biodiversity
noun
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Biodiversity may become the rallying call for the next decade, wrote David Wake in the journal Science in 1989. Indeed, biodiversity is a word you're likely to encounter in writing about ecology and the environment today. But when Wake used it, "biodiversity" was still a relatively new addition to the English language, having first appeared in writing in the mid-1980s. Of course, the roots of biodiversity are much older. It evolved from a commingling of the descendants of the Greek noun bios, which means "mode of life," and the Latin verb divertere, which means "to turn aside" or "to go different ways."
Examples of biodiversity in a Sentence
Andrew Nelson, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
The effects could be devastating for marine biodiversity and for human communities.
—Ryan Kellman, NPR, 17 Apr. 2024
Thankfully, nature photographers capture Earth’s biodiversity in intimate detail, which is fully on display in the winning images from the World Nature Photography Awards.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
Though the country remains rich in biodiversity, Madagascar’s 927 square miles of coral reefs have been subject to coral bleaching, overfishing, and sedimentation from deforestation since the 1980s.
—Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
Wildlife Viewing in Anastasia State Park St. Augustine’s wildlife reserve in Anastasia State Park showcases the state’s rich biodiversity.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Simultaneously, the society campaigned via newspapers and other mass media channels to create public awareness about Singapore’s biodiversity.
—Anne Pinto-Rodrigues, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
Cats are apex predators that can wreak havoc on local biodiversity.
—Sachi Mulkey, WIRED, 23 Mar. 2024
However Botswana, and other conservationists, argue the activity can help revive animal populations, helping to fund communities, deter poachers and protect biodiversity.
—Emma Ogao, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'biodiversity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near biodiversity
Cite this Entry
“Biodiversity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodiversity. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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biodiversity
noun
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