Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Overview

Biodiversity

Diversity in living organisms on Earth.

Biological Hierarchy

Organization of life from cells to ecosystems.

Species Richness

Number of different species in a habitat.

Species Evenness

Distribution of individuals among species.

Natural Selection

Process where organisms better adapted survive.

Phenotype

Observable traits of an organism.

Selection Pressure

Environmental factors that influence survival.

Allele Combination

Different forms of a gene in an organism.

Endemic Species

Species native to a specific location.

Invasive Species

Non-native species that disrupt ecosystems.

Overharvesting

Excessive removal of species from their habitat.

Habitat Loss

Destruction or alteration of natural environments.

Climate Change

Long-term alteration of temperature and weather patterns.

Extinction Events

Periods when species dramatically decline or disappear.

Ecosystem Services

Benefits provided by ecosystems to humans.

Provisioning Services

Products obtained from ecosystems, like food.

Regulating Services

Benefits from ecosystem processes, like climate regulation.

Supporting Services

Services that maintain ecosystem functions, like soil formation.

Cultural Services

Non-material benefits from ecosystems, like recreation.

Biodiversity Estimates

Approximate counts of species on Earth.

Global Ecosystem Services Value

Estimated at $142.7 trillion globally.

Value Chains

Economic assessment of ecosystem service contributions.