ABSTRACT
The term biodiversity refers to all life on Earth at every level, from genes through to microbes, fungi, insects, right up to whole ecosystems or communities of living things. The term also covers the genetic differences within each species. The Earth's ecosystems include wetlands, forests, oceans, rivers, urban areas, farmland and deserts. All these involve numerous relationships, not only among all the different species, but also between the species and the non-living parts of the environment such as water, air and soil. The Earth is always changing and species extinctions are part of the natural order of things. The Red List of Threatened Species, maintained by International Union for Conservation of Nature is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. Using the best available scientific data, the Red List highlights those plants, fungi and animals that are at risk of global extinction, and this information can guide conservation efforts locally and globally.
