Explanation:

Explanation: The dictionary defines biodiversity as ‘1. The number and variety of organisms found  within a specified geographic region. 2. The variability among living organisms on the earth,  including the variability within and between species and within and between ecosystems.’
Biological diversity – or biodiversity – is the term given to the variety of life on Earth. It is the variety  within and between all species of plants, animals and micro-organisms and the ecosystems within  which they live and interact. Biodiversity comprises all the millions of different species that live on  our planet, as well as the genetic differences within species. It also refers to the multitude of different  ecosystems in which species form unique communities, interacting with one another and the air,  water and soil. The biodiversity we see today is a result of 3.5 billion years of evolution.  Unfortunately, due to humanity’s over-exploitation of natural resources, our unsustainable  development and the resulting disturbances to the environment, we are undergoing the sixth  extinction crisis on this planet and degrading natural ecosystems at an unprecedented rate. It is estimated that the current species extinction rate is between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than it would naturally be. Biodiversity conservation is about saving life on Earth in all its forms and keeping  natural ecosystems functioning and healthy. Conservation biology as a scientific discipline has  grown enormously over the past few decades and has increased our awareness and understanding  of the great extent to which humans depend on natural ecosystems and biodiversity. Conserving  biodiversity means ensuring that natural landscapes, with their array of ecosystems, are maintained,  and that species, populations, genes, and the complex interactions between them, persist into the  future. Benefits of conserving biodiversity:
1 health of water, soil and air
2 stock shelter
3 prevention of salinity and soil acidification
4 products such as timber, honey and medicine
5 scenic amenity
6 tourism
7 a link to the past – preservation of the natural world
8 support for living things including humans
9 pest control
10 prevention of weed invasion
11 habitat for native species
12 filtering of pollution.
13 Resilience of the ecosystem in the face of climate change and other pressures
14 Resilience against the marketplace
15 Maintenance of natural processes
16 Agriculture is totally dependent on ecosystem processes and functions provided by biodiversity soil formation, nutrient cycling, pollination of cropsmaintaining water cycles
17 protection from soil water loss and erosion
18 Bacteria and fungi in a healthy understorey cause the constant breaking down and recycling of  nutrients
19 Increased agricultural production
20 Land value