5 Facts You Need to Know About Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the sum total of all life on our planet — everything from smallest microorganisms to the biggest blue whales. Our planet contains a staggering amount of variety in its plant and animal life, so much so that we’ve really only scratched the surface of our understanding of it.

Here are five interesting facts that we believe everyone needs to know about our planet’s biodiversity.

1. There are three kinds of biodiversity

There are three ways it manifests itself on Earth: species, genetic, and ecosystem. Species diversity is what you most likely think of when you hear the term biodiversity. It refers to the wide variety of different animals and plants on Earth including every living thing from bacteria to mammals to trees.

Genetic diversity refers to the variety of genomes within each species which manifests itself in things like different hair colors in dogs or tastes and textures in oranges. This form of diversity is important because it determines how adaptable something may be to changes in their environment.

Lastly, ecosystem diversity is the variety of different environments that all of these beings live in. This type considers whether there is enough sun, water, or has an appropriate temperature for the area.

2. We have only discovered 19% of all species on Earth

While 1.9 million discovered and cataloged species currently known may sound like a lot, it pales in comparison to the amount that is estimated to be present on Earth: 10 million! However, considering how many we have yet to find, species discovery is a race against time. With up to 150 species going extinct per day, many may no longer exist before we even have the time to see them.

3. Wildlife populations have dropped by 69%

According to the WWF’s 2022 Living Planet Report, monitored wildlife populations have decreased by 69% since 1970. Of all types of species, freshwater species decreased the most by a staggering 83%, with habitat loss and barriers to migration accounting for half of the threats to freshwater species.

While nowhere saw population increases, Latin America and the Caribbean was hit the hardest, with a 94% decrease in species population in the region. All types saw decreases but freshwater fish, amphibians, and reptiles decreased by the most.

4. More than 33% of land and nearly 75% of freshwater resources used for crop or livestock production

As much as we may think of biodiversity being something separate from humans and the places where we live and work, we are as much connected to our planet and its diversity of species, genetics, and ecosystems as anything else. We have simply drastically altered the landscape around us to suit our wants and needs without any thought to how it might affect the other species living there.

No other statistic shows how widespread this human-created ecosystem reshaping has become than 33% of all land area and 75% of all freshwater resources being used for crop or livestock production. Of course, this is not to say that we should not have farms or raise livestock, but our wanton expansion without consideration for the repercussions has driven countless species to extinction and put our home in a climate emergency. Fortunately, this is not the end of the story.

5. There’s still time to repair Earth’s biodiversity

Despite the dire nature of the state of our planet today, there are still plenty of things we can do and are doing to help support Earth’s biodiversity. Firstly, past and ongoing conservation efforts have and continue to have a massive positive impact on the variety of species of the regions they protect. Whether it’s the desert dwelling animals in Zion National Park or the cotton-top tamarin in the Columbian forest, organizations like the National Park Service and Proyecto Titi make real, tangible impacts on the ecosystems they protect.

In addition, with the knowledge that your actions affect plant and animal species all over the world it is easier to make decisions that have a positive effect on the world, such as buying local or organic food or using less energy. Together with ReWorld, we can protect the biodiversity of our home so that generations years from now can enjoy everything our planet has to offer.