What Landowners Should Know About Biological Diversity in Indiana

Biological diversity, or “biodiversity,” is defined as the variety and abundance of species and the ecosystems within which they occur. Biodiversity throughout the world is currently declining at rates not seen since the extinction of the dinosaurs, due mostly to pressures of human population growth. In the United States alone, over 900 species of plants and animals are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and another 266 are currently considered threatened.