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biodiversity

bye-oh-dy-VER-suh-tee /ˌbaɪoʊdaɪˈvɜːrsəti/

nounB2IELTSTOEFLSATGRE

academic

The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Refers to structural richness across three levels: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

The story behind the word. The term was contracted from 'biological diversity' during the planning for the 1986 National Forum on BioDiversity, organized by scientist Walter G. Rosen. It was coined as a catchy buzzword to grab political attention for conservation causes.

Word relationships

biological diversity: The un-shortened formal scientific term for biodiversity.
species richness: 'Species richness' counts only the number of different species, whereas 'biodiversity' includes genetic and ecosystem variations as well.

monoculture: The cultivation or presence of a single crop or species in a given area.

Commonly confused with

ecology: 'Ecology' is the study of relationships between organisms, whereas 'biodiversity' is the measure of life's variety itself.

Word family

biodiverse (adjective): Containing a wide variety of plant and animal species.

Collocations

loss of biodiversity
rich biodiversity
protect biodiversity
biodiversity hotspot

Example sentences

"Tropical rainforests cover less than seven percent of Earth's land surface but harbor more than half of its terrestrial biodiversity." Tropical Conservation
"Monoculture farming drastically reduces agricultural biodiversity, making crop systems vulnerable to catastrophic pest outbreaks." Agricultural Risk

Memory hook

BIO (life) + DIVERSITY (variety) = The endless variety of living things. Life's full spice menu.

When not to use

Do not use to describe the sheer population size of a single species; it requires multiple distinct species or genetic variations.

Fun facts

The word 'biodiversity' was coined in 1985; before that, scientists used the lengthier phrase 'biological diversity'.