Biodiversity
Europe is home to an extraordinary range of habitats and species that make up our rich biodiverse heritage. From the peaks in the Alps, magnificent coasts in the Mediterranean, mystical forests in the Carpathians and rich river basins in the Danube, to the Iberian Lynx in Spain and the marine turtles in Greece.
Natural systems based on healthy biodiversity provide all kinds of services and benefits to us, called ecosystem services, such as cooling and filtering the air, providing food, fibers, fuel, clean water, medicines and healthy soil, protection from floods and soil erosion, storing carbon (important in the fight against climate change) and many more.
However the first assessment of European Biodiversity (European Commission, July 2009) has shown that 65% of habitats and 52% of species of European importance are under threat.
Why?
Because destructive human activities such as over-urbanisation, pollution and intensive agriculture are accelerating climate change and causing severe environmental degradation as well as significant biodiversity loss, which directly affects human well-being.
Natural systems based on healthy biodiversity provide all kinds of services and benefits to us, called ecosystem services, such as cooling and filtering the air, providing food, fibers, fuel, clean water, medicines and healthy soil, protection from floods and soil erosion, storing carbon (important in the fight against climate change) and many more.
However the first assessment of European Biodiversity (European Commission, July 2009) has shown that 65% of habitats and 52% of species of European importance are under threat.
Why?
Because destructive human activities such as over-urbanisation, pollution and intensive agriculture are accelerating climate change and causing severe environmental degradation as well as significant biodiversity loss, which directly affects human well-being.
Natura 2000:successful, flexible, modern
CONTACT
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Alberto Arroyo Schnell
Biodiversity Policy Advisor
WWF European Policy Office
+36 70 61 38 269