Final answer:
Biological diversity, or biodiversity, refers to the variety of life on Earth. It is important to mankind's well-being, but is threatened due to the rate of extinctions exceeding the rate of new species being created.
Step-by-step explanation:
Biological diversity, or biodiversity, refers to the variety of life on Earth. It encompasses all forms of life, from the differences among species to the diversity of ecosystems. Biodiversity is important to mankind's well-being as it provides essential ecosystem services like pollination, nutrient cycling, and pest control. Unfortunately, biodiversity is threatened due to the rate of extinctions exceeding the rate of new species being created. Loss of biodiversity can have negative impacts on human society, including increased food production costs and the loss of potential innovations.