Biodiversity Matters

Scientists use the word biodiversity to describe variation in the living world. The health of our planet depends on its biodiversity of plants and animals. In other words, it’s important to mix things up! The greater the biodiversity present, the healthier the system. 

Biodiversity is a term that can be used to describe biological diversity at a variety of different scales. In this lesson we will focus on species biodiversity, which refers to the interdependence of all the different kinds of plants and animals in a region or area. The loss of one species can have consequences on the whole natural community.

Watch the video below from EARTH A New Wild and look for how the loss of vultures in India had major effects on the rest of the community, including humans.