Biodiversity Definition: Variety of Life Explained

Meaning 1：variety of life (biodiversity)

biodiversity 🔊

/ˌbaɪ.oʊ.dɪˈvɜːr.sɪ.ti/

The many different kinds of plants and animals living together in one place.

Biodiversity in a pond ecosystem with flowers, butterfly, ladybug, and frog

variety of life 🔊

➕

/vəˈraɪ.ə.ti əv laɪf/

The range of different species (plants, animals, fungi, etc.) found in a specific habitat or on Earth as a whole.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Greek 'bios' (life) and Latin 'diversitas' (variety).

💡 Mnemonic

Think 'bio-diverse' garden: many different living things together.

📖 Example

The tropical rainforest is famous for its incredible biodiversity, hosting thousands of plant and insect species. 🔊 The tropical rainforest is famous for its incredible biodiversity, hosting thousands of plant and insect species.

🔗 Collocations

biodiversity loss – the reduction in the variety of species in an ecosystem

biodiversity hotspot – a region with a high level of endemic species and significant habitat loss

biodiversity conservation – the protection and management of species and ecosystems to maintain variety

🔄 Synonyms

biological diversity (n.) – the variability among living organisms from all sources

species richness (n.) – the number of different species present in a given area

ecological variety (n.) – the range of different habitats, communities, and ecological processes

🚫 Antonyms

monoculture (n.) – a single crop or species grown in a large area, lacking variety

homogeneity (n.) – uniformity or lack of diversity in biological composition

mass extinction (n.) – widespread and rapid loss of many species, reducing biodiversity

🌱 Derivatives

biodiverse (adj.) – having a high level of biological variety

📖 Cultural Story

Coined by biologist Walter G. Rosen in 1985 during the National Forum on BioDiversity, now a key concept in ecology and conservation.