Guidance The extent of biodiversity
Index section Extent of biodiversity
- The number of species in the Netherlands
- Species of international significance
- Overwintering waterfowl
Introduction
Biodiversity - biological diversity - is the total diversity of all living plants and animals on Earth. It covers not only the variation in species but also the hereditary variation within species and the variation in communities and ecosystems.
Biodiversity is often presented as the total number of plant and animal species in a country. In the Netherlands there are over 24 000 animal species and over 10 000 plant species; this is approximately 2% of the total number of species known in the world. The number of species is distributed very unevenly among the various plant and animal groups. Insects make up the largest group. There are far fewer species of birds and mammals.
The Netherlands is of major international significance for many species, particularly for waterfowl. The Netherlands has also many areas where special plant species are found.
