Biodiversity refers to the wide variety of living things that populate the Earth, and more generally, to the complex ecosystems, comprising millions of species, that support human existence.

The plant and animal worlds have evolved together over billions of years, in a marvelously complex dance of mutual adaptation. For every plant that produces a unique compound, there will be an insect or animal (or many) that uses it. There is no waste in this scenario, only an endless cycle of use and reuse.

That’s why it’s so important to maintain diversity in our ecosystems, and in particular, to emphasize native species, so that the system can continue to work as designed.