What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity just means the variety of life. Seems like something we take for granted because most of us probably don’t think about too much. However, it’s really important because it contributes to every living thing’s survival. If there’s too little of a particular insect or a plant in an area, it can upset the balance. If there weren’t many spiders around to eat flies, there would be far more flies annoying us. If there weren’t enough ladybirds to eat aphids, it would be hard to grow healthy roses.

How does it affect us?

Farming relies on biodiversity, whether it’s having the right conditions to grow crops for food, or ensuring that there are enough fish in the ocean for our fish and chips. There’s also tourism, many people come to visit Scotland because of the amazing landscape, scenery and wildlife, and they all need protecting.

Scotland is at risk of upsetting its biodiversity. The more rubbish we throw out, the more land needs to be used to dispose it, meaning less places for animals and plants to live. There are many peat bogs in Scotland that could disappear if we continue to dig up the peat to use for compost bought at the garden centre.

What can we do about it?

Like many things, following the general ‘being green’ tips that are throughout the channel will help. These in particular help:

• Reducing the amount of waste you create and recycling as much of what’s left.
• Using organic compost and fertiliser in the garden, and eco-friendly cleaning materials.
• If you’re into gardening, buy peat-free compost. Plant things that attract insects and wildlife to your garden.

For some top tips on making your garden as biodiverse as possible check out our page Make your garden wildlife friendly.