Biodiversity
Etymology
A contraction of “biological diversity,” coined around 1985 (credited to W. G. Rosen) and popularized by the biologist E. O. Wilson. The snappier compound quickly displaced the longer phrase in science and policy alike.
noun · /by-oh-dih-VER-sih-tee/
The variety of living things in a place — the range of species, genes, and ecosystems present.
What it names
Variety itself, something worth measuring and protecting, capturing why a rich rainforest and a bare monoculture field differ even at equal size.
Example
The reef’s biodiversity — thousands of species packed together — makes it far more resilient than a single-crop farm.
Related idea
Biodiversity is the variety across many species; a single species is one thread of it. High biodiversity tends to make an ecosystem more stable, because many species can cover for one another’s roles.