Q. Optional use values of biodiversity?
Optional values are associated with potential use in the future. Accordingly one opts to conserve biodiversity based on the hope that it could be used directly or indirectly in the future, perhaps as a source of genetic material, for pharmaceuticals, crop enhancement, etc. There are many indications that some societies or people are willing to pay an additional sum, over and above what a future use value of a biological resource in worth, in order to guarantee the future access to the resource. For example, when species go extinct their potential is never discovered and we may have lost that very thing that is essential to save millions of lives, enhance food production or provide the ability to resist future diseases and pest attacks. But once lost, these resources will remain unknown and undiscovered forever.
This consideration necessitates leaving our options open to have access to certain gene pools that may be of use in the future, especially in the face of climate change, as maximum genetic diversity promoted maximum flexibility of species and ecosystems to respond to changes in climate.