Join Siobhan Fennessy, professor of biology and the Philip and Sheila Jordan Professor in Environmental Studies, for an all-campus seminar as part of the Commencement Weekend schedule of events. The talk will take place in the Community Foundation Theater in the lower level of the Gund Gallery.
Summary: Recent work by the UN’s Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) details the critical relationship between biodiversity, ecosystems, and the ability of nature to contribute to human well-being. That relationship is threatened by the loss of both species and intact ecosystems, including wetlands and other surface waters. The result is the loss of the benefits that wetlands provide to water supplies, climate regulation, and adaptation to hazardous and extreme events, and a 50% decline in the freshwater supply per person. Despite that, there is cause for optimism; efforts to protect freshwater, and programs to restore wetlands and watersheds can reverse the loss of biodiversity and restore the ecosystem services they provide.