Biodiversity: what it is, why it is important, and how to preserve it

What is biodiversity The term biodiversity, introduced in 1988 by American entomologist Edward O. Wilson and later taken up by ISPRA, refers to the variety of life forms on the planet, including all species of plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms, as well as the ecological interactions that exist between them. It is measured by the number of species in an ecosystem, but also by assessing the genetic diversity within a population of each species, and finally by the distribution of the species in the various environments of an ecosystem. Biodiversity can be defined as the richness of life on Earth. Types of biodiversity Depending on the level to which it refers, different types of biodiversity can be identified. There are three main types: Genetic diversity, which is the variety of genes within a given species. Each individual within a species has a unique combination of genes, and greater genetic diversity can contribute to the survival of the species. Species diversity, which can be measured in terms of the number of the same species found in a given area, and by their rarity or abundance in a certain territory or habitat. Ecosystem diversity, which defines the number and abundance of habitats, living communities and ecosystems within which different organisms live and evolve. These different types of biodiversity are closely interconnected and affect each other. The loss or deterioration of one type of biodiversity can have negative effects on other types and the overall health of ecosystems. Why biodiversity is important Biodiversity is important because it is a thermometer that measures the health of life on Earth. A richer and more diverse environment is also more sustainable, ensuring life and prosperity for those who inhabit it, whether humans, animals or plants. Biodiversity is fundamental to the functioning of ecosystems and the well-being of the entire planet. Each life form has a unique role and contributes to the stability and resilience of ecosystems. For example, plants perform photosynthesis and provide oxygen, bees and other insects are important for plant fertilization, predators keep herbivore populations under control, and so on. Biodiversity also provides a wide range of benefits to humans. Preserving the health of ecosystems ensures access to food and other key resources, such as the active ingredients of certain medicines contained in plants and herbs. In addition, healthy and diverse ecosystems also contribute to air and water purification, climate regulation and flood prevention. What can endanger biodiversity Unfortunately, biodiversity is in crisis due to several factors, many of them related to human activities, such as: deforestation, pollution, global warming, habitat destruction and overexploitation of natural resources. These phenomena, if left unchecked, can lead to the loss of entire ecosystems and the variety of organisms of which they are composed. The conservation of biodiversity has therefore become a priority in order to ensure environmental sustainability and the future of our planet. Good practices to preserve biodiversity To maintain biodiversity, several actions can be taken. These include: The creation of new protected areas such as nature reserves, and national and regional parks, as well as the conservation of existing ones. Fighting deforestation and habitat depletion. Fighting pollution of the atmosphere, water and soil. The promotion of environmentally friendly and sustainable agricultural practices, for example by reducing the use of pesticides and other harmful substances. Promoting sustainable management practices for natural resources, such as timber and water, and opposing intensive fishing. Biodiversity in Italy and its protection Italy is a country that’s very rich in biodiversity because of its geographic location and the variety of environmental features present in its territory. Our country is located in the Mediterranean Basin, which is an area characterized by particularly high levels of biological diversity and endemism (the presence of species that live exclusively within certain boundaries), but threatened by human activities. However, this immense heritage is at risk. Some of the main problems include habitat loss and fragmentation due to various causes, such as those mentioned above. Some examples of protection There have been numerous projects launched in Italy to protect biodiversity and raise awareness of this issue. In addition to the many protected areas – such as national and regional parks and wildlife conservation areas like WWF and other associations' nature reserves – activities funded through the European Union's LIFE program are underway in Italy. In addition, several initiatives have been carried out at the local level in recent years to promote awareness of biodiversity and issues related to the conservation of nature. These include the Mediterranean Biodiversity Park in Catanzaro, the Biodiversity Garden in Padua, and the Biodiversity Museum in Monticiano in the province of Siena. The protection of varieties of living species in Europe and the world We still know relatively little about the biodiversity of the planet as a whole. According to various studies, there may be between four and 100 million living species on Earth, but only a fraction of them, between 1.5 and 1.8 million, are currently known. This vast environmental heritage is still largely unexplored, yet every day pieces of it are lost: it is estimated that an average of 50 living species disappear every 24 hours. Initiatives to protect biodiversity worldwide have so far yielded only partially satisfactory results. In 2010, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity identified 20 targets to curb the growing loss of biodiversity. Ten years later, however, none of these had been fully achieved and only six had been partially met. In 2022, at the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD-COP15) held in Montreal, Canada, an agreement was reached that sets new goals to be achieved by 2030, including protecting 30% of land, oceans, coastal areas and inland waters, reducing government subsidies that are harmful to biodiversity by $500 billion per year, halving food waste, and minimizing the impacts of climate change. The EU’s Biodiversity Strategy The European Union's commitments to protecting biodiversity focus primarily on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, approved in 2020, which presents a comprehensive, ambitious, long-term plan to protect and restore the natural environment and ecosystems in the European Union. Among the main actions in the EU Strategy are: The allocation of €20 billion per year for the protection and promotion of biodiversity through EU funds and national and private funding. The creation of a coherent network of protected areas encompassing at least 30% of the EU's land and sea area, at least one-third of which are under strict protection. Restoring degraded ecosystems across the EU by 2030 through a series of specific commitments and measures, including reducing pesticide use and risk by 50% by 2030 and planting three billion trees in the EU. Biodiversity hotspots: areas threatened by habitat loss Biodiversity hotspots are geographic regions that have a high degree of biodiversity and are at high risk of habitat destruction and degradation. These areas are considered to be of special importance for conservation because they are home to an extraordinary variety of endemic species (those found only in a specific region) and are highly threatened by deforestation, habitat loss and other human activities. The designation of an area as a biodiversity hotspot is based on two main criteria: significant endemic plant biodiversity and severe habitat loss. To be considered a hotspot, an area must have at least 1,500 endemic species of vascular plants and must have lost at least 70% of its original habitat. Currently, there are 36 areas considered hotspots and they are distributed across several continents. Italy is in the center of the Mediterranean Basin hotspot. Enel Green Power's projects to protect biodiversity Biodiversity protection is one of the strategic goals of Enel's environmental policy, which is committed to achieving No Net Loss of biodiversity for new infrastructure starting from 2030, initiating its adoption in selected projects in areas of high biodiversity importance starting from 2025. At Enel Green Power, in 2022 alone, we carried out more than 120 biodiversity projects focused on conservation, restoration, research and monitoring, in which more than 9,000 hectares of ecosystems were recovered. In particular, agrivoltaic systems, which combine solar energy production with agricultural or livestock activities, make an important contribution to maintaining biodiversity. For example, with agrivoltaics we help provide a safe habitat for bees, which play a key role in pollinating plant species, help ensure about 35% of global food production and are under threat. An example of this approach and ability to create shared value with farmers and beekeepers is our Aurora Solar Park in the United States, which not only produces clean energy but also provides environmental protection and agricultural efficiency. Thanks to the favorable ecosystem promoted by the plant's presence, beekeepers in the surrounding area produce honey that generates value. In Spain, at the Totana plant, we have created an ecological island that is a protected habitat for more than 25 species of birds, while two other solar farms, Los Naranjos and Las Corchas, received the "Excellence in Sustainability" award from the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF) in 2022, in part because of their role in protecting bees. In addition, in the area surrounding the Fuentelsaz wind farm, in order to safeguard the Dupont's lark, an endangered bird species, we have replaced the cultivation of cereals with aromatic plants capable of creating a suitable environment for the expansion of the species. In Colombia, for the past 13 years, the Enel Biodiversa program has brought together our initiatives for the conservation, protection and restoration of the country's biodiversity. Prominent among the program’s 60 projects are the planting of more than 400,000 trees, the identification of more than 500 species of fauna and 200 species of flora, the restoration of ecosystems, and the creation of grids that are safe for wildlife. In addition, a major reforestation project of Colombia's tropical dry forest, affecting as many as 11,000 hectares, is underway in the area of the El Quimbo hydroelectric power plant. In Chile, since 2018, we have participated in a project to protect the huemul deer, an emblematic species of deer native to Chile that is threatened with extinction according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list. The huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) is mainly found in the Ñuble Forest Reserve, near the hydroelectric plants located in the Laja Lagoon. In Fortuna, in western Panama, where we operate a 300-MW hydroelectric power plant, the largest in the country, we participate in an experiment that has been underway since 2001: under an agreement with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, studies are carried out on the local flora and fauna, monitoring the impact of global warming. In addition, each year a number of families are chosen to whom we donate the materials and tools necessary to create a vegetable garden: these families are not only helped to become self-sufficient, they can also sell the surplus in local markets. In Brazil we manage the Enel Shares Biodiversity program, which takes place in 19 power plants, covering 13 biological groups, from flora, fish, aquatic and terrestrial vertebrates, to invertebrates. So far, thanks to the program, 611.45 hectares have been recovered with the planting of Brazilian flora species and the recording of 1,236 species, including 26 threatened and 80 endemic species found in the surrounding area. In addition, in Bahia, near the Delfina wind farm, we worked on a project to repopulate the Indigo Macaw, a very rare parrot now close to extinction. In South Africa, at the Gibson Bay wind farm, we installed special acoustic deterrent sensors that create a barrier effect that protects bats by preventing them from flying too close to the wind turbines. Finally, in Italy, we’ve partnered with Legambiente to manage the environmental education project "Biodiversity4Young", which was launched in 2022. This initiative focuses on the protection and enhancement of biodiversity, including through the Pathways for Transversal Skills and Orientation (PCTO) academic program for students in the last three years of high school, raising their awareness and providing them with useful tools that will help them become active players in their local areas.

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Biodiversity: what it is, why it is important, and how to preserve it

Biodiversity: what it is, why it is important, and how to preserve it