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SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY
Biodiversity
The variety of life on Earth, including all organisms, species, and populations, and the genetic variation among them.
Ecosystem Services
Benefits that human populations derive, directly or indirectly, from ecosystem functions.
Genetic Diversity
The variety of genes within a species.
Species Diversity
The variety of different species within an ecosystem.
Ecosystem Diversity
The variety of habitats within a particular region.
Alpha Diversity
A measure of species richness within a particular area or ecosystem.
Beta Diversity
A measure of the change in species composition between different ecosystems.
Gamma Diversity
A measure of the total biodiversity across a larger region or an entire landscape.
Conservation Biology
A field of biology focused on understanding and protecting biodiversity and ecosystem services.
IUCN
International Union for Conservation of Nature, an organization that assesses the conservation status of species.
IUCN Red List
A comprehensive information source for the global conservation status of animal, plant, and fungi species.
Hotspots
Terrestrial areas that contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants found nowhere else on Earth.
Ecosystem Engineers
Species that create, modify, or maintain habitats in an ecosystem, such as beavers.
Provisioning Services
Products obtained from ecosystems, such as food, freshwater, and genetic resources.
Regulating Services
Benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes, including climate and disease regulation.
Cultural Services
Non-material benefits obtained from ecosystems, including spiritual enrichment and recreation.
Supporting Services
Ecosystem services that are necessary for the production of all other ecosystem services.
Species Vulnerability
The susceptibility of a species to decline or extinction due to various threats.
Keystone Species
A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance.
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