Biodiversity, or diversity of life, is the totality of animal and plant species that inhabit the land and sea. It concerns genes, living organisms, and ecosystems. Human beings are part of it. Preserving nature and its biodiversity has become one of the major concerns of development today. We now know that all living organisms are closely interdependent, each depending on the other in the great web of life: the disappearance of an animal or plant species leads to the disappearance of other organisms linked to it. Today, humans are the main culprits in the disruption of natural balance. By devastating meadows and forests or draining marshes, we degrade sites home to large numbers of plants and animals.
Pollution is another leading factor contributing to the disappearance of biodiversity because it destroys natural environments and poisons organisms. The use of pesticides devastates natural balances: by wanting to eradicate destructive insects with chemical products, we also kill other insects such as bees which, as they pollinate flowers, ensure the reproduction of plants that constitute the basis of our food. The survival of human beings depends on the biodiversity of which they are a part: it is up to each of us to pollute less, respect all forms of life, plant, and animal, and ensure their survival.