Biodiversity is the abundance and variety of living things on Earth. It’s found everywhere, from microbes and fungi to trees and whales. And it’s crucial to our survival. Without biodiversity, we wouldn’t have food, medicines, or other natural resources essential to life. Biodiversity also provides beauty, recreational opportunities, and cultural value, enriching our lives.
The Air We Breathe
Many of the species we value for their beauty, medicinal properties, and food depend on biodiversity for survival. Whether it’s the dozens of wildflowers in a single field or the bees pollinating those flowers, genetic diversity is important to a species’ resilience. Without a wide variety of seeds, plants and animals, the species that survive will be more vulnerable to environmental stressors like disease or climate change.
In addition, biodiversity is a key part of the global carbon cycle. As a result, preserving biodiversity can help limit climate change by sequestering carbon in the soil and vegetation.
Human Well-being
The world’s wildlife is more than just a natural wonder, it’s an economic powerhouse and a source of food and livelihoods for billions of people. In fact, it is estimated that nature contributes 40% to the global economy and up to 80% for poor nations. Yet biodiversity is under threat around the world, from habitat loss to overfishing and climate change. Even iconic biodiversity hotspots, such as the Amazon rainforest and Yellowstone National Park, are losing species.