生物多样性丧失机制研究进展

生物多样性是地球上所有生命形式的总称,包括物种多样性、遗传多样性以及生态系统多样性.其中,物种多样性是核心,它既体现了生物与环境之间的复杂关系,又体现了生物资源的丰富性;物种的保护是生物多样性保护的主要内容.生态系统内的物质循环和能量流动是通过许多错综复杂的食物链和食物网完成的,而动物有机体在此过程中起关键作用.因此,物种多样性,特别是动物种类多样性将直接影响整个生态系统的功能.然而,随着世界人口的持续增长和经济全球化的快速发展,人类社会对地球上的生物多样性造成了愈来愈显著的影响,在这一过程中产生的诸如栖息地丧失与破碎化、过度利用、环境污染、气候变化等现象已对物种的生存产生了严重威胁.本文以生物多样性丧失为主线,回顾了近10多年来在该方向的主要进展,重点关注人类活动对物种多样性的影响,分析了生物多样性丧失的主要原因、特征及其危害,介绍了生物多样性研究的最新方法,并根据我国生物多样性的现状提出了未来生物多样性研究中需要重点关注的科学问题.

Advancements of the researches on biodiversity loss mechanisms

Biodiversity is the sum total of all life on earth and encompasses genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. Among these three levels of diversity, species diversity reflects not only the relationship between life and the environment, but also the richness of biological resources. The main goal of biodiversity conservation is thought to be the protection of species. Animals play an important role in the processes of material cycling and energy flow in ecosystems through the use of intricate food chains and webs. Thus species diversity, especially animal diversity, directly affects the functioning of ecosystems. However, as a result of the sustained increase in the world's human population and the rapid development of economic globalization, human society has heavily affected the world's biodiversity and caused a series of ecological consequences such as habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, and climate change. These changes have seriously threatened the survival of many species on Earth. In this paper, we reviewed advancements in the research related to this ongoing loss of biodiversity over the past ten years by focusing on the influences of human activities on biodiversity and analyzing the primary drivers, characteristics and impacts of this loss in biodiversity. We also introduce some new biodiversity research methods and raise some important scientific questions that address the future of biodiversity research.