Biodiversity
The term biodiversity or biological diversity encompasses the diversity of ecosystems, animal and plant species and genetic diversity. However, biodiversity has been declining at an alarming rate worldwide for several decades: natural habitats are being destroyed and the extinction rate of animals and plants is now up to ten thousand times higher than under natural conditions due to human influence.
Endemic species
An endemic plant or animal species occurs naturally only in a very limited area. An endemic species is also referred to as an endemic.