Scientists as Advocates: “Biodiversity,” Its Origins and Legacy

The terms “biodiversity” and “biological diversity” were first promoted at a 1986 National Forum on BioDiversity.  They have since become ubiquitous in the scientific, environmental, and conservation literatures.  Despite the new awareness of the “biodiversity crisis” this approach to nature meant to foster, however, studies show that species and habitat loss not only continue, but have increased in rate.  Thus this poster, which is part of a larger project, retrospectively presents the intentions of the proponents of “biodiversity” in 1986, to analyze its use in scientific disciplines today, and determine whether or not, given the challenges of the 21^st century, “biodiversity” is an appropriate and useful framework from which to approach the natural world.  In what ways and to what extent were forum participants successful in raising awareness?  To what extent did setting aside their roles of impartial observers of the natural world in order to become advocates for a particular view pay off?  The forum sought to effect policy and public sentiment to stem the tide of this loss in the natural world.  Did it?  An analysis of the written work of the forum participants and the use of the terms in the biological sciences mark one level of success for this approach, but the continued habitat loss and the level of public understanding suggest that the “biodiversity” approach did not have its intended level of success.