Biodiverse definition

A biodiverse garden contains a variety of life on all levels, from microscopic to plants to animals.

This is the opposite of a monoculture, since biodiversity depends on interplanting. Instead of having a garden free from “pests,” animals and insects are balanced and encouraged. Biodiversity is also present in the microscopic level, where the soil microbiome is healthy and active.

These components of biodiversity create a healthy and resilient ecosystem, while at the same time encouraging an eco-friendly garden. This is because organic gardening practices not only reduce usage of harmful petrochemicals but also contribute to biodiversity conservation and soil health.

Biodiversity mitigates climate change

“A complex habitat structure supports more species and stores more carbon at a greater rate. Protecting, restoring and enhancing biodiversity on managed lands all enhance sinks.” - Project Drawdown

As the quote from Project Drawdown explains, biodiversity creates an ecosystem that can better capture carbon in the soil.

The United Nations states that biodiversity is the top nature-based solution to climate change.

When we have more diversity in plants and keep the soil planted for as much of the year as possible, we increase the levels of photosynthesis that are happening in our soils. This stores carbon in plant tissue and in the soil, keeping it out of the atmosphere (CSU).

TL;DR: Plant lots of kinds plants, all over, and mix them up to create a carbon sink in your yard.

Climate change decreases biodiversity

Climate change is having a significant impact on biodiversity around the world. As temperatures rise, many species - plants and animals - are struggling to adapt to their changing environments. This can lead to a loss of biodiversity, as certain species become extinct or are forced to migrate to new areas.

Additionally, climate change can alter ecosystems in ways that make it difficult for certain species to survive. For example, changes in precipitation patterns can affect the availability of water and food sources, which can have ripple effects throughout the food chain.

The importance of biodiversity in your organic garden

1. Biodiversity of plants for a sustainable garden

‍Interplanting different plants together, and including pollinator-friendly plants and native plants in your garden is the main way to create biodiversity in your garden. This act will, in turn, make the goals that follow (soil health, beneficial insects, animal habitat) easier to obtain.

When we let plants mingle instead of aiming for a monoculture, we create an environment where:

• plants can be companions to each other by attracting beneficial insects to the area, repelling pests, or aiding in soil health and nutrition
• crop loss is reduced, since in a monoculture pests can easily access their favorite plants, but will not cause as much damage if crop is interplanted with other things, especially plants with a high scent
• yield increases when pollinator plants are included into the garden, as pollinators will pollinate your crop plants if you attract them with their favorites, such as borage, bee balm, etc.
• soil health is encouraged, since different plants build relationships with different microbes and fungi, the microbiome is diverse as well
• microclimates can be formed when tall, sun-loving plants offer other plants that prefer more mild weather - such as sunflower or fennel providing shade for lettuce

The benefits of plant biodiversity result in less need for pesticides and fertilizers.

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2. Biodiversity of soil microorganisms as a nature-based solution to climate change

‍Soil health is one of the key areas of focus in regenerative gardening. You often hear regenerative farmers saying that they focus on growing healthy soil instead of growing healthy plants, since it’s the quality of the soil that encourages lush and abundant plant growth.

As mentioned above, when we plant a variety of species in an area, different bacteria and fungi will appear to form mutual beneficial relationships with these plants.

For example, the brassica (broccoli, kale, turnips, daikon, cabbage, etc.) and the chenopodiacea families (beets, chard, spinach, quinoa, amaranth) do NOT form fungal relationships in the soil. So one way to encourage strong fungal networks in the soil is to interplant vegetables in these families with other plants, such as beans, lettuces, flowers, or nightshades (Jesse Frost, Living Soil Handbook).

Furthermore, a study conducted at Northwest A&F University in China found that diversity in the soil microbiome supported nutrient availability to plants (specifically nitrogen) for better overall plant health and yield (Intercropping, 2020).

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3. Biodiversity of beneficial insects for an eco-friendly garden

‍As mentioned above, we are able to bring in a variety of different beneficial insects when we practice interplanting in our garden.

For example, if you have aphids, ladybugs and lacewings will come through and eat them. Aphids may feed on your fava beans or brassicas, while ladybugs and lacewings are attracted to queen anne’s lace or carrot flowers and dill.

Scalebugs and mites are also tasty treats for ladybugs, and lacewings also eat caterpillars, mealy bugs, and insect eggs.

Thrips and other small insects can be gobbled up by hoverflies.

Ground beetles are especially helpful in the garden - they eat slugs, asparagus beetles, potato beetles, corn earworms, cutworms, squash vine borers, and tobacco budworms!

While those pests are attracted to brassicas, asparagus, potatoes, corn, squash, and nightshades, ground beetles are attracted to different plants, mainly clover and amaranth.

See the chart below for a handy reference of garden pests and their beneficial predators:‍

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We know that flowers and herbs attract pollinators, butterflies, and other beneficial insects into our garden. But what is interesting is that different plants attract different types of insects that you might otherwise lump into the same category.

For example, wasps. There are many different kinds of wasps, but you can attract parasitic paper wasps that pray on tomato hornworms by planting alyssum. The Great Black Wasp feeds on crickets (UMN, and can be attracted with goldenrod and milkweed (Orkin).

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4. Biodiversity of animals for a more sustainable garden

‍A biodiversity of animals can be encouraged with not only an abundance of variety in plants, but also with microclimates and habitat areas.

As an example, rotting logs can attract ground beetles, salamanders, and snakes (PSU - all of which pray on slugs!

Birds offer a great service to the garden by eating various pests. According to the Cornucopia Institute, the Western Bluebird eats grasshoppers, beetles, weevils, crickets, and caterpillars. Chickadees love moths, caterpillars, and leafhoppers. Many other birds, like wrens, nuthatches, sparrows, and swallows also eat a similar diet.

You can create habitat spaces for these birds by placing nesting boxes around your garden, offering a bird feeder, and positioning a birdbath in the garden.

Frogs and toads are helpful creatures to have around the garden, and they like damp, dark spaces. The Farmer’s Almanac suggests leaving a terracotta pot in the shade for them, with a source of water.

When we encourage a variety of animals into our garden, we are able to let nature deal with pest problems instead of toxic herbicides.

A biodiverse garden is not only beneficial for the environment but also for plant and human health.

Diversity among plants, soil microbiota, insects, and animals provides a resilient ecosystem for our plants to grow in. Sustainable gardening practices such as reducing the use of chemicals, adding compost and vermicompost, and natural pest control methods can further enhance the health of the garden and contribute to overall biodiversity conservation.

How to design a biodiverse garden

One of the best ways to start designing a biodiverse garden is to think about the main items you want to grow. Perhaps you’re focusing on certain flowers, or maybe a mix of flowers, herbs, and vegetables. Whatever your focus, think of how you can distribute those various crops throughout the garden.

For example, let’s say you wanted to focus on winter squash in the garden. You can distribute the squash plants around your garden, and then leave space for other plants, herbs, and flowers in each bed.

I find that if I start with what I prioritize in the garden and then look at that from an interplanting perspective, I can see how I can spread out my crops, and let them mingle with flowers, herbs, and other vegetables.

For example, let’s say that I wanted to focus on long-term storage vegetables and was planning on growing a lot of winter squash.

Squash vine borers are eaten by ground beetles, so you can interplant squash with amaranth and let clover be a living pathway which would in turn bring those beetles in.

Radishes also turn away squash vine borers, so you can interplant a crop of radishes with your squash (masterclass).

Parasitic wasps eat squash bugs (USU), so you can plant some alyssum nearby.

The winter squash also benefit other vegetables because their spreading nature keeps the soil cool and moist, so other plants nearby will have less water evaporation. Of course, this is part of the reasoning for the 3 sisters garden of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, where squash was grown with corn and beans in the same garden area.

Choose native plants and flowers for local biodiversity

Native plants and flowers are adapted to your specific climate, which makes them more likely to thrive in your garden. That also means that they attract the beneficial bugs and wildlife found in your area, as they co-evolved together in the same region.

With native plants being adapted to your area, you’ll often find that they thrive with less water and fertilizer than other non-native plants. Native plants and flowers also ensure that invasive species will not overcome your property and the surrounding area.

Create a diversity of habitats

Next, plan on forming a diversity of habitats in your garden is important because it allows for a wide range of wildlife to thrive.

This can be done by incorporating different types of plants, as well as adding features like birdhouses, nesting boxes, beetle bumps, mason bee homes, insect hotels, water sources, bird baths, and rock piles.

Bring perennials, trees, and shrubs in the garden

Perennial plants, such as certain flowers, herbs, and vegetables form different relationships with beneficial microbes in the soil, which in turn helps to build soil health.

Trees and shrubs, such as a hedgerow or a living border around your garden, provide nesting areas, shade, and habitat around your garden.

These plants, since they stay in the ground longer, cause less soil disturbance than your typical potato or beet crop, or they are not mistakenly pulled up by the roots like how some other annual crops might be during harvest time.

This keeps carbon in the soil, helping to build soil and increase planetary health.

The Importance of Biodiversity as a Sustainable Organic Gardening Practice

One of the most important practices in sustainable gardening is eliminating harmful petrochemicals. Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are made from petrochemicals, have a high carbon footprint, and can harm beneficial plants and insects in your garden.

In a sense, applying synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides in your garden decreases biodiversity on all levels: microbial, fungal, botanical, entomological (insects), and zooloigical (animals).

Instead, natural and organic alternatives such as organic fertilizers, compost and vermicompost can be applied. Organic fertilizers not only provide necessary nutrients for plants but also improve soil health and structure. Healthier plants are better able to resist pest and disease pressure, and organic products to not kill off beneficial insects and animals.

Organic pest control methods can also be used to manage pests and diseases in the garden. In addition to companion planting, you can implement crop rotation to help reduce pest damage.

Apart from the benefits to the garden’s biodiversity, reducing the use of chemicals also has a positive impact on the environment and helps combat climate change. Chemicals used in conventional agriculture can contribute to soil degradation, air pollution, and water contamination.

These chemicals use a lot of fossil fuels to be produced, transported, and applied. Sustainable gardening practices avoid these negative impacts and promote a healthier future for all.

In fact, two thirds of fertilizer ghg emissions are actually from application and usage (source).

Combat climate change with a biodiverse garden

Having a biodiverse garden is crucial in the fight against climate change, as it creates a resilient ecosystem that serves as a carbon sink and provides a synthetic-chemical free environment for plants to thrive. A biodiverse garden contains a variety of life on all levels, from microscopic to plants to animals.

Overall, creating a biodiverse garden is a crucial step in reducing the impact of climate change and promoting a healthier environment.

Plus, a diverse garden is just more beautiful...in my opinion at least.

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