What is Biodiversity?


Biodiversity is the abundant variety of life on Earth, our interconnections, and our complexities. Tigers, insects, flowers, and trees. Monkeys, snakes, mushrooms, and bees. Biodiversity is the estimated 10 million plant and animal species that share our planet and the role each plays in nature’s unique design.

Biodiversity means many things
Biodiversity- Nature's Balance

Our planet is made up of delicate systems with complex relationships. Animals and plants have evolved in unison and interact in myriad ways. Ecosystems with healthy populations and a wide variety of plants and animals are self-balancing. Bees and bats pollinate trees and plants, predators control prey, and trees control flooding and moderate our climate. No one animal or plant exists in isolation - not even us.

Nature's Collapse

Removing just one native species, or introducing a non-native one, can have a cascading effect on the surrounding ecosystem. The case of the the wolf in Yellowstone National Park demonstrates how a single species' presence impacts the entire park (the ecosystem). The wolves restored the park's natural order and made it whole again.  They controlled the Elk population which brought back vegetation, the beavers, and freshwater. 

dried up river

Why is Biodiversity Important?


Estimated species living on Earth


Species identified by science


Of species yet to be studied

All Life on Earth Has Value

Scientist estimate that 10 million species live on Earth, yet only about 1.6 million are known to science. This means we have studied less than 1 out of 5 living species, and their unique role on in nature is unknown.  Studied or not, every species that vanishes is a loss for our planet, a loss for humanity.

Biodiversity In The News

Although climate change and biodiversity loss are intricately linked and both have profound implications for humanity, media outlets worldwide have traditionally focused far fewer resources and headlines on reporting about biodiversity loss. To help spread the word about this important crisis, we've curated some of the most compelling news coverage on biodiversity--what it is, how it connects us all, and the important role it plays in sustaining all life on Earth, including our own.

The Guardian

What is biodiversity? And why does it matter?

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Mother Nature Network

5 Reasons why biodiversity is a big deal.

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The Guardian

Biodiversity is the infrastructure that supports all life.

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New York Times

Humans are speeding extinction.

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The Guardian

Let nature heal climate and biodiversity.

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Inter Press Service

Indigenous Peoples Guard 80 Per Cent of World’s Biodiversity

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Saving the diversity of life on Earth is what we do, and so can you!

Join us in saving wildlife and protecting biodiversity around the world!