In examining any loss of biodiversity, the two main issues that arise are: A) a loss of ecosystem services from a given area, and B) loss of usable potential of flora and/or fauna lost. These are basic instrumental values that are measurable (theoretically at least) in dollars and cents. Many would also argue the intrinsic value - aesthetics, etc. - irrespective of the ability to assign a cash equivalent.

As far as a "display" a relevant theme would be the pharmaceutical industry which owes the majority of its origins to biodiversity; from the advent of penicillin (from a fungus) to many recent cancer fighting pharmaceuticals. The entire group of powerful antibiotics ending in "-mycin" come from varieties of filamentous bacteria known as actinomycetes. As point in fact, the large majority of all pharmaceuticals derive from botanical or animal origins.

If "I" were to pick three zones I think the obvious first choice would be Amazonia as it is well-studied in this regard. The human expansion into the Amazon is due in large part as a means to alleviate crowding and the growth of slums in urban areas such as Sao Paolo, etc. by giving land to the poor so they might settle and achieve a subsistence lifestyle. Larger areas have been cleared for row-crop agriculture and timber, while other zones have been explored for mineral exploration - particularly gold-mining. This has caused fragmentation of ecoregions, as well introduction of non-native species along the roadways. This change from rainforest to farmland has caused a gneral decrease in humidity of the region - and a general drying out of the remaining rainforest, leading to substantial forest fires.

Another would be Madagascar. The isolation of the island from the African continent has led to the development of many very unique endemic species. This island nation is unique in many respects and extinctions due to humans is one of them. Here we have a long history of slash and burn agriculture fragmenting biomes as well as the extinction of many animal species when humans came to the island some 2500 years ago. Climate change is also affecting this island substantially.

Australia would be my third. Again, the isolation has lead to unique life forms found nowhere else. That and the introduction of invasive species such as the marine toad and the common rabbit has wreaked ecological havoc across the entirety of the continent.

To the question of cultural repercussions, certainly the indigenous peoples of the Amazon Basin and the Aborigines of Australia have both been impacted by loss of wildlife habitat, as well as the encroachment of more "advanced" peoples and the subsequent displacement from their lands. Native peoples such as these are very susceptible to losses of familiar lands as they are particularly tied to natural cycles they are familiar with. As to "estimates" of impact....this is hard to gauge (and hard to define as well.) As these peoples have declined significantly since contact with "modern" peoples for various reason, to ascribe a "percent" due to loss of biodiversity is all but impossible. However, these issues are part and parcel of the larger issues that impinge on their lives.

Moving to the ocean environment. The obvious choice is to focus on reef zones. It seems that the tropics in general (reefs and rainforests) are where attention is focused with respect to these concerns. This is due, in no small part, to the facts that; they are the most biodiverse, and that may lie in or adjacent to developing nations. Developing nations tend to suffer ecologically as their natural resources are the only wealth they have. Often this is timber, or mineral resources that require the invasion and degradation of rainforest areas.

Anyway, back to the reefs. Reef lie almost exclusively in near-shore environments. In these recent years we are seeing a number of things impacts species richness in these environs. One is siltation from the shore. Construction and agriculture increase the load of sediments to the nearshore waters. Silt on the reef blocks sunlight and leads to death of the coral polyps. Also, collection of coral for sale (to aquarium suppliers, etc.) is a business that affects the net biodiversity as it is the "rare" corals that fetch the most income.

There is also widespread "bleaching" in some areas of coral. In part it may be due to sea-level rise, silt, warming and/or other factors yet-to-be identified. As to what to do to save reef environments....there is a "25 things" link below. Mostly common sense stuff. Another area of concern in the ocean environment is marine fisheries. All are overfished and many food species are mildly endangered at least.

general issues

http://www.globalissues.org/EnvIssues/Biodiversity/WhoCares.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity

http://news.mongabay.com/2006/0330-stri.html

http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/~sustain/bio65/Titlpage.htm#Table%20of%20contents

excellent launching spot - hypertext book on biodiversity

http://www.actionbioscience.org/biodiversity/plotkin.html

(Interview regarding the pharmaceutical potentials of biodiversity)

http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/

another in the same light, but with more technical details

http://www.netsci.org/Science/Special/feature11.html

http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/biodiv/benefits.htm

(This link details a bit on the value of biodiversity)

South Africa

http://www.sustainablesettlement.co.za/issues/biodiversity.html

Australia / NZ

http://www.amonline.net.au/biodiversity/happening/species.htm

(Links out to biodiversity museum)

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/314/5800/787

http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/

invasive species

http://science.uniserve.edu.au/school/sciweek/biodiv.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bush_tucker

makes mention of the impacts on Aborginal peoples

http://www.crystalinks.com/aboriginals.html

anther similar theme noting displacment of Aborigenes

Amazonia

http://www.planeta.com/planeta/98/0298amazon.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazonia

http://library.thinkquest.org/20248/inicio.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/12/051205163236.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_peoples_in_Brazil

gen info on amazon indigenous peoples and outlinks

http://rainforests.mongabay.com/amazon/amazon_people.html

http://www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/67/Brazil2.html

clean energy threatens amazon (Xingu) people

Madagascar

http://www.conservation.org/xp/frontlines/protectedareas/06030501.xml

while a great ref in and of itself, it also has useful links at bottom

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecoregions_of_Madagascar

Oceans

http://www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.aspx?pkey=1513

http://tinyurl.com/ymvo2x

reefs specifically

http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/biodiv/coral.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_reef

http://tinyurl.com/ykw2j6

http://www.starfish.ch/reef/hotspots.html Good site to pick a reef zone on a map

http://www.marinebiology.org/coralbleaching.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_bleaching

http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/25list.html

25 things you can do to save a reef

http://www.coralreefalliance.org/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/10/tech/main679316.shtml

http://www.dbc.uci.edu/~sustain/bio65/lec07/b65lec07.htm

overfishing

http://www.fisherycrisis.com/

more overfishing issues

might also look in your local library for a couple of these titles: http://tinyurl.com/ye6mhk