Figure 3-2-3 By-Country Net Change in Global Forest Area (2000 – 2010)

Category | Amount of net change (%) Countries in which forests declined by 300 thousand hectares or more | 10 Countries in which forests declined by 50 thousand hectares or more | 10 Countries in which forests declined by 100 thousand hectares or more | 10 Countries in which forests increased by 50 thousand hectares or more | 10 Countries in which forests increased by 100 thousand hectares or more | 10 Countries in which forests increased by 200 thousand hectares or more | 10 Countries in which forests increased by 300 thousand hectares or more | 10

Source: The Geographical Survey Institute's "Global Map–Percent Tree Cover"

called Cerrado occupies approximately one-fifth of Brazil's national land, and it is known as a region of rich biodiversity because it has many unique species of plants. In recent years, however, development of agricultural land has been proceeding rapidly to become one of the world's leading food production bases. In the period from 2002 to 2008 approximately $ 14,000 km^{2} $ of Cerrado disappeared each year, and half of it has already been changed into agricultural land and pastures. It is said that conversion to agricultural land for growing soybeans and other uses is still continuing at present. It is feared that future world population growth, improvements in people's daily lives in developing countries, and the resulting tightness of supply and demand for food will lead to even further loss of forests.

A trend of loss of biodiversity can also be seen from the perspective of ecosystem services. For example, fishing resources are biological living resources that support our daily lives, but in recent years they are in a state in which there are concerns about over-use. The world's amount of fishing production has been continuing to increase since 1950 (Figure 3-2-4: World Capture Fisheries and Agriculture Production), but as for use of fishing resources on the other hand, in 2006 approximately 60% were resources that "are being used sufficiently" and 20% are resources that are "being excessively developed, depleted or in the process of recovering from a state of depletion" (Figure 3-2-5: Shifts in the State of the World's Ocean Fishing Resources). Further, as for the genetic diversity of domesticated animals, cultivated plants, and fish species, GBO3 pointed out that "it is likely that genetic diversity of cultivated plants is declining," and there are concerns about declines in ecosystem services.

Thus, worldwide loss of biodiversity continues unabatedly on the various levels of ecosystems, species, and genes, and it is having an impact on ecosystem services. What will happen if that loss continues from

Figure 3-2-5 Global Trends in the State of World Marine Stocks

now on? GBO3 warns that if the Earth’s system pushes beyond a certain tipping point, the risks of a dramatic biodiversity loss and the subsequent deterioration of a wide range of ecosystem services will increase. There is a theory that in the past Easter Island, which is in the southeast part of the Pacific Ocean, went through a tragic process because of population increase and destruction of the limited environment on the island, and its civilization was destroyed. Although the limits of energy resources, mainly fossil fuels, and mineral resources have been known for some time, unless we also use ecosystem services such as food supply and climate adjustment in a sustainable manner, we might this time reproduce a history of cultural destruction similar to that of Easter Island on a global scale. In order to keep the Earth from surpassing its tipping point due to dramatic biodiversity loss, we must steadily proceed with efforts for underlying factors such as loss and deterioration of habitats and economic activities. At COP10, post-2010 targets (the Aichi Biodiversity Targets) were adopted as global targets related to biodiversity to be reached by 2020. At the United Nations General Assembly held in December of last year, it was decided to make the period from 2011 to 2020 the “United Nations Decade on Biodiversity.” It can be said that efforts made between 2010 and 2020 aimed at conservation and restoration of biodiversity will be the keys to whether or not the Earth surpasses its tipping point.