Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of living things in an area, which makes ecosystems more stable and resilient.
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Play with the controls to see the idea in action.
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Biodiversity is the variety of living things in an area, which makes ecosystems more stable and resilient.
- Includes genes, species and habitats
- Tropical rainforests have the most
- Loss of biodiversity harms humans too
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Biodiversity?
Within Earth & Environmental Science, which covers our planet, its resources and ecosystems, and how people can protect the environment, this topic explains Biodiversity. Earth and environment topics show how the planet’s systems shape landscapes, climate and life, with models that make these processes visible.
Check that you can explain Biodiversity in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Biodiversity helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
Biodiversity in detail
Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, including the variety of species, genetic differences within species and the variety of ecosystems. Tropical rainforests and coral reefs have very high biodiversity, while polar regions have less. Millions of species exist, and many are not yet discovered.
High biodiversity makes ecosystems more resilient to change, supports services such as pollination, soil fertility and clean water, and provides food, medicines and materials. It also has cultural and ethical value. Biodiversity is measured by counting species and using indexes. It is declining rapidly because of human actions.
How the interactive helps you understand Biodiversity
Watch the population model in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the population model responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Biodiversity.
Real-life uses and examples
- Link Biodiversity to a real environmental problem and a possible solution.
- Use a diagram of Biodiversity to describe the steps of a process in order.
- Discuss how human activity changes Biodiversity, using a named example.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Presenting one cause as the only cause of an environmental change.
- Describing a process without the timescale it works over.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Biodiversity
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is the variety of living things in an area, which makes ecosystems more stable and resilient.
What are the most important points about Biodiversity?
The main points are: Includes genes, species and habitats; Tropical rainforests have the most; Loss of biodiversity harms humans too.
Why is Biodiversity useful?
Understanding Biodiversity helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
How can I practise Biodiversity?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Biodiversity?
Related topics in Earth & Environmental Science include Tropical Rainforests, Polar Regions and Ice, Natural Resources.