Corporate Biodiversity Management
Corporate Biodiversity Management (CBM) is a pragmatic approach to assess, enhance and conserve biodiversity existing within company premises.
Biodiversity
Definition
Biodiversity means variety of life forms. It is represented in form of gardens, meadows, hedges, tree cover, green roofs and water bodies. These provide important permanent or temporary habitats for local plants and animals and help to build a network of habitats resulting into green infrastructure. In addition, biodiversity supported sites offer employees and visitors a place to recreate.
Biodiversity Audit
Biodiversity audit is a tool for estimating the measure of biodiversity existing within and in and around company premises. This will help in generating checklist, indicators, keystone species, flagship species and Biodiversity Index (BI). This will involve all season surveys and monitoring. An account of total species and their population is calculated using Simpson's Diversity Index .
Scope for Biodiversity
Most of the companies that have large factories have many options for biodiversity friendly settings: starting with basic measures such as nesting boxes, deadwood piles and flower beds. Companies can also implement complex measures such as green roofs and open water bodies. You may select suitable measures, depending on your needs, budget and effort. The basic principle is to protect whatever is existing, enhance with further interventions and then conserve.
Importance for Biodiversity
Environmental Values
The environmental value of biodiversity can be found by examining each ecosystem process and identifying the ecosystem services that result. For instance, in wetlands the vegetation captures water- carried sediment and the soil organisms break down a range of nutrients and pollutants washed into the area.
Economical Value
The economic potential of biodiversity is immense in terms of food, fodder, medicinal, ethical and social values. Biodiversity forms the major resource for different industries, which govern the world economy
Social Value
The social value of biodiversity includes aesthetic, recreational, cultural and spiritual values. To this can be added health benefits resulting from recreational and other activities.
Aesthetic Value
Aesthetic surrrounding: Habitats such as flower beds, ponds, woodlands add aesthetic value to the space, changing the infrastructure outlook into more natural settings.
Ecological Value
These are ecosystem services that support human needs and activities such as providing clean air, water and healthy soil.