This note, GEN 3, was originally published in 1995 and authored by Richard Lamb. The note was reviewed in August 2001 and the original paper needed revision and updating. Guy Barnett has re-written the note and updated the information.‘Biodiversity’ is a shortening of the term ‘biological diversity’. There are three main types of biodiversity – genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. Biodiversity includes all the different species and the individual plants, animals and microorganisms in a region, the functions and processes they perform, and the communities that they make up. The conservation of biodiversity is of critical importance to the notion of ecologically sustainable development (ESD). Design professionals must ensure that their actions do not result in a decrease in biodiversity and that they take all possible opportunities to restore and increase biodiversity.
This paper was originally published in 1995 and authored by Richard Lamb. It was reviewed in August 2001 and the original paper revised and updated by Guy Barnett.