Biodiversity is an ecological term that has now come into common usage.
In the past this was often referred to as 'nature conservation' or 'wildlife'. Anyone who cares about the wildlife around us, be it in the countryside or in towns and villages, is appreciating biodiversity. International and national commitments from the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro in 1992 have now reached a local level. In 1994 the UK Biodiversity Steering Group published the UK Action Plan for biodiversity. Since then lists of species and habitats thought to be threatened nationally have been highlighted.