 Biodiversity. Biodiversity simply means the variety of life and includes the plants, animals and different ecosystems found in Queensland. Here on the website it's reported on under four sub-themes. Terrestrial ecosystems, freshwater wetland ecosystems, estuarine and marine ecosystems and species and habitat. Terrestrial ecosystems are ecosystems found only on landforms. They comprise communities of organisms and their environments that occur on continents and islands. Freshwater wetland ecosystems include lakes, rivers, streams, springs, marshes and swamps. They can be contrasted with estuarine and marine ecosystems which have a larger salt content. They help to reduce floods, produce clean water and food for humans and resources for industry and agriculture. Estuarine wetlands contain marine or oceanic water which is diluted with freshwater runoff from the land, usually an area where a river meets the sea. Marine wetlands include the area of ocean from the coastline to six metres below the lowest astronomical tide. Some areas such as the Great Barrier Reef in North Queensland are world-renowned marine wetland areas and attract visitors from all over the world. Queensland is one of the most biologically diverse places on earth. Every animal and plant species requires certain environmental conditions to move around, feed and reproduce. When habitats are threatened so are the animals and plants that live there. So why do we report on biodiversity? Well a healthy biodiversity is essential to provide ecosystem services. That is the benefits provided by ecosystems that contribute to making human life both possible and worth living. Equally we protect nature simply because of its intrinsic value. We all have a responsibility to protect it now and for future generations.