What is Biodiversity?

The Center for Biological Diversity defines biodiversity as, “the variability among living organisms on the earth, including the variability within and between species and within and between ecosystems.” Biodiversity can be viewed at three levels: 1) genetic biodiversity (i.e. variation in the genetic makeup of individuals or populations within a species), 2) species biodiversity (i.e. the variety of species within an area) and 3) ecosystem biodiversity (i.e. the variety of ecosystems in an area) (adapted from World Wildlife Fund).