A Course on Biodiversity

Abstract

This course is divided into 6 parts: 

I. Definition (genetic diversity, species diversity, ecological diversity, speciation, extinction and the birth-death model, background extinction rate, mass extinction, biodiversity hotspot) 

II. Ecosystem functions and services (definition, natural capital, pollination service, food and feed service) 

III. Biodiversity threats and risks (habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, theory of island biogeography, species area relationship, species distribution, endemics-area curve, forest loss, invasive species, types of biodiversity pollution, dose-response relationship, air quality standards, cost of pollution, overexploitation in aquatic systems, overexploitation in tropical forests, freshwater, mathematical models of population and resource ecology with harvesting, climate change) 

IV. Biodiversity measurement (essential biodiversity variables, MSA, PDF, BII, STAR, commercial solutions) 

V. Biodiversity governance and regulation (Convention of Biodiversity CBD, Aichi targets, Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework GBF, IPBES, TNFD) 

VI. Investment approaches (Financial instruments, avoid-minimize-restore-offset approach, impact investing) 

In addition, four exercises and their solutions have been added. The four exercises are (1) Calculating the prevalence of undernourishment, (2) Calculating the species-area relationship using the theory of island biogeography, (3) Species abundance models, and (4) Valuation of risks of life and health.

Keywords: Biodiversity, species, ecosystem, natural capital, pollination, food security, habitat degradation, invasive species, pollution, overexploitation, biodiversity measurement, Convention on Biodiversity, TNFD, mitigation hierarchy

JEL Classification: Q1, O1, I1, G11, Q01