Biodiversity is life! And the amazing variety of all living things. The different plants, animals and micro organisms. The genetic information they contain. And the ecosystems they form. It is usually thought of as having three aspects – genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. Together, these three aspects make up the dazzling complexity of life on Earth. International Year of Biodiversity is a UN initiative designed to celebrate and promote understanding of biodiversity. This International Year of Biodiversity site is part of a federally-funded project organised by the Council of Australasian Museum Directors (a body representing 20 key museums in Australia and New Zealand).
Key Year of Biodiversity messages:
- “Humans are part of nature’s rich diversity and have the power to protect or destroy it..”
- “Biodiversity, the variety of life on Earth, is essential to sustaining the living networks and systems that provide us all with health, wealth, food, fuel and the vital services our lives depend on..”
- “Human activity is causing the diversity of life on Earth to be lost at a greatly accelerated rate. These losses are irreversible, impoverish us all and damage the life support systems we rely on everyday. But we can prevent them..”
- “2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity. Let’s reflect on our achievements to safeguard biodiversity and focus on the urgency of our challenge for the future. Now is the time to act.”
