biodiversity
by-oh-dy-VER-sih-tee
/ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɜːrsəti/
The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat.
Measures genetic, species, and ecosystem variation within a region.
The story behind the word. Contracted from 'biological diversity' during the National Forum on BioDiversity held in Washington D.C. in 1986, coined by Walter G. Rosen.
Word relationships
- biological diversity: Biological diversity is the un-contracted, formal full expression of the same concept.
- monoculture: Monoculture is the cultivation of a single crop or species without biological variation.
Commonly confused with
- biomass: Biodiversity refers to species variety, while biomass refers to the total physical weight/amount of living organisms.
Word family
- biodiverse (adjective): Containing a wide variety of species.
Collocations
- biodiversity loss
- preserve biodiversity
- rich biodiversity
- biodiversity hotspot
Example sentences
- "Preserving rain forests is essential to safeguard global biodiversity from irreversible decline." Conservation policy
Memory hook
BIO (life) + DIVERSITY (variety) = variety of life. Nature's variety pack.
When not to use
Do not use to describe a single species population size; it requires variation across multiple species or genes.
Fun facts
- Tropical rainforests cover less than 10% of Earth's land surface but house over 50% of its terrestrial biodiversity.
Explore more words
Also appears in
- Technology → Ecology & Climate Science
- Nature → Environmental Conservation
- Nature → Biodiversity & Species Conservation
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Deforestation & Habitat Loss
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Sustainable Agriculture & Farming
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Marine Ecology
- Environmental Policy & Sustainability Economics → Eco-Tourism & Travel
- Food Science & Culinary Craft → Organic Farming Practices
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