A diverse array of interconnected living organisms is the foundation of healthy and resilient ecosystems that provide food, shelter and clean air. The loss of a single species can upset the balance.
Biodiversity (from “biological diversity“) refers to the variety of living species and organisms — and their genes — that inhabit a particular area, from microscopic bacteria to small and large animals, from moss to towering trees.
This kaleidoscope of life forms the interconnected backbone of land, marine and freshwater ecosystems. These in turn provide food, medicine and resources, and regulate the clean air, water and climate that sustains life on this planet.
Biodiversity hence supports everything in nature that allows sentient beings, including humans, to survive — and thrive.
Biodiversity changes, evolves and adapts over time. But humans are destroying and threatening habitats that sustain diverse lifeforms and hence rich ecosystems.
With a loss of biodiversity comes species population decline and extinction — and ultimately a loss of the foundation of all life on Earth.