What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life, that is the variety of species of plants and animals.

The health of an ecosystem is dependent on the extent of biodiversity or variety of species living within it. Ecosystems with robust biodiversity, that is, a great variety of species of plants and animals tend to be more resilient having a greater ability to recover when exposed to adversity, such as diseases or severe storms.

 Robust biodiversity is essential for the functioning of the ecosystems that provide vital resources such as food, water, fuel, building material and traditional medicines for millions of people.