“生物多样化是世界上最为宝贵的资源，但却为世人所忽视。这是一个战略性的错误。” "Biodiversity is the world's most valuable resource, but the least valued. This is a major strategic error."

    E.O. Wilson, Harvard University

提及生物多样化，这是一个关于“自然界”的现代术语。它的出现是由于这个新术语代表的关于大自然最重要的一个方面，是近几个世纪以来科学家们研究、 调查和分析的结论：自然界物种有着令人惊异的多样性。另外一个惊人的方面在于物种与物种之间以及物种及其周围环境间的相互影响。 The term "biodiversity," short for biological diversity, can be thought of as a modern version of much that is intended by the term "nature." This is because the new term expresses perhaps the most salient fact that scientists have found about nature over centuries of research, investigation and analysis: its stunning diversity. Stunning also is the way this diversity interacts with itself and with its physical environment.

科学家们对于自然的了解越多，他们就越为其品种之繁多、类别之庞杂而惊叹不已。生物界的基本构成要素是物种（类别，在某种程度而言，是更细微的构成）。新物种在发现时（直到现在仍有很多未知物种尚待发掘）就按照其类别、种属被归类，然后再进行细分。该分类法丰富了生态系统里的物种多样性，物种之间有其相似和相异之处。构成生物界的这些物种数量多到难以计数，这不只是因为其数量之庞大，也是因为在进化的过程中不断有新的物种产生。“生物多样化”是为了表现自然界最基本的特征而创的术语。 The more scientists learn about nature, the more impressed they are with its variety, its multiplicity, its diversity. The fundamental elements or atoms of the biological weltanshauung are species (genes are, in a sense, the subatomic particles). Species, as they become known -- many await discovery, even today -- are grouped into genera and families, then into higher levels of classification. To this is added the diversity of ecosystem types, each type in some ways similar to a species and in other ways vastly different. The number of these atoms is literally countless, countless not only because of the incredible size of the number, but also because the number is constantly in motion as new species blink into and other species blink out of existence over time. "Biodiversity" is a term invented to get at this cardinal fact about nature.*

自然界多样性的奇迹同时也带来了由生物多样性所产生的巨大好处和对未来深远的影响。 Along with wonder at nature's diversity comes wonder at the immensity of the benefits this diversity brings now and has the potential to bring in the future.

对于生物多样性的应用有个很重要的后续，也是对于威尔森观点的一个有力支持，即与物质财富相比生物多样性有其独特性（此观点在下面引用的书中有着详尽的阐述）。当证明了生物多样性的某一元素非常有用时，我们可以按我们的意愿进行复制，而过去我们已经发现了如此之多的元素。物质资源虽然极其丰富却缺乏这种特质。生物的财富是可以生长的。而在《未被开采的财富》这一章节中，威尔逊指出如果我们没有先将其扼杀于摇篮之中，可生长的财富其实是可以在大范围的区域里被发现。 Links to extensive analyses of these benefits are found on our Links page, but here we must note there is literally no aspect of human life that cannot be benefited by some aspect of biodiversity. A Director of the UN Food & Agricultural Organization emphasized the benefit to our food resources, more and more important every day as the world's population grows. Another common example is health, new medicines in particular. Biodiversity saves lives. It is a main source of anticancer medicines, for example, when all the drugs derived from it (and even in imitation of it) are taken into account. Many other types of medicine, including those which fight increasingly common drug-resistant strains of major killers, derive from biodiversity. Artemisinin, which fights malaria and which derives from a Chinese herb, is an important example. Benefits to manufacturing and to industry, not generally thought of in this context, are in fact legion, including enzymes, innumerable chemicals, fibers, types of wood and rubber, plastics, oils, lubricants, dyes, fragrances, paper, waxes, poisons, resins - too many to list.

“生物多样化是世界上最为宝贵的资源，但却为世人所忽视。这是一个战略性的错误。” "Biodiversity is the world's most valuable resource, but the least valued. This is a strategic mistake."

同时我们也不应该忘记自然界的生物多样化之美在人类生活中所扮演的重要角色，以及其对艺术乃至哲学方面的启发。 Nor should we forget the role that the beauty of natural diversity plays in human life, nor how it inspires the arts and even philosophy. Per molto variare la natur è bella.

当然，所有的这一切直接取决于对潜在生物多样化资源的保护以及它所包含的众多元素。每一种元素的缺失都意味着失去某方面人类财富的可能性。 All this directly depends, of course, on conservation of the underlying biodiversity resource and the myriad elements of which it consists. Each element lost is a lost opportunity for some form of human enrichment.

生物多样化保护项目是生物多样化研究所的行动项目，也是我们501慈善组织。该项目的建立是为了将已得到证实的生物多样化保护法引进到新的地区，然后将其与已有的网络联系起来，从而实现可能有用的资源共享以及知识和经验的交流互换。生物多样化让所有的参与者都能够加入到自然资源生物多样化的重要议题中，其中包括那些因为信息缺失而被排除在外的少数民族群体。 The BioDiversity Conservancy (BDC) is the action program of The BioDiversity Institute (BDI), our 501(c)(3) charitable organization. BDC has been created to bring proven methods for preserving biodiversity to new lands and then to build bridges linking to the existing network, making possible productive sharing and interchange of knowledge and experience. BDC enables all stakeholders to participate in natural resource biodiversity decisions, including those such as ethnic minorities effectively excluded by lack of information.

该项目所产生的结果是作出更好的决定、政策改革、以及如何更明智地管理和利用土地资源。新的方法同时也意味着对于气候变化的研究和资源的可持续利用。 The results are better decisions, policy reform, more intelligent land management and use. The new methods also have implications for climate change research and sustainable use.

生物多样化项目是一个新事物，但是也已积累了丰富的经验。该项目有丰富的经验积累和强大的智库为后盾，现在主要集中在美国、加拿大及拉丁美洲的部分地区，迄今为止已经有四十年的历史。现在生物多样化项目开始在亚洲进行，我们在中国和中亚地区对当地的语言、文化和环境等方面展开了初步的探索。 BDC is new, yet vastly experienced. It builds on a tremendous reservoir of experience and talent currently centered in the US, Canada and parts of Latin America, a reservoir which has been increasing for four decades now. BDC is starting its new journey by traveling to Asia, taking its first steps in exploring the languages, cultures, and environments of China and Central Asia.

但是生物多样化所采用方法是全球共通的。 But the methods BDC brings with it are of universal application.

和其他任何组织一样，当然，生物多样化组织的目标将经费投入到最需要的地方。 我们希望通过这个网站可以激发那些关心生物多样化存亡的人们的关注（这实实在在地关乎着生命的存亡），保护生物多样性有利于生物多样化组织帮助那些在参与过程中受益于新方法、新知识、新渠道、新观念和新手段的人们 Like any other organization, of course, BDC's goals have to be brought into line with the budget in fact available to it. The hope is that this website will stimulate those a interested in the vital -- literally vital -- matter of biodiversity preservation to help BDC help those who will benefit from new methods, new knowledge, new bridges, new outlooks, new instruments for participation.

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Grants from foundations and other organizations are needed to sustain our major biodiversity goals. But individuals can provide useful support. Please contact us at [email protected] if you want to donate. All are tax deductible. The ID number for us is 65-0564353, the number assigned by the IRS to our parent organization, BioDiversity Institute, BDI. All proceeds come here, as we are the "action project" of BDI.     

* We like to emphasize that "biodiversity" is the words "biological" and "diversity" put together and that both are important: that's why in our name, at least, we capitalize the D in the middle: The BioDiversity Conservancy and BioDiversity Institute. (Be aware that the feds have a tendency to mix things up. There we are Bio Diversity Institute, with a space between Bio and Diversity. Try changing a mistake like that!)

@ The headquote from E.O. Wilson is from his book, The Diversity of Life (1992).

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Our mascot owl is named Eye-On-Bio, helping our methodology keep an eye on biodiversity. 

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"Biodiversity is the key to ending world hunger."

    Jacques Diouf, Director, UN Food & Agricultural Organization

"'Darwin would be simply appalled by what humanity had done to the richness and diversity of natural life,' said Randal Keynes, one of Darwin's great-great-grandsons . . . . 'He would be in the lead of campaigning on the preservation of biodiversity.'"

    The Guardian, Nov. 2009

"To me, the (destruction) of an animal species is a criminal offence, in the same way as the destruction of anything we cannot recreate or replace, such as a Rembrandt, or the Acropolis."

    Gerald Durrell, A Zoo in My Luggage 1960