Home
Biodiversity

About This Collection

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

Endangered Cat Herding in Florida
April 24, 2019

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers recently herded an endangered Florida panther to safety. Body-camera footage showed agents discovering the panther trapped between a highway and a wildlife refuge. They temporarily shut down the highway, then used their bodies, a truck, and calls to guide the cat through a fence opening into the refuge.

This rescue underscores the threats panthers face. In 2018, Florida reported 30 panther deaths, with 26 attributed to vehicle strikes.