--- title: What Is Biodiversity? Meaning, Types & UK Examples description: Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth. A plain-English definition, the 3 levels with UK examples, why it matters and the latest UK data. image: https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hubfs/blog/images/what-is-biodiversity-hero-20261023.webp --- [![Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock.png?width=312&height=75&name=Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock.png) ![Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock.png?width=312&height=75&name=Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock.png)](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/) [![Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock.png?width=312&height=75&name=Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock.png)](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/) - [Topics](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/#px-topics) - [Biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity) - [UK Ecosystems & Habitats](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/ecosystems-types-examples-uk-guide) - [Climate & Nature](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/climate-change-what-is-it-uk-guide) - [Wildlife & the Law](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/protected-species-uk-guide) - [For Students & Teachers](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/#px-students) - [About](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/#px-about) - [All Guides](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog) - [Topics](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/#px-topics) - [Topics](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/#px-topics) - [Biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity) - [UK Ecosystems & Habitats](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/ecosystems-types-examples-uk-guide) - [Climate & Nature](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/climate-change-what-is-it-uk-guide) - [Wildlife & the Law](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/protected-species-uk-guide) - [For Students & Teachers](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/#px-students) - [About](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/#px-about) - [All Guides](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog) [Pixcellence Blog](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog) Categories **Browse All Categories** - [biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/tag/biodiversity) - [conservation](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/tag/conservation) - [definition](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/tag/definition) - [climate change](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/tag/climate-change) - [photography](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/tag/photography) ![Clwyd Probert](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hubfs/blog/authors/clwyd-probert-watercolour-400.webp) By [Clwyd Probert](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/author/clwyd-probert) on October 23, 2026 [biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/tag/biodiversity), [definition](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/tag/definition) # What Is Biodiversity? Meaning, Types and UK Examples **Biodiversity, short for biological diversity, is the variety of all life on Earth: the differences within species, between species and between the ecosystems they form together.** It covers everything from the genes that make one oak tree different from another to the contrast between a chalk stream and a peat bog. In the UK it means more than 70,000 known species of animals, plants, fungi and single-celled organisms, and the habitats that hold them ([Natural History Museum](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/uk-species.html)). This guide explains what biodiversity means in plain English, where the word came from, and the three levels scientists use to describe it, with UK examples for each. It also covers why biodiversity matters, how it is measured, what the latest UK data shows and what is being done to protect it. It is written to support GCSE, A-level and undergraduate coursework, and every figure links to its primary source. 70,000+ Species known in the UK Natural History Museum 19% Average fall in UK species abundance 753 species, since 1970 1 in 6 GB species at risk of extinction 16% of 10,008 assessed ~8.7m Estimated species on Earth Mora et al., 2011 Sources: [Natural History Museum, UK species](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/uk-species.html); [State of Nature 2023](https://stateofnature.org.uk/); [Mora et al. (2011), PLOS Biology](https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001127). Key Takeaway Biodiversity is not just a count of species. It is variety at three levels: **genetic** (within species), **species** (between species) and **ecosystem** (between habitats). A place can keep the same species list and still lose biodiversity, if populations shrink, genetic variety narrows or habitats become more alike. In this guide - [What is biodiversity in simple words?](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity#simple-definition) - [Where does the word come from?](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity#origin) - [The three levels of biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity#levels) - [What biodiversity looks like in the UK](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity#uk) - [Why biodiversity matters](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity#why-it-matters) - [How biodiversity is measured](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity#measured) - [The state of biodiversity today](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity#state) - [What is being done to protect it](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity#protection) - [FAQs](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-biodiversity#faq) ## What is biodiversity in simple words? In simple words, biodiversity is **the variety of life in a place**. That place can be a garden pond, a county, the UK or the whole planet. The more different kinds of living things there are, and the more ways they differ from one another, the higher the biodiversity. For GCSE Biology, the AQA specification gives a short definition worth learning word for word: *"Biodiversity is the variety of all the different species of organisms on earth, or within an ecosystem"* ([AQA GCSE Biology 8461](https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/biology/gcse/biology-8461/specification/subject-content/ecology)). At A-level and beyond, the definition widens to include genetic variety within species and the variety of ecosystems, not just the number of species. Three things are easy to confuse with biodiversity. **Abundance** is how many individuals there are; a field with a million plants of one grass species has high abundance but low biodiversity. An **ecosystem** is a community of living things interacting with their physical environment; biodiversity describes how varied that community is. **Nature** is the everyday word for the living world as a whole; biodiversity is the measurable variety within it. ![Watercolour study of the life in and around a single English oak: a great spotted woodpecker on the trunk, a jay in the branches, a hairstreak butterfly on a leaf, lichens and moss on the bark, bracket fungi at the base and a wood mouse among acorns and bluebells.](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hubfs/blog/images/what-is-biodiversity-oak-life-20261023.webp) ## Where does the word "biodiversity" come from? Scientists have long written about "biological diversity". The shorter word **biodiversity** came into use through the National Forum on BioDiversity, held in Washington DC in September 1986 under the auspices of the US National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Institution. The forum was conceived by Walter G. Rosen of the National Research Council, who is generally credited with coining the term. Its proceedings, published in 1988 as *BioDiversity* and edited by the biologist E.O. Wilson, carried the word into science and policy ([National Academies Press](https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/989/chapter/1)). The definition most widely used in law and policy comes from Article 2 of the [Convention on Biological Diversity](https://www.cbd.int/convention/articles/?a=cbd-02), opened for signature at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit: "'Biological diversity' means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems." The Convention now has 196 Parties, including the UK. That final clause, "within species, between species and of ecosystems", is where the three levels of biodiversity come from. ## What are the three levels of biodiversity? ![Watercolour of a Scottish wildcat sitting on a lichen-covered rock among heather and Scots pine, with Highland mountains behind. Hybridisation with domestic cats has eroded its genetic diversity.](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hubfs/blog/images/what-is-biodiversity-scottish-wildcat-20261023.webp) Biodiversity is usually described at three nested levels. Loss at any one of them weakens the others, which is why conservation work has to look at all three. Our guide to [the three levels of biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/levels-of-biodiversity) goes into each in more depth. **Genetic diversity** is the variety of genes within a species. It is what allows a population to adapt to disease, climate and other change. A UK example is the Scottish wildcat. Generations of interbreeding with domestic cats have so diluted its genes that a 2019 review found there was no longer a viable wild population in Scotland. The Saving Wildcats project now breeds genetically suitable wildcats for release in the Cairngorms ([Saving Wildcats](https://www.savingwildcats.org.uk/about-saving-wildcats/wildcat-conservation-in-scotland/)). **Species diversity** is the variety of different species in an area. It combines *richness* (how many species there are) with *evenness* (how equally their numbers are spread). Ancient woodland is one of the UK's richest land habitats for species, yet it now covers only 2.5% of the UK's land area ([Woodland Trust](https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/ancient-woodland/)). **Ecosystem diversity** is the variety of habitats and ecological communities in a region, and the processes that link them. The UK's mix of upland bog, heath, ancient woodland, chalk grassland, rivers, estuaries and seas is what gives it its range of species. Some of those ecosystems are globally rare: an estimated 85% of the world's chalk streams are in England ([Environment Agency](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chalk-stream-strategy-launched-to-protect-englands-rainforests)). | Level | What it means | UK example | | --- | --- | --- | | Genetic | Variety of genes within one species | Scottish wildcat genes diluted by hybridisation; Kew's Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst stores seeds of around 40,000 plant species as a genetic safeguard | | Species | Number of species and how evenly their numbers are spread | More than 70,000 species known in the UK; ancient woodland, a species-rich habitat, covers 2.5% of UK land | | Ecosystem | Variety of habitats, communities and ecological processes | Chalk streams, peat bogs, chalk grassland, saltmarsh and kelp forests; England holds about 85% of the world's chalk streams | Sources: [Saving Wildcats](https://www.savingwildcats.org.uk/about-saving-wildcats/wildcat-conservation-in-scotland/); [Kew, Millennium Seed Bank](https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/whats-at-wakehurst/millennium-seed-bank); [Natural History Museum](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/uk-species.html); [Woodland Trust](https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/ancient-woodland/); [Environment Agency](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chalk-stream-strategy-launched-to-protect-englands-rainforests). **Is there a fourth type?** Some textbooks and exam boards add **functional diversity**: the variety of roles species play in an ecosystem, such as pollinating, decomposing, grazing or predating. Two meadows can hold the same number of species, but if one has lost all its pollinators it has lost a whole function. Our guide to [types of biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/types-of-biodiversity) covers functional, alpha, beta and gamma diversity. ## What does biodiversity look like in the UK? The UK is a small, densely populated island group with a cool, wet climate, so it has fewer species than tropical countries. Its biodiversity is defined less by sheer numbers and more by a varied patchwork of habitats packed into a small area, shaped by thousands of years of farming and land management. Our guide to [UK ecosystem examples](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/uk-ecosystem-examples-guide) walks through each one. Five stand out: - **Ancient and native woodland**: oak, ash, beech and Caledonian pine woods with complex communities of fungi, lichens, insects and birds. - **Chalk streams and rivers**: clear, mineral-rich rivers such as the Test and Itchen, home to water crowfoot, brown trout and kingfishers. See our guide to [chalk streams](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/chalk-streams-uk-freshwater-ecosystem). - **Peatlands, moorland and heath**: blanket bog and lowland heath that store carbon and support specialists such as the curlew, sundews and the sand lizard. - **Grasslands and meadows**: species-rich chalk downland and hay meadow, among the most plant-rich habitats in the UK. - **Coasts and seas**: saltmarsh, sand dune, seagrass and kelp, and internationally important seabird colonies. The UK also has an unusual advantage: its wildlife is among the best recorded in the world, thanks to generations of volunteer naturalists. That long record is what makes it possible to say with confidence how UK biodiversity is changing. Working on a biodiversity project? Our poster guide has 10 biodiversity poster topics, 6 cover page designs and the layout rules that make a project easy to read. [See biodiversity poster ideas](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/biodiversity-poster) ## Why does biodiversity matter? Biodiversity matters because people depend on what working ecosystems provide, and because more varied ecosystems tend to be more resilient to shocks such as disease, drought and extreme weather. Scientists group these benefits, known as [ecosystem services](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/ecosystem-services), into four categories: | Service | What it means | UK example | | --- | --- | --- | | Provisioning | Goods we take directly from nature | Food, timber, fish, clean drinking water | | Regulating | Natural processes that keep conditions stable | Crop pollination, carbon storage in peat, flood control by wetlands | | Cultural | Non-material benefits | Recreation, health and wellbeing, heritage landscapes | | Supporting | Underlying processes the others rely on | Soil formation, nutrient cycling | These services have measurable economic value. The Office for National Statistics estimates that ecosystem services in the UK were worth **£41 billion in 2023**, with a total asset value of **£1.6 trillion** ([ONS, UK natural capital accounts 2025](https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/uknaturalcapitalaccounts/2025)). That figure only captures the services that can be priced, so it understates nature's full value. For the full argument, see our guide to [why we should conserve biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/why-is-it-important-to-conserve-biodiversity). ![Watercolour of a species-rich chalk downland meadow with bee and pyramidal orchids, knapweed, bird's-foot trefoil, harebells and wild thyme, visited by bumblebees, a hoverfly and a blue butterfly. Pollination is one of the ecosystem services biodiversity provides.](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hubfs/blog/images/what-is-biodiversity-chalk-meadow-pollinators-20261023.webp) ## How is biodiversity measured? ![Watercolour of a wooden quadrat frame on grassland enclosing clover, daisies, plantain and selfheal, with a hand lens and field notebook beside it. Quadrat surveys are a basic way to measure species richness.](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hubfs/blog/images/what-is-biodiversity-quadrat-survey-20261023.webp) No single number captures biodiversity, so scientists use several complementary measures: - **Species richness**: a simple count of the species in an area. - **Diversity indices**, such as Simpson's and Shannon's, which combine richness with how evenly individuals are spread across species. - **Abundance indices**: trends in the numbers of selected species over time, such as the UK's 753-species indicator. - **Extinction risk**: assessments using IUCN Red List criteria, nationally or globally. - **Biodiversity intactness**: how much of an area's original biodiversity remains compared with an undisturbed baseline. Each answers a different question, which is why careful reporting keeps them separate. Our guide to [measuring biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/measuring-biodiversity) explains how each index is calculated. Globally, scientists still do not know how many species exist. The best-known estimate, from Mora and colleagues, puts the number of plant, animal, fungal and other complex species at about **8.7 million**. With just over 1.2 million catalogued at the time, they estimated that some 86% of all species on Earth, and 91% of those in the ocean, were yet to be described ([Mora et al., 2011](https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001127)). ## What is the state of biodiversity today? In the UK, the most comprehensive assessment is the [State of Nature 2023](https://stateofnature.org.uk/) report, produced by more than 60 organisations. Its main findings measure different things, so they are worth reading separately: - **Abundance:** the 753 terrestrial and freshwater species monitored have declined by an average of **19% since 1970**. - **Extinction risk:** of 10,008 species assessed against Red List criteria, **16% (about 1 in 6)** are threatened with extinction from Great Britain. - **Intactness:** the UK is in the **bottom 10% of countries** for the amount of biodiversity remaining, and the lowest in the G7, with roughly half of its biodiversity left ([Natural History Museum](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/september/one-in-six-species-at-risk-of-going-extinct-in-great-britain.html)). - **Habitat condition:** only about one in seven habitats important for wildlife is in good condition. Common misconception **The myth:** the UK's countryside looks green, so its biodiversity must be in good shape. **The reality:** green is not the same as diverse. About 70% of UK land is farmed, and decades of intensification have simplified much of it. Measured by intactness, the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth. The global picture shows the same direction of travel. WWF's [Living Planet Report 2024](https://www.wwf.org.uk/press-release/wwfs-living-planet-report-shows-73-decline) found a 73% average decline in monitored wildlife populations between 1970 and 2020. The [IUCN Red List](https://iucn.org/press-release/202607/desert-frog-deep-sea-molluscs-remarkable-species-risk-iucn-red-list) (version 2026-1) classes 49,505 of the 175,909 species assessed as threatened with extinction. The 2019 [IPBES Global Assessment](https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment) estimated that around one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction, many within decades. Scientists group the causes into five direct drivers: land and sea use change, direct exploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive species. Our guides to [biodiversity loss in the UK](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-loss-of-biodiversity) and [the five drivers of biodiversity loss](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/loss-of-biodiversity-causes) set out the evidence for each. ## What is being done to protect biodiversity? Internationally, the [Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework](https://www.cbd.int/gbf), adopted in Montreal in December 2022, sets 23 targets for 2030. The best known is "30 by 30": effectively conserving 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. In England, three measures matter most: - **30 by 30 on land.** The government's July 2026 delivery plan says that around **7%** of England's land currently meets all of its 30 by 30 criteria ([Defra](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/30by30-on-land-in-england-delivery-plan/30by30-on-land-delivery-plan)). Wildlife and Countryside Link, applying a stricter test of effective protection, put the figure at 2.83% in 2025. Both are far below the share of land that is *designated* for nature: designated is not the same as effectively protected. - **A legal species target.** Under the [Environment Act 2021](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/30/section/3), the government must set a target to halt the decline in species abundance by 31 December 2030. - **Biodiversity Net Gain.** Since February 2024, most new developments in England must leave habitats at least 10% better than before, secured for at least 30 years. See our [Biodiversity Net Gain guide](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/biodiversity-net-gain). Individual species are also protected by law; our guide to [protected species in the UK](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/protected-species-uk-guide) lists which ones and how. On a smaller scale, gardens, school grounds and local green spaces all add to habitat when they are managed for wildlife, and volunteer wildlife recording feeds directly into the national datasets used to track change. ## Frequently asked questions about biodiversity ### What is biodiversity in simple words? Biodiversity is the variety of life in a place: how many different kinds of living things there are, how different they are from one another, and how varied their habitats are. It can describe a pond, a country or the whole planet. ### What is the GCSE definition of biodiversity? The AQA GCSE Biology specification defines biodiversity as "the variety of all the different species of organisms on earth, or within an ecosystem". Check your own exam board's specification, as wording varies slightly between boards. ### What are the four types of biodiversity? The three standard levels are genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Many textbooks add a fourth, functional diversity, which describes the variety of roles species play in an ecosystem, such as pollination, decomposition and predation. ### What is an example of biodiversity? An English chalk stream is a good example. It contains genetic diversity within its brown trout, species diversity across plants, insects, fish and birds such as the kingfisher, and it is itself a globally rare type of ecosystem: England holds about 85% of the world's chalk streams. ### What is the difference between biodiversity and an ecosystem? An ecosystem is a community of living things interacting with each other and their physical environment, such as a woodland or estuary. Biodiversity describes how varied life is, within and across ecosystems. ### How many species live in the UK? More than 70,000 species of animals, plants, fungi and single-celled organisms are found in the UK, according to the Natural History Museum. Most of them are invertebrates, fungi and other less visible groups rather than birds and mammals. ### Is the UK rich in biodiversity? The UK has a varied mix of habitats and some globally important ones, such as chalk streams and seabird colonies. Overall, though, it is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world: it sits in the bottom 10% of countries for biodiversity intactness and has the lowest score in the G7. ### Why is biodiversity important? Biodiversity underpins food production, clean water, pollination, carbon storage and flood control. It also makes ecosystems more resilient to disease and climate change. In the UK, the ONS values ecosystem services at £41 billion a year, and that only covers the services that can be priced. Keep exploring UK biodiversity Plain-English, evidence-led guides to UK ecosystems, wildlife and climate, each sourced and illustrated in watercolour. [Explore 10 types of ecosystems](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/ecosystems-types-examples-uk-guide) [Browse all guides](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog) Sources: [Convention on Biological Diversity, Article 2](https://www.cbd.int/convention/articles/?a=cbd-02); [Wilson (ed.), BioDiversity (1988)](https://www.nationalacademies.org/read/989/chapter/1); [AQA GCSE Biology 8461](https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/biology/gcse/biology-8461/specification/subject-content/ecology); [State of Nature 2023](https://stateofnature.org.uk/); [Natural History Museum (2023)](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2023/september/one-in-six-species-at-risk-of-going-extinct-in-great-britain.html); [Mora et al. (2011)](https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001127); [ONS natural capital accounts 2025](https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/uknaturalcapitalaccounts/2025); [WWF Living Planet Report 2024](https://www.wwf.org.uk/press-release/wwfs-living-planet-report-shows-73-decline); [IUCN Red List 2026-1](https://iucn.org/press-release/202607/desert-frog-deep-sea-molluscs-remarkable-species-risk-iucn-red-list); [IPBES Global Assessment 2019](https://www.ipbes.net/news/Media-Release-Global-Assessment); [Defra 30by30 delivery plan (2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/30by30-on-land-in-england-delivery-plan/30by30-on-land-delivery-plan); [Environment Act 2021](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2021/30/section/3); [Woodland Trust](https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/habitats/ancient-woodland/); [Environment Agency, chalk stream strategy (2021)](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chalk-stream-strategy-launched-to-protect-englands-rainforests); [Saving Wildcats](https://www.savingwildcats.org.uk/about-saving-wildcats/wildcat-conservation-in-scotland/); [Kew Millennium Seed Bank](https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/whats-at-wakehurst/millennium-seed-bank). 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Meaning, UK Evidence and 12 Examples](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/what-is-loss-of-biodiversity) [![Thorburn-style watercolour of a clear English chalk stream with a brown trout, water crowfoot and a kingfisher](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hubfs/blog/images/chalk-streams-uk-hero.webp) Read More](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/chalk-streams-uk-freshwater-ecosystem) [biodiversity](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/tag/biodiversity) By [Clwyd Probert](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/author/clwyd-probert) on June 19, 2026 ### [Chalk Streams: The UK's Globally Rare Freshwater Ecosystem (2026)](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/chalk-streams-uk-freshwater-ecosystem) ![Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock.png?width=251&height=75&name=Pixcellence-Logo-CLR-Sidelock.png) - [Topics](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/#px-topics) - [For Students & Teachers](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/#px-students) - [About](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/#px-about) - [All Guides](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog) ©2026 Pixcellence, Inc. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy](https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/privacy-policy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Clwyd Probert", "url" : "https://www.pixcellence.co.uk/blog/author/clwyd-probert" }, "dateModified" : "2025-05-08T17:20:26.494Z", "datePublished" : "2026-10-23T20:13:00.000Z", "headline" : "What Is Biodiversity? 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A plain-English definition, the 3 levels with UK examples, why it matters and the latest UK data.", "educationalLevel" : "GCSE, A-level, undergraduate", "headline" : "What Is Biodiversity? 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