The Biodiversity A-Z provides clear, concise and relevant information about various topics relating to biodiversity written and reviewed by experts. It is designed to be a useful reference to all sectors including business, government and environmental agencies. The content of the Biodiversity A-Z is structured around themes, each theme is divided into several categories, and in some cases, further divided into sub-categories. Searches throughout the website can be filtered by themes, categories or sub-categories.

The information contained in the Biodiversity A-Z is drawn from various sources including the official documents of international conventions, reports from a number of relevant international organisations, and academic publications.

The Biodiversity Terms theme is a glossary of definitions for terms used in scientific literature, international conventions and conservation practice. Preference is given to internationally recognised definitions stemming from international agreements where possible. If a term has not been defined within an international agreement, the definition provided is usually sourced from glossaries and publications of expert organisations.

The Biodiversity Acronyms theme explains the meaning of many acronyms commonly used in biodiversity. Where possible, links are provided to a relevant online source (both within the A-Z and beyond) for more information.

The Areas of Biodiversity Importance theme contains factsheets on systems to identify and protect areas for biodiversity conservation. The factsheets provide a brief description, information on scale and coverage, and the criteria behind their identification. In addition, information is given on the business relevance of each type of area, focusing on legal protection, business compliance requirements and the biodiversity or socio-cultural value of each area.

The Marine Biodiversity Features theme contains factsheets on marine biodiversity features, and links to definitions of marine biodiversity terminology and biodiversity-relevant marine conventions, as well as marine areas of biodiversity importance. The factsheets provide descriptions, ecological detail and conservation status of the various features.

Feedback:

We welcome comments and feedback on the content and structure of the Biodiversity A-Z. Please contact us at: proteus@unep-wcmc.org