We recognize the concept of diversity intuitively. It is woven into the fabric of our everyday existence. For example, you must diversify your financial portfolio for it to be healthy. The more diverse the plant community in your garden, the less susceptible it is to any one insect pest. The more diverse your diet, the better chance you will have taking in the vitamins and minerals you need.
Intuitive evidence abounds for the power and health of diversity.
When a forest is destroyed, it is gone for all time. Companies may plant a tree farm in its place, usually containing one type of tree, but this is not a forest. As advanced as our science is, we have no idea how to build a forest. The diversity of life in a forest can hardly be described in words. Each tiny pinch of soil and each breath of air is teeming with thousands of different kinds of organisms, all interacting with each other in a complex dance that cannot be duplicated by all the power of the modern technological world.