourism is a booming business, growing at a rate of about 15 percent per year and generating large-scale economic activity. One important goal of ecotourism is to pro- vide direct economic incentives for communities to protect their local ecosystems, allowing people to turn away from destruc- tive practices such as logging, unsustainable agriculture or ranching, and hunting of endangered species. Biodiversity is essential to ecosystem function and stability. For example, mangrove forests cover large stretches of tropical and subtropical coastlines. The roots reduce the impact of ocean waves, protecting shorelines from erosion. In addition, many species of fish and shellfish rely on mangrove forests as nurseries where young can grow while sheltered from the open ocean. Mangroves’ ecosystem services include water filtration, erosion reduction, and tidal protection. ECOTOURISM Tourism centered around natural habitats, which promotes environmental stewardship and economic incentives for conservation.