biodiversity

American  

[bahy-oh-di-vur-si-tee, ‑dahy‑] / ˌbaɪ oʊ dɪˈvɜr sɪ ti, ‑daɪ‑ /

noun

1. biological diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment.

   Coral reefs are not just havens for marine biodiversity, they also underpin the economies of many coastal communities.

   Spiraling extinctions will continue diminishing biodiversity for hundreds of years.

---

biodiversity British  

/ ˌbaɪəʊdaɪˈvɜːsɪtɪ /

noun

1. the existence of a wide variety of plant and animal species in their natural environments, which is the aim of conservationists concerned about the indiscriminate destruction of rainforests and other habitats

---

biodiversity Scientific  

/ bī′ō-dĭ-vûr′sĭ-tē /

1. The number, variety, and genetic variation of different organisms found within a specified geographic region.

---

biodiversity Cultural  

1. A term that describes the number of different species that live within a particular ecosystem.

---

Discover More

The preservation of biodiversity is considered by environmentalists to be a major goal of environmental policy.

Etymology

Origin of biodiversity

An Americanism first recorded in 1985–90; bio(logical) ( def. ) + diversity ( def. )

Explanation

When you have a many different plants and animals living in one place, you have biodiversity. The Amazon rain forest is rich in biodiversity. Biodiversity is a shortened form of two words: biological diversity. Biological refers to the study of life forms; diversity means "many" and "different." Construction, pollution, and climate change threaten many different species of plants and animals — these developments threaten biodiversity. Scientists know that the earth's health is related to biodiversity, and one of the main missions of the environmental movement is preserving biodiversity.

Example Sentences

There will be £20m for environmental schemes and reducing emissions, including helping to restore peatlands and biodiversity on its estates.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Similar projects in states including Utah and Washington have significantly reduced wildlife-vehicle collisions and encouraged biodiversity.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

Ecologists measure biodiversity using two main concepts: richness, which describes how many different species are present, and evenness, which measures how uniformly they are distributed.

From Science Daily • May 12, 2026

"Increasing biodiversity not only has beneficial effects on the natural ecosystem - but also on the human populations that share the space," she said.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

The other kids in the class fidgeted, and even Mr. Roberts stopped every so often to dab at his forehead with an off-white handkerchief before continuing to lecture the disinterested, overheated students about biodiversity.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro