Rainforest Biodiversity

The same high trees stood like a fortress along the forest’s edge; the same profusion of birds and insects foraged through the canopy and understory in precise individual timetables. All this seemed timeless, immutable, and its very strength posed the question: How much force does it take to break the crucible of evolution? —Edward O. Wilson, The Diversity of Life, New York: W. W. Norton and Co. 1992. Biodiversity—in this case species diversity—is defined as the variety of distinct species inhabiting a given ecosystem, whether continent, island, forest, field or pond. Here is a simple and yet wonderfully illustrative activity to demonstrate this vital and topical concept.