Biodiversity
The variety of life, including diversity within species, between species and across ecosystems.
Example
Genetic variation and different habitats contribute to the functioning of living systems.
The catch
A single species count cannot represent every dimension of biodiversity.
Related terms
Ecosystem, Afforestation, Blue carbon, Carbon sink, Carbon stock, Deforestation
In more depth
Biodiversity, explained.
Biodiversity and climate change are tied together through the same forests, peatlands and seas, which store carbon and shelter most of the world's species. The IPBES Global Assessment identifies changes in land and sea use as the leading direct driver of biodiversity loss, and warming is gaining weight as a driver.
Carbon and biodiversity do not always rise together. A fast-growing plantation of a single species can store carbon while supporting far less life than the grassland or native forest it replaced. Protecting intact habitats usually serves both goals, and that overlap is the strongest argument for a nature-based solution. When a claim mentions biodiversity, ask what was measured and against which reference site.