Scientists at The American Museum of Natural History explain why managing biodiversity is a key component in managing endangered species. This video is another in the Shelf Life series from the American Museum of Natural History.
Even though one and a half million species of organisms have already been named and described, they represent just a tiny portion of the biodiversity of our planet.
Having a distinct genetic identity is important because more variation tends to be better in the face of the changing world. And when populations get small and isolated they don’t have the necessary ability to be resilient in the face of change.
Shelf Life videos are published by GotScience.org by agreement with the American Museum of Natural History.
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![Dichroa febrifuga, a medicinal herb that has been historically used to treat fever, is named for its active ingredient, febrifugine. By Keith Edkins (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons](https://magazine.scienceconnected.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Dichroa_febrifuga_Glasgow-e1463012377212.jpg)
