Biodiversity-Strategy-January-2023

10 3.0 Biodiversity - An Introduction Biodiversity encompasses the whole variety of life on Earth. It includes all species of plants, fungi, animals, their genetic variation and the complex ecosystems of which they are part. It is not restricted to rare or threatened species, but includes the whole of the natural world, from the commonplace to the critically endangered (DAERA, 2021). Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) supports a wide range of ecosystems, from those relatively undisturbed in character to ecosystems intensively managed and modified by humans, such as agricultural land and urban areas. Biodiversity is fundamental to both planet and people. In addition to its key importance, biodiversity also provides a host of services and functions that bring value to our lives, including: • Provision of food, water, timber and fibre (provisioning services) . • Helping to regulate climate change, floods, disease, waste and water quality (regulating services) . • Providing recreational, aesthetic and cultural benefits (cultural services). • Supporting soil formation, pollination, photosynthesis, and nutrient cycling (supporting services) . These free Ecosystem Services are often taken for granted and are simply defined in the UK National Ecosystem Assessment. “Ecosystem services are the benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making human life both possible and worth living” (UK National Ecosystem Assessment, 2011) 1 The concept of valuing biodiversity through the ecosystem services it provides, emphasises its importance to economic, social and environmental sectors of society. The finite nature of biodiversity means that its resources must be used and managed in a sustainable way. This makes biodiversity a vital indicator of the success of sustainable development. 1 UK National Ecosystem Assessment (2011) The UK National Ecosystem Assessment: Synthesis of the Key Findings . UNEP-WCMC, Cambridge. Ecosystem Services Diagram by UK National Ecosystem Assessment.