biodiversityn.
/ˌbʌɪə(ʊ)dʌɪˈvəːsᵻti/, U.S. /ˌbaɪoʊdəˈvərsədi/, /ˌbaɪoʊˌdaɪˈvərsədi/ Ecology.
Diversity of plant and animal life, esp. as represented by the number of extant species.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > balance of nature > [noun] > biodiversity
biological diversity1916
species richness1972
biodiversity1985
1985 BioScience 35 336/1 (table) Support research related to biodiversity conservation and inventories of species and ecosystems.
1991 Nature Conservancy May 21/2 The idea of sustainable development—which acknowledges that human economies, human cultures and biodiversity are inextricably linked.
1997 Sci. Amer. Apr. 38/1 Why protect tropical forests? For one, because they harbor most of the planet's biodiversity.
2006 Big Issue Christmas 21/1 The region has been classified as one of the world's ‘biodiversity hotspots’.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1985