What is biodiversity?
The word “biodiversity” means the variety of all living things. It is formed from two words - “biological” and “diversity”. Biological diversity is shortened to biodiversity.
Blue tits, blue whales, beetles, fish, flowers, trees and millions more different species are part of biodiversity. Woodland, grassland, sand dunes, oceans and a myriad more habitats are part of biodiversity. Humans are part of biodiversity. Even the differences between one person and the next, between one tree and the next are part of biodiversity.
Biodiversity - or wildlife, flora and fauna, the living world… whatever we call it - has evolved over millions of years. Species have evolved closely with habitats to make use of everything they need for their survival - food, water, shelter, protection from becoming something else’s food! Species have adapted to their surroundings and their genetic make-up determines whether or not they may have an advantage if conditions changes (for example, if climate warms up, certain individuals may be better adapted to the new conditions and be more likely to survive).
We rely on biodiversity for our survival. We eat it. We burn it to keep warm and to generate electricity. It cleans our water and the air we breathe. It even helps to regulate our climate.
Over the years, as humans became more and more ingenious in their methods of using the environment for their own benefit, other species and habitats have suffered. We have become extremely efficient at catching fish, clearing areas for farming, building roads and houses to name but a few. We have even begun to alter the climate of the planet we live on.
