Barbara Young, Chairman, English Nature. The importance of biodiversity is aesthetic, ethical and pragmatic. Much of the beauty and wonder of the world is associated with its rich variety.
Biodiversity is what makes the world go round.
It's the variety of life, both between species and within species. It's the richness of different organisms, whether they are animal, like ourselves and our domestic animals, or plant, like the crops we eat or grow in our gardens. Biodiversity is the wealth of wild creatures and plants that live independently of human interference, or in spite of human interference. It is the systems of interdependence between organisms that make our local environment a stable place to dwell in and the Earth a habitable planet for all life. The biodiversity of living systems provides the backup to make good the harm done to our planet.