# Biodiversity crisis threatens human survival

> Nature's collapse risks food, medicine, and coastal safety.
- Title: Biodiversity crisis threatens human survival · Dw | Shortify
- Summary: Nature's collapse risks food, medicine, and coastal safety. Biodiversity loss endangers food production, medicines, and coastal protection as ecosystems…
- Keywords: biodiversity, ecosystem services, pollinators, keystone species, oyster, living planet report, coping with extinction, climate change, food security, water filtration, medicines, coastal protection
- Source: Dw — https://dw.com/en/what-earth-s-sixth-mass-extinction-event-means-for-humans/a-79680410?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: biodiversity, ecosystem services, pollinators, keystone species, oyster, living planet report, coping with extinction, climate change, food security, water filtration, medicines, coastal protection
## Biodiversity's role in human life
Biodiversity supports food, water, and air through ecosystem services.
## Rapid biodiversity decline
Monitored vertebrate populations have collapsed 73% in 52 years.
## Water filtration loss
85% of wetlands disappeared between 1700 and 2000.
## Pollinator decline
75% of global food crops rely on animal pollination.
## Climate change impact
Soil degradation and heat waves damage food harvests globally.
## Medicines from nature
50% of medicines come from natural compounds.
## Keystone species
Oysters filter 50 gallons of water daily and protect coastlines.
## Lyme disease link
Red fox decline linked to Lyme disease spread.
## Sixth mass extinction
Earth faces sixth mass extinction driven by human activity.
## Recovery examples
Green sea turtles and sea otters show ecosystem recovery.
## Global action needed
200 countries meet at COP17 to reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
## Key takeaway

Biodiversity loss endangers food production, medicines, and coastal protection as ecosystems unravel.