BIODIVERSITY BIOLOGY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Biological diversity, or the shorter "biodiversity," (bio-di-ver-si-ty) simply means the diversity, or variety, of plants and animals and other living things in a particular area or region. For instance, the species that inhabit Los Angeles are different from those in San Francisco, and desert plants and animals have different characteristics and needs than those in the mountains, even though some of the same species can be found in all of those areas.

Biodiversity also means the number, or abundance of different species living within a particular region. Scientists sometimes refer to the biodiversity of an ecosystem, a natural area made up of a community of plants, animals, and other living things in a particular physical and chemical environment.

In practice, "biodiversity" suggests sustaining the diversity of species in each ecosystem as we plan human activities that affect the use of the land and natural resources.

Why is biodiversity important?