{"id":6151,"date":"2026-01-20T09:19:27","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T08:19:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fondazioneuna.org\/news\/cos-e-come-si-tutela-biodiversita\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T20:07:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T18:07:38","slug":"what-is-biodiversity-and-how-do-we-protect-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fondazioneuna.org\/en\/news\/what-is-biodiversity-and-how-do-we-protect-it\/","title":{"rendered":"What is biodiversity and how do we protect it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Biodiversity lies at the heart of today\u2019s environmental policies, but it is also the very condition that makes life on Earth possible.<\/p>\n

As defined by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, biodiversity refers to \u201cthe variety and richness of living forms \u2014 animals, plants, microorganisms \u2014 and the ecosystems they form.\u201d It is an invisible web that connects all natural processes, creating functional relationships within ecosystems that ensure their resilience, help keep them in a good state of conservation, and enable them to provide what are known as ecosystem services.<\/p>\n

This is why, whenever a species disappears or a habitat is degraded, one strand of that web is broken. The natural environment\u2019s ability to regenerate is weakened, along with its capacity to nourish and protect human life.<\/p>\n

Today, biodiversity is therefore centred on one key idea: harmonious coexistence between people, nature and the environment, and between the use of the planet\u2019s resources and their conservation. This relationship is not static. It is constantly evolving and requires continuous attention and responsible ecosystem management, through measures based on data and scientific evidence.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Why biodiversity matters<\/h2>\n

As outlined above, biodiversity is what allows ecosystems to exist and thrive. Every species, even the smallest, has a specific role to play in maintaining this complex system: from oxygen production and the decomposition of organic matter to pollination and the role of predators in regulating prey populations.<\/p>\n

However, when one or more species become overly dominant, or conversely too rare, ecological imbalances can arise and compromise entire habitats. One example is the uncontrolled increase of certain ungulate populations, which in many Italian regions has caused, and continues to cause, damage to forests, crops and smaller wildlife species. Excessive numbers of these animals can undermine the natural regeneration of woodlands, create competition with other herbivores and alter the structure of vegetation in a given area. Over time, these effects contribute significantly to the loss of biodiversity and become especially evident where ecosystems are fragmented and surrounded by a \u201cmatrix\u201d of human-altered environments, such as urban areas or intensive farmland.<\/p>\n

This is why biodiversity protection cannot be understood simply as passive preservation. It requires active ecosystem management based on scientific criteria.<\/p>\n

Nature is a dynamic system, and aiming for an unchanging \u201cnatural balance\u201d is not a viable option. Human beings are an integral part of this system and affect every aspect of it: climate, soils, water and animal populations. When guided by knowledge and responsibility, human intervention can therefore become a valuable resource.<\/p>\n

Within this framework, hunting carried out in accordance with current legislation can, for example, be one of the tools available for managing natural heritage. The aim is not to place people in opposition to nature, but to manage a balance that takes into account as many components of biodiversity as possible.<\/p>\n

The controlled harvesting of certain huntable species, when supported by population surveys and wildlife management plans, can help prevent damage to habitats, reduce conflicts with agricultural activities and promote coexistence among different species.<\/p>\n

Biodiversity is therefore a form of \u201cnatural insurance\u201d: it contributes to the stability and resilience of an ecosystem, enabling it to absorb environmental shocks. Its loss does not concern only the fate of animal and plant species; it can also affect our food security, public health and the quality of life of future generations.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Cosa si sta facendo per salvaguardare la biodiversit\u00e0<\/h2>\n

La salvaguardia della biodiversit\u00e0 richiede azioni a diversi livelli: globale, nazionale e personale. Le strategie pi\u00f9 efficaci sono quelle che integrano politiche di conservazione, pianificazione territoriale e coinvolgimento delle comunit\u00e0.<\/p>\n

A livello intergovernativo esistono diverse organizzazioni internazionali che lavorano per la protezione della biodiversit\u00e0, rappresentando un punto di contatto tra i diversi punti di vista e attori coinvolti. I pi\u00f9 importanti sono:<\/p>\n

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  • l\u2019International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)<\/strong>: la pi\u00f9 grande rete globale di organizzazioni e governi per la conservazione della biodiversit\u00e0, fondata nel 1948. Fondazione UNA \u00e8 membro dell\u2019unione e parte della delegazione italiana dello IUCN dal 2020.<\/li>\n
  • Lo United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)<\/strong>: un\u2019organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite che promuove la tutela dell’ambiente e la sostenibilit\u00e0 attraverso politiche globali e progetti specifici.<\/li>\n
  • L\u2019Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l’Educazione, la Scienza e la Cultura (UNESCO)<\/strong>: che attraverso strumenti come la Convenzione per la Protezione del Patrimonio Mondiale e il Programma “Uomo e Biosfera”, supporta la conservazione e valorizzazione delle aree naturali.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    A livello locale e personale, la custodia della biodiversit\u00e0 si concretizza in attivit\u00e0 quotidiane: monitoraggi, censimenti, pulizia dei boschi, controllo delle specie invasive, creazione di corridoi ecologici, ripristino di habitat naturali. Qui, la comunit\u00e0 venatoria svolge un ruolo essenziale<\/strong>: con la sua presenza capillare sul territorio, pu\u00f2 contribuire alla raccolta di dati scientifici, alla segnalazione di criticit\u00e0 e alla gestione attiva delle popolazioni faunistiche.<\/p>\n

    La salvaguardia, quindi, non \u00e8 un atto isolato, ma un processo condiviso. E per essere efficace, deve basarsi su un principio chiaro: ogni decisione deve poggiare su valutazioni scientifiche, non su ideologie o pregiudizi. \u00c8 solo attraverso la collaborazione tra comunit\u00e0<\/strong> locali, enti di ricerca, istituzioni, agricoltori, ambientalisti e cacciatori che si pu\u00f2 garantire un qualche equilibrio tra necessit\u00e0 della nostra specie e gli ecosistemi.<\/p>\n

    Le azioni di Fondazione UNA per la biodiversit\u00e0<\/h3>\n

    Fondazione UNA rappresenta oggi un punto di riferimento per chi crede in una tutela concreta della biodiversit\u00e0, che si batte per la protezione dell\u2019ambiente e la promozione della sostenibilit\u00e0 su tutto il territorio italiano.<\/p>\n

    La Fondazione promuove progetti che mettono in rete il mondo dell\u2019ambientalismo, quello della cultura agricola e quello venatorio, che collaborano, a fianco di quello scientifico, con l\u2019obiettivo comune di preservare la natura e migliorare la qualit\u00e0 della vita per tutti.<\/p>\n

    Tra le iniziative pi\u00f9 rilevanti vi sono:<\/p>\n