Download Nature and Wildlife in Roscommon - The Heritage Council

Roadside and townland boundary hedges in County Roscommon were found to contain a greater diversity of native shrub species
than other hedges. This is due to earlier establishment in the landscape as many roads date back to before the period of land enclosure.
Inset Photo by John Earley
Why Biodiversity is so importaNt
Biodiversity supports life on earth. We depend on
biodiversity for most of our basic needs: food, water,
air, fuel, medicines and building materials. Biodiversity
provides us with natural amenities, places to walk, play,
relax and recuperate, as well as a healthy environment in
which to live. Our quality of life depends to a large extent
on biodiversity.
The value of biodiversity for people can be best
explained by thinking of it as providing some essential
‘goods and services’.
Of course, nature and the natural world also have their
own intrinsic value. We can all play a role in protecting
biodiversity now and for future generations.
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Biodiversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity
(CBD) defines ‘Biological Diversity’ as ‘The
variability among living organisms from
all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial,
marine and other aquatic ecosystems
and the ecological complexes of which
they are part; this includes diversity
within species, between species and of
ecosystems’. Therefore biodiversity refers
not only to the variety of life but also to
the interactions between living things,
and it can be considered at three levels,
ecosystem diversity, species diversity and
genetic diversity within species.
www.cbd.int