ABSTRACT
Biological resources can without exaggeration be described as the fundamental building blocks for social and cultural development. They provide the basis for local food sufficiency, and are hence the backbone for many countries’ economies (Ruppel 2009a). For millennia, people have relied on ecosystems to meet their basic needs such as food, water and other natural resources. Apart from these, there are a multitude of further benefits of biodiversity — it is regarded as a global asset and expected to benefit people in all parts of the world (McNeely et al. 1990). For instance, a significant proportion of drugs are derived, directly or indirectly, from biological sources. This interest in biological resources is by no means a recent one. As early as the mid-nineteenth century, the Scottish adventurer and missionary David Livingstone brought plants from the African continent, hoping they would serve as a basis for medicinal drugs (Blaikie 2004). Over the last decade, the interest in drugs of plant origins and their use in various diseases has increased in many industrialised countries since plants used in traditional medicine are more likely to yield pharmacologically active compounds (Paing et al. 2006: 1). Indeed, in most cases, it is impossible to synthesise plant-based medicinal drugs in a laboratory setting. Moreover, a wide range of industrial materials are derived directly from biological resources. These include building materials, fibres, dyes, resins, gums, adhesives, rubber and oil. And there are further advantages in biodiversity: increased biodiversity also constrains the spread of contentious diseases as viruses will need to adapt if they are to infect different species. Many people also derive value from biodiversity through leisure activities. And finally, many cultural groups view themselves as an integral part of the natural world and show respect for other living organisms.
