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Pak. J. Bot., 44: 137-142, Special Issue May 2012.

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BIODIVERSITY LOSS, EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND IMPACT ON HUMAN AND CROPS

ZABTA K. SHINWARI^1*, SYED ABDULLAH GILANI AND ABDUL LATIF KHAN^2,3

Abstract: We are losing biodiversity through several factors ranging from global warming, climatic change, unsustainable use of natural resources, human settlements, demand for food, medicine etc. Consequently, the biodiversity losses are causing emergence of infectious diseases (EIDs) which are making them more virulent than the past. Both biodiversity loss and emergence of diseases significantly impact the human derived benefits in-terms of economy and food. Ecological stability, productivity and food-web interactions are indirectly correlated with biodiversity and any change in these will cause losses in biodiversity that would certainly influence the human derived benefits and crops. The current article reviews the biodiversity losses and emerging infectious diseases at various levels reported by recent literature which will help in current status of EIDs and future recommendations.

¹Department of Biotechnology, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad Pakistan

²Department of Botany, Kohat University of Science & Technology, Kohat Pakistan

³School of Applied Biosciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea

*Corresponding author’s e-mail: shinwari2008@gmail.com