Biodiversity (1) The variety of life and its processes. Biodiversity includes the diversity of landscapes, communities, and populations (genetic variation). Also called Biological Diversity or Biotic Diversity. (2) Refers to the variety and variability of life, including the complex relationships among microorganisms, insects, animals, and plants that decompose waste, cycle nutrients, and create the air that we breathe. Diversity can be defined as the number of different items and their relative frequencies. For biological diversity, these items are organized at many levels, ranging from complete Ecosystems to the biochemical structures that are the molecular basis of heredity. Thus, the term encompasses different ecosystems, species, and genes. It is generally accepted that human survival is dependent upon the conservation and preservation of this diversity of life forms. Typically five levels of biodiversity are recognized: 1 Genes – Genetic diversity encompasses the variety of genetically coded characteristics of plant and animal populations, 2 Populations – Groups of individuals of a species that interbreed or interact socially in an area, 3 Species – The level at which most organisms are recognizable as distinct from all others, 4 Natural Communities – Groups of species that typically occur in recognizable units, such as redwood forests, coastal sage scrub, or oak woodlands. A natural community includes all the vegetation and animal life, and their interactions within that community, and 5 Ecosystems – A collection of natural communities. An ecosystem can be as small as a rotting log or a puddle of water, but current management efforts typically focus on larger landscape units, such as a mountain range, a river basin, or a watershed.
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Author of the Water Words Dictionary source of text: Gary A. Horton
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