Biodiversity

Key Stage 3

Meaning

Biodiversity is the amount of genetic variation within species and between different species. The more genetic variation, the greater the biodiversity.

About Biodiversity

Biodiversity between different species is important to maintain complex food webs. When one species in a food web becomes extinct it can cause many others to become extinct.

Biodiversity within a species is important to help a species produce fertile offspring. If a species is reduced to close family members their offspring can be deformed or inherit genetic conditions. Most Labradors have bad hips because they are all descended from a small number of dogs. They don't have enough biodiversity to inherit better hips.