Biodiversity loss is increasingly threatening the planet's ability to provide humans with life's essentials, says a team of international ecologists.

In a consensus statement published Wednesday in the journal Nature, the 17 researchers also called for more actions to prevent further losses of species.

The team reached its conclusion after combing more than 1,000 ecological studies conducted since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, in which the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was opened for signature.

"We've reached a point where efforts to preserve species and biological diversity might no longer be an act of altruism," said Diane Srivastava, one of the authors of the paper and also a professor from University of British Columbia.

Biodiversity is of great significance in that it helps, among many others, increase the production of commercial crops and resist invasion by exotic plants and plant pathogens, according to the study.

Experts agree that the loss of such diversity would be harmful to the world's ecosystems, said Bradley Cardinale, leader of the research and an associate professor at University of Michigan.

It might also harm mankind by reducing ecosystem services that are essential to human health and prosperity, he added.

"We need to take biodiversity loss far more seriously -- from individuals to international governing bodies -- and take greater action to prevent further losses of species," Cardinale stressed.

The appeal was published as international leaders are preparing to gather in Rio de Janeiro on June 20 for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as the Rio+20 Conference.

Till now the CBD has been endorsed by 193 signatory parties.