A1.3. Biodiversity
A1.3.1 Definition
Biodiversity:
“The variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat.”
Source: Oxford English Dictionary
DEFRA define Biodiversity as:
“The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.”
Source: DEFRA: http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-countryside/biodiversity/about.htm
© Crown Copyright.
A1.3.2 Introduction
The term Biodiversity stems from Biological Diversity.
Biodiversity includes all species of plants and animals. It does not matter whether a species is endangered or common; they all play a part in biodiversity. It encompasses both the species we want and the species we don’t (Invasive Plants such as Japanese Knotweed).