PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY IN UKRAINE AND THE WORLD: A NECESSARY BASIS FOR STABLE DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION (Zberezhennya bioriznomanittya Ukrayiny i svitu - neodminna osnova stabilnoho rozvytku tsivilizatsiyi)

Definition, evolution and coverage of biodiversity is shown. The significance of biodiversity for the humanity is discussed with reference to the Rio-Janeiro Conference (1992) and the Global Conception of Biodiversity Preservation. The condition of biodiversity in Ukraine and worldwide is shown by use of rich statistical, descriptive and image information: biodiversity worldwide by number of species in main animal classes; increase in biodiversity in geological scale; forest cover on the Earth; primary products of biosphere; photosynthetic activity of the Earth continents, diversity of plants by region of the Earth, loss of species in ecosystems of the Earth continents; locations and concentrations of animal species in Ukraine, included in 'Red Book'; population densities and concentrations of plant species in Ukraine, included in 'Red Book'. Threats to biodiversity in Ukraine, caused by human interference in the nature (intensive ploughing up of lands and use of insecticides) and worldwide (cutting of tropical and subtropical forests) are shown.