Biodiversity

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is all life on Earth.  It is the total variety of all the living things that includes everything from our tallest trees and largest mammals, to our smallest flowers and minute insects and the habitats they live in.  It also includes genetic differences within a single species and the complex ecosystems they are part of.

Why look after it?

Biodiversity is central to all life on Earth.  By having a rich array of biodiversity we have a healthy environment that provides air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat.  A healthy environment is essential for healthy people, both in body and in mind.

Biodiversity also provides the raw materials for things like clothes and medicine, and with many species still to be discovered with unknown potential it is essential they are protected. 

Biodiversity is also an important part of our cultural heritage.  Our artists and poets, such as W.F. Marshall, captured the natural environment in their work and we should conserve and enhance it for future generations to continue to do so.

For more information on biodiversity in Northern Ireland, log on to www.biodiversityni.com