According to the Convention on Biological Diversity signed in Rio in 1992, biological diversity or biodiversity means the diversity of living organisms of all origins including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and ecological complexes of which they are part. It also includes diversity within species, between species and between species and ecosystems. More simply, biodiversity is defined as the diversity of life in all its forms (plants, animals, fungi, etc.) and at all levels of organisation (genes, organisms, ecosystems). The different plants, animals and micro-organisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystems they form. Thus, the term “biodiversity” embraces all life on Earth.
Biodiversity is necessary to sustain life on Earth. Its real value is immeasurable, as it enables all living organisms to adapt to a changing environment. Biodiversity is vital to the health and well-being of the world’s population.