Diversity refers to the variety of life. Biological diversity is the variety among living organisms and the ecological communities they inhabit.
Biodiversity includes domesticated as well as wild species of plants and animals.
Biologists estimate that there are around 10 million species on Earth, though only 1.4 million have actually been named. Among the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere, few nations compare to Mongolia in the size, diversity, and health of its natural ecosystems. Though altered by human activities, Mongolia still contains relatively intact examples of Asia's deserts, steppe, forests, and mountains, and the wild creatures and plants that inhabit them. However, as Mongolia undergoes a massive socioeconomic transformation, threats to these natural areas, flora, and fauna are rapidly mounting. Covering 1.564 million square kilometers, Mongolia encompasses an area larger than Britain, France, Germany, and Italy combined.