LEVELS OF BIODIVERSITY

1. Genetic Diversity

• The sum total of all information contained in the genes of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms.

• Includes the genetic variation between distinct populations of the same species, or variations within a population

• Plays a key role in the survival and adaptability of species to changing environmental conditions

  • Variations in the gene allows an organism’s morphoanatomy or physiology to change between generations → allows them to adapt and survive over time

  • Vulnerability to diseases goes down if genetic diversity goes up

2. Species Diversity

• The variety of species within a given spatial context

  • Includes their abundance, distribution and functions or interactions

• Two main factors when measuring species diversity → Richness and Evenness

  • Richness - a measure of the number of different kinds of organisms present in a particular area, regardless of scale

    • Ex: the number of organisms living in a spoonful of soil, or on a larger scale, such as the earth

  • Evenness - compares the similarity of the population size of each species present

    • Some habitats/ecosystems have higher species diversity, such as coral reefs and tropical rainforests

    • However, other habitats (like high altitude lakes, deserts, deep sea environments) have lower species diversity

3. Ecosystem Diversity

• The distribution and abundance of habitats, biotic communities, and ecological processes in the biosphere

• Presence of variety of habitats also supports a different set of species exhibiting different genetic variations in that region’

BIODIVERSITY ATTRIBUTES AND ECOSYSTEMS PROCESSES

• Compositional Biodiversity

• Structural Biodiversity

• Functional Biodiversity