B.C. Ministry of Forests Forest Science Program
			Abstract for Bro15

		Approaches To Maintaining Biological Diversity in British Columbia's Forests
		Branch: Research
		Author(s): Ministry of Forests, Environment Canada
		Subject: Biodiversity
		Series: Brochure
		Other details: Published 1997. Funding for the Internet provided by Forest Renewal BC

Abstract

What is biological diversity?

Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is the full variety of life — the breadth of the gene pool, the richness of species, the array of ecosystems and the processes that maintain this variety.

Why maintain biodiversity?

By maintaining biodiversity we:

• enable existing ecosystems to withstand environmental changes,
• allow new resources to develop,
• preserve B.C.'s natural wealth of living organisms for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.

This pamphlet outlines approaches to maintaining biodiversity in managed forests by maintaining habitat patterns and attributes. The focus is on managing habitats because it is not possible to manage for all species individually. Such approaches can also:

• provide habitat for organisms such as fungi, bacteria and invertebrates,
• maintain diverse gene pools,
• maintain the processes that support biodiversity and healthy ecosystems.

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