Earth's biodiversity

Biodiversity is greatest around the Equator, where lush tropical rainforests contain an incredible array of plants and animals. Coral reefs also contain a great number of species. But biodiversity exists everywhere. Deserts, mountains, rivers, parks, school grounds, even your own backyard are all home to diverse communities of plants and animals.

Australia is very rich in species. It contains an estimated 475 000 species, and is considered to be one of the world's 12 'mega diverse' countries. A hill in Canberra known as Black Mountain contains more species of ants than have been identified in the whole of the United Kingdom.

In general, colder countries have fewer species than tropical countries. Canada has 71 000 recorded species of plants and animals. This includes species that are especially adapted to cold climates, and wild populations of large mammals such as polar bears, caribou and wolves.

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