Biodiversity is the variety of different types of life found on the Earth and the variations within species. Habitat destruction has played a key role in extinctions. Factors contributing to habitat loss are overconsumption, overpopulation, land use change, deforestation, pollution and global warning or climate change. Rapid environmental changes typically cause mass extinctions. Conservation biology is reforming around strategic plans to protect biodiversity. Preserving global biodiversity is a priority in strategic conservation plans that are designed to engage public policy and concerns affecting local, regional and global scales of communities, ecosystems and cultures.

By studying this module, students will gain knowledge on drivers of biodiversity loss; values of biodiversity; wildlife, fisheries and endangered species; and conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.