13.10.2016 | Research

Value of Biodiversity for commercial Forest Production is up to five times higher than total Costs of Conservation

Also data from the National park Hainich were part of the current study by the Global Forest Biodiversity Initiative (GFBI). Photo: Tilo Arnhold, iDiv

Note for the media: Use of the pictures provided by iDiv is permitted for reports related to this media release only, and under the condition that credit is given to the picture originator.

Washington/Halle (Saale). A continued biodiversity loss would result in an accelerating decline in forest productivity worldwide with dramatic economic consequences. According a current study the loss would be between US$ 13 and 23 billion per year. The value of biodiversity in maintaining commercial forest productivity alone was estimated to be up to half a trillion US$ per year. The global study used data from forests worldwide and was made by 80 scientists – including two iDiv members of Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) und the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (MPI-BGC) in Jena. The results are published in the current issue of SCIENCE. Read more in German or in the press release of the West Virginia University .

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