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.

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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

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biodiversity Scientific  

/ bī′ō-dĭ-vûr′sĭ-tē /

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

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biodiversity Cultural  

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

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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

Institutions such as the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum preserve specimens for decades, allowing new insights to emerge as scientific understanding evolves.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

Eventually Mr. Rosolie and his colleagues open up the Las Piedras Biodiversity Station to visitors and take them on multiweek adventures they can get nowhere else.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 29, 2026

Biodiversity Net Gain, which requires developments in England to increase biodiversity by 10%, has been in place for less than two years.

From BBC • Dec. 16, 2025

They cost local economies a total of $423 billion, according to a 2023 report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services -- equivalent to the entire GDP of Denmark.

From Barron's • Nov. 12, 2025

Biodiversity also means the pasture is green almost all year long.

From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan