Consequences of changing biodiversity

Human alteration of the global environment has triggered the sixth major ex tinction event in the history of life and caused widespread changes in the global distribution of organisms. These changes in biodiversity alter ecosy stem processes and change the resilience of ecosystems to environmental cha nge. This has profound consequences for services that humans derive from ec osystems. The large ecological and societal consequences of changing biodiv ersity should be minimized to preserve options for future solutions to glob al environmental problems.