What is biodiversity?
Montserrat is full of biodiversity. We see some every day, like shady trees and colourful birds. We have to look more closely to see amazing insects and tiny fungi.
All of Montserrat’s wildlife is important, and some doesn’t live anywhere else on Earth! Find out more about biodiversity, and Montserrat’s wildlife, on these pages.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity is everything that lives in an area. This is usually measured by the number of different kinds of living things, called species.
Plants and animals, including people, are all living things. Biodiversity also includes fungus, and tiny living things we can’t see, like bacteria.
You can measure biodiversity in your yard or school, or a larger area of Montserrat like the Centre Hills or Little Bay.
We can also talk about the biodiversity of Montserrat, or even larger areas like the Caribbean, or the whole world!
Montserrat is a special place, and we need to protect its biodiversity.
What is a species?
This is a difficult question to answer…scientists often disagree about it! In general, a species is a group of closely-related living things. They’re able to breed and produce a new generation.
Some species living in Montserrat are Pearly-eyed Thrashers, Red-rumped Agoutis, and Ghost Crabs. Other species of thrashers, agoutis and crabs live in other places too.
Individuals in a species often look similar, but it’s not always so simple! These birds are all Antillean Crested Hummingbirds. Male and female Antillean Crested Hummingbirds look different (this is called sexual dimorphism), and so do their eggs and chicks. They’re all the same species though, as they’re able to breed and produce a new generation of Antillean Crested Hummingbirds.
Activity: Animal names
Help these animals complete their names (Grades K)
Activity: Colouring sheet
Antillean Crested Hummingbird
Why is biodiversity important?
We need biodiversity to survive, and to be happy.
Plants feed us, and also give us oxygen to breathe. Many plants can be used to help us feel better when we’re ill, or to build homes with. We can’t live without plants!
We need animals too. Some are eaten for food; some people keep chickens for their eggs. Other animals are important as they pollinate flowers, so we need them to grow crops. Everything is connected.
But biodiversity isn’t just important because it keeps us alive. It’s important for our wellbeing too. Seeing beautiful animals like butterflies, smelling flowers, or hearing bird song, are all important parts of our lives.
Activity: Me and biodiversity
How do you fit into Montserrat's biodiversity? (Grades 1-6)
