Biodiversity is the sum of all the different species of animals, plants, fungi and. Numerous forms of stability have been described, and there is no theoretical reason to believe that biodiversity should enhance all forms. The diversity of societies, cultures and languages that has developed throughout human history is intimately related to biodiversity and its use. The manifestation of biodiversity is the biological resources genes, species, organisms, ecosystems and ecological processes of which they are part. Biodiversity is not evenly distributed, rather it varies greatly across the globe as well as within regions. Changes in biodiversity can influence human resources, such as food, energy, and medicines, as well as ecosystem services that human rely onfor example, water purification and recycling. Biodiversity is the variety of all species on our planet. Biological survey of virunga volcanoes wcs, dfgfi, iccn, ortpn, uwa, igcp 5 list of figures figure 1. The course diploma in ecology studies provides information on ecology in conservation, natural resource management, and more.
An estimated 40 per cent of the global economy is based on biologi. Biodiversitybiodiversity by ankush sethi nikhil sood vijay mohan 2. For the purposes of detailed analysis, and the creation of indicators to measure or monitor trends, exactly how biodiversity is defined will influence what is measured. Biodiversity is a relatively new compound word, but biological diversity when referring to the number of species is not. Species biodiversity the variety of living things e. In this special year, the united nations forum on forests unff and the secretariat of the convention on biological diversity cbd are working together to highlight the importance of forest biodiversity to humankind. Species diversity refers to biodiversity at the most basic level and is the variety and abundance of different types of individuals of a species in a given area. The information you enter here will be stored in the downloaded file to assist you in managing your downloaded pdfs locally. Genetic biodiversity the variations between individuals of the same species, and characteristics passed down between parents and offspring e. There are systematic processes for evaluation solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem. Nearly 45,000 species of plants and twice as many of animals have been recorded from india.
It includes all the species on earth, ranging from plants such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, bryophytes, pteridophytes, gymnosperms, angiosperms and all the species of. Biodiversity hotspots are geographical areas that contain high numbers of endemic species. However, this is not to say that such measures are mutually exclusive. Biodiversity can be measured through the use of quantitativeindicators, although no single unified approach exists. These include drinkable water, clean air, and fertile soils. There are quite a few forest ecosystem pdf, available for those inclined to research into this further. The term biodiversity was coined as a contraction of biological diversity by e. Biodiversity also supplies indirect services to humans which are often taken for granted.
Ecosystems form the foundation of biospheres and determine the life of organisms, everywhere on planet earth. Chapter 2 biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services. Ecological concepts, principles and applications to. In this report status and methodologies for conservation of biodiversity in india have been studied. Among other factors, the diversity of all living things depends on temperature, precipitation, altitude, soils, geography and the presence of other species. Module 11 biodiversity crisis unit 02 types of biodiversity. It was the first document to examine the social, economic and environmental.
It is the most complex and important feature of our planet. Biodiversity biological diversity is the total variety of living organisms in all ecosystems on earth, the genetic differences between them, and the communities and ecosystems in which they occur. Biodiversity is typically a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level. Biodiversity definition biological diversity means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part. The loss of populations, species, or groups of species from an ecosystem can upset its normal function and disrupt these ecological services. Biodiversity describes the richness and variety of life on earth. The study of the spatial distribution of organisms, species and ecosystems, is the science of biogeography. Biodiversity is the variety of all lifebiodiversity is the variety of all life forms. Short for biological diversity, biodiversity includes all organisms, species, and populations. Biodiversityshort for biological diversitymeans the diversity of life in all its formsthe. Biodiversity is the variation among living organisms from different sources including terrestrial, marine and desert ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are a part.
Each member of any animal or plant species differs widely from other individuals in its genetic makeup because of the large number of combinations possible in the genes that give every individua. More than 150 governments signed the document at that conference, and since. Genetic biodiversity refers to the amount of variation within a gene pool. But, gradually over the years, there has been a major loss in the biodiversity across.
Pdf the loss of biological diversity is a global crisis. The loss of biodiversity is dangerous and its consequences are immediate. In other words, biodiversity is the occurrence of different types of ecosystems, different species of organisms with the whole. Map of virunga volcanoes showing the nine sectors and the volcano names. The purpose of the concept was to identify important locations on the planet for conservation efforts.
Associate professor, kamala nehru college, university of delhi. Biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services 7 biodiversity at a suitable scale, e. This includes a brief description of the type of land, the organisation that develops and maintains the mapping and the process they follow and where more information can be found. Forest biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate. Types of biodiversity biodiversity is a generic term that can be related to many environments and species, for example, forests, freshwater, marine and temperate environments, the soil, crop. Biodiversity and conservation although india h as only 2.
Biodiversity includes the genetic variability for which different varieties of spices have appeared in the course of evolution and diversity of life forms such as plants, animal microbes, etc. Oecd work on biodiversity and ecosystems biodiversity in the international context biodiversity is defined as the variability among living organisms from all sources, including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are part. Biodiversity is most often understood in terms of the number of species or other taxa. The levels of organization of biodiversity include ecosystems, species and genes. For example, plant and animal species need each other for food, and depend on the environment for water and shelter. Environmentalists might define biodiversity as the total of all plant and animal life of the planet, and the planet itself. That is what makes our country one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world. The importance of biological diversity to human society is hard to overstate. Biodiversity is also known as biological diversity. Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life on earth. All download all files associated with this book links to the internet archive where you have access to image files, metadata files, and other derivative files more information about available files including descriptions and file types. It includes different plants, animals, birds and microorganisms, their genes, their habitats and all the ecosystems forests, grasslands, lacks, ponds, rivers, wetlands etc. Genetic diversity is all the different genes contained in all. Brief outlines of the two types of diversity indices of biodiversity are discussed in this article.
Generally speaking, there are three types of biodiversity. By protecting hotspots, governments are able to protect a larger number of species. Dominance indices are weighted toward the abundance of the commonest species. The biodiversity heritage library works collaboratively to make biodiversity literature openly available to the world as part of a global biodiversity community. All these diversities help in maintaining the correct balance of nature. Furthermore, the measure, management and protection of ecosystem biodiversity requires different and innovative approaches. Heudes molluscan types biodiversity heritage library.
An ecosystem can simply be defined as a system, comprising of all living organisms existing with one another in a unit of space. Three levels of biodiversity are commonly discussed genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Select pages to download allows you to generate a custom pdf containing only the pages you need useful for. Much has been published on the subject since its first appearance at the national forum on biodiversity in september, 1986, the proceedings of which became the bestseller, biodiversity. The first two correspond to the different levels at which biodiversity can be measured. Pdf biodiversity is the variety of different forms of life on earth, including the. Consensus statement two there is mounting evidence that biodiversity increases the stability of ecosystem functions through time. Gene pools with greater diversity are typically able to withstand chance events and disturbances. The concept of biodiversity has provoked considerable debate and misunderstanding among the general public, decisionmakers, and even the scientific community. Biodiversity biodiversity variety of life at all levels of organization types of biodiversity 1. Learn more about the conservation of biodiversity here.
Biodiversity loss is the extinction of species plant or animal worldwide, and also the local reduction or loss of species in a certain habitat. Biodiversity measures the variety of animal and vegetable species in the biosphere and is. Biodiversity is a key measure of the health of any ecosystem, and of our entire planet. A widely used dominance index is simpsons diversity index. Biodiversity is the part of nature which includes the difference in genes among the individuals of a species, the variety and richness of all the plant and animal species at different scales in space, locally in a region, in the country and the world and various types of. Glossary secretariat of the convention on biological diversity.
Environmentalists might define biodiversity as the total of all plant and animal life of the planet, and the planet itself the air, water and land that supports animal and plant life. The term that is used to define this crowd of organisms that populate every corner of the planet, and that have adapted even to the most extreme environments, is biodiversity or biological diversity. Biodiversity may be defined as the variety and variability of living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they exist. Now that we know the different types of biodiversity, let us look at the importance of biodiversity. From the hot arid deserts of the sahara, through the lush green rainforests of the amazon, to the ocean depths and bright corals, our natural world is a marvel of different landscapes, materials, colours and textures. It has been estimated that more than 50 million species of plants, animals and microorganisms are existing in the world. An ecosystem is a dynamic complex of plant, animal and microorganism communities and nonliving. Biodiversity is the part of nature which includes the difference in genes among the individuals of a species, the variety and richness of all the plant and animal species at different scales in space, locally in a region, in the country and the world and various types of ecosystems, both terrestrial and aquatic within a defined area. Every organism in an ecosystem, or biome, relies on other organisms and the physical environment. It is the natural wealth of the earth, which supplies all our food and much of our shelter and raw materials. The latter phenomenon can be temporary or permanent, depending on whether the environmental degradation that leads to the loss is reversible through ecological restoration ecological resilience or. Despite the benefits from biodiversity, todays threats to species and ecosystems are. Biodiversity also underpins ecosystem function and the provision of ecosystem services. Recognizing biodiversity is essential to preserve wildlife.
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