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Biodiversity

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Biodiversity refers to the variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. It is necessary for life to thrive on Earth.

Aldo Leopold, one of the great thinkers of conservation, observed more than half a century ago the importance of protecting species. "To keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering," he wrote. Losing species is like throwing away one by one the engine parts of an airplane while flying.

Biodiversity is a major initiative of Conservation International.

Biodiversity conservation provides substantial benefits to meet immediate human needs, such as those for clean, consistent water flows; protection from floods and storms; and a stable climate. 

Curated by mokiethecat

August 01, 2026
The science is clear: gopher tortoises are critically endangered.    Yet federal wildlife officials are still denying Endangered Species Act protections to most of the species' range.    The Center for Biological Diversity sued over that decision, and we're continuing the fight while new research strengthens the case for protection.     Gopher tortoises have shovel-like front legs and strong, thick back legs that help them dig deep burrows that more than 360 other species use. They’re considered a keystone species because they’re critical components of the ecosystems where they live.    Yet habitat destruction has reduced gopher tortoises’ longleaf pine habitat to less than 3% of its original extent, and populations have declined by 80% in the last 120 years.     Please donate today to help us defend gopher tortoises and the hundreds of species that rely on their burrows: https://biodiv.us/4h2pg70   #gophtertortoise #tortoise #endangeredspecies #endangered

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