Biodiversity

noun (mass/uncountable)

/ˌbaɪəʊdaɪˈvɜːsɪti/

The variety and variability of all forms of life — including genetic diversity within species, species diversity within ecosystems, and ecosystem diversity across landscapes — within a given region or across the entire planet.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Any meaningful pursuit of sustainable development must treat the conservation of biodiversity not as a peripheral environmental concern but as the very foundation of food security, public health, and rural livelihoods.

Synonyms

biological diversitybiotic varietyspecies richnessecological diversityvariety of life

Antonyms

monoculturebiotic uniformitybiological homogeneityspecies impoverishment

🌱 Word Family

biodiverse (adj), biodiversification (n), biodiversity-rich (adj compound)

🔡 Root

Coined/Modern: Greek bios = life + Latin diversitas = variety, difference; coined 1985, popularised by E.O. Wilson

📜 Etymology

A modern compound coined in 1985 in the United States, formed from Greek bios ("life") and Latin diversitas ("variety, difference"); the term was popularised by the 1986 National Forum on BioDiversity organised by E.O. Wilson.

🧠 Memory Hook

Break it down: BIO ("life", from Greek bíos) + DIVERSITY ("variety") = the variety of life. Picture a single forest teeming with countless species — that abundance is biodiversity.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2025 — International Environmental Agreements
Prelims 2019 — Ecology
Prelims 2018 — Biodiversity
Prelims 2014 — Biodiversity
Prelims 2012 — Biodiversity
Mains 2018 · GS3 · 15 marks — Environment / Biodiversity

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Biodiversity” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🌿 Environment & Ecology 📖 Seen in: Biodiversity and Conservation in India

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