The subcommittee heard testimony on H.R. 585, the National Biological Diversity and Research Act, and H.R. 2082, the National Biological Diversity Conservation Act, both of which were written with the intention of aiding preservation of biological diversity. Biological diversity refers to the wide range of organisms in the Earth’s ecosystem, each of which aids in the stabilization of the Earth’s environment. Environmental scientists and representatives of U.S. government environmental agencies testified on the importance of the preservation of biological diversity to the human species as well as other animal and plant life.