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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

Help Vanishing Wetlands and Their Wildlife
Marshes, wet meadows, swamps, and other wetlands in the United States need your help.ÂÂ

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, half of wetlands in the lower 48 states — an area about the size of Yellowstone — have disappeared since the 1780s. And those that remain are at high risk: In 2023 the U.S. Supreme Court stripped 50 years of federal protection from many of these precious areas, leaving them vulnerable to draining, filling, excavating, and other destructive processes.

Learn more at www.saveourfreshwater.org.

Nearly 50% of threatened and endangered species use wetlands for breeding, nesting, feeding, and migration. More than 33% of them live only in wetlands. Losing these water-saturated ecosystems harms water quality, increases vulnerability to flood and climate change, and pushes thousands of animals and plants closer to extinction.ÂÂ

But not all endangered wetland species have designated critical habitat, even though the Endangered Species Act requires it — northern bog turtles, Florida Key deer, salt marsh harvest mice, Santa Cruz long-toed salamanders, and mountain sweet pitcher plants are just a few who desperately need their wetland homes protected.ÂÂ

This video highlights just a few of the species who need more protected critical habitat. Take action for giant garter snakes, mountain lions, and more: Tell the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect more critical habitat for wetland-dependent species.

www.saveourfreshwater.org

PHOTO & VIDEO CREDITS:
Video clip of mountain lions courtesy Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge; photo of salt marsh harvest mouse by Rachel Tertes/USFWS; photo of tricolored bat by Pete Pattavina/USFWS; photo of bog turtle by Gary Peeples/USFWS; photo of Benton County cave crayfish by Pedro Ardapple-Kindberg; video clip of American alligator by Laura Bonneau/USFWS; photo of Santa Cruz long-toed salamander by Carmen Leong Minch/USFWS; photo of giant garter snake by Zarina Sheikh/USGS; photo of swamp pink by Yianni Laskaris/USFWS; photo of Guam rail by Peter Xiong/USGS.


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About the Center:

The Center for Biological Diversity is a 501c3 nonprofit headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. At the Center, we believe that the welfare of human beings is deeply linked to nature — to the existence in our world of a vast diversity of wild animals and plants. Because diversity has intrinsic value, and because its loss impoverishes society, we work to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction. We do so through science, law and creative media, with a focus on protecting the lands, waters and climate that species need to survive.

We want those who come after us to inherit a world where the wild is still alive.

Where to find us:

WEBSITE: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/CenterForBioDiv
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/CenterforBioDiv
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/centerforbiodiv
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@centerforbiodiv

For questions or media inquiries, email us at center@biologicaldiversity.org.