Why Biodiversity Loss Matters and What Harvard Is Doing About It

Why It Matters

Biodiversity loss threatens the ecosystem services that underpin economies and public health; Harvard’s coordinated research and restoration program provides actionable data and models to reverse that trend and guide sustainable investment.

Key Takeaways

• Biodiversity underpins essential ecosystem services for human survival.
• Diverse forests are more productive, resilient, and carbon‑sequestering.
• Harvard launches a university‑wide Biodiversity and Planetary Stewardship Initiative.
• Remote‑sensing models can detect tree stress before visual symptoms appear.
• Restoration projects worldwide show promising biodiversity recovery and climate benefits.

Summary

The video, presented by Harvard University Herbaria director Jeannine Cavender‑Bares, frames biodiversity as the foundation of life‑supporting services—from oxygen production and nutrient cycling to clean water and medicinal resources. It announces the launch of Harvard’s Biodiversity and Planetary Stewardship Initiative, a cross‑disciplinary effort that unites botanists, ecologists, urban designers, and policy scholars to map, protect, and restore Earth’s living variety. Key insights highlight how species diversity amplifies ecosystem productivity and resilience: mixed‑species forests capture more sunlight, store carbon longer, and better withstand pests and climate stress. The speaker cites cutting‑edge remote‑sensing work that uses short‑wave infrared signatures to flag unhealthy trees before visual symptoms emerge, and stresses that loss of endemic species in tropical islands or cold‑region lineages erodes entire evolutionary branches. Illustrative examples range from the Quabbin Reservoir’s forested watershed filtering drinking water to the 400‑plus oak species that stabilize soils and improve air quality. Success stories include New England’s forest recovery after historic land‑use change, Brazil’s Re.Green project turning abandoned farms into thriving Atlantic and Amazon rainforests, and similar restoration momentum in the U.S. Midwest and eastern China. The initiative’s dynamic biodiversity mapping center will provide real‑time data to guide conservation priorities and assess stewardship outcomes. The broader implication is clear: safeguarding biodiversity is not a charitable add‑on but a strategic economic imperative. By quantifying ecosystem services, informing evidence‑based policy, and deploying scalable restoration models, Harvard’s effort offers a template for governments and corporations seeking to mitigate climate risk, secure supply chains, and meet emerging ESG expectations.

Original Description

Biodiversity is the variety of all living things on our planet. Diversity within and among species provides resilience and the ability to adapt.

Today, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change are weakening biodiversity.

The new Harvard University Biodiversity Initiative for Planetary Stewardship (HUBS) is Harvard’s response. HUBS is a university-wide effort, anchored at the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, to generate the evidence, tools, and talent needed to protect and restore nature at scale.

Follow the Salata Institute and stay tuned for more information about Harvard’s work in this important area.