Meaning of biodiversity

All living things exist within their own communities, or ecosystems - The word biodiversity is a contraction of 'biological diversity'. The concept is broad and complex, but that complexity is what makes Earth a perfect place for humans to live. Why do we need biodiversity? Humans rely on biodiversity to survive. We are intertwined in a big natural system, and each element supports and enables all of us to thrive. It is easy to see why humans need nature: we need fresh water, clean air, and plants and animals for food. But what we need specifically is biodiversity. Nature around us isn't enough - we need a natural world that is complex, resilient, thriving and full of variety. Ecosystem services The benefits biodiversity brings are called ecosystem services. Biodiversity keeps us all alive, but it also helps to make our lives healthy and safe. Ecosystem services include forests that diminish floods, coastlines that protect us from changing sea levels, wetlands that regulate pollution and Biodiversity and species richness When we talk about biodiversity, we often talk about species richness as well. Species richness is the number of different species in an area, a way of measuring biodiversity. Studying species richness helps us to understand the differences between places and areas. For example, About 1.7 million species have been described by scientists, and most of them are insects. But it is thought that there are millions more sharing our planet with us. Endangered spe...

Healthy communities rely on well-functioning ecosystems. They provide clean air, fresh water, medicines and food security. They also limit disease and stabilize the climate. But biodiversity loss is happening at unprecedented rates, impacting human health worldwide, according to a What is biodiversity? Biodiversity underpins all life on Earth, and refers to biological variety in all its forms, from the genetic make up of plants and animals to cultural diversity. What does biodiversity mean for human health? People depend on biodiversity in their daily lives, in ways that are not always apparent or appreciated. Human health ultimately depends upon ecosystem products and services (such as availability of fresh water, food and fuel sources) which are requisite for good human health and productive livelihoods. Biodiversity loss can have significant direct human health impacts if ecosystem services are no longer adequate to meet social needs. Indirectly, changes in ecosystem services affect livelihoods, income, local migration and, on occasion, may even cause or exacerbate political conflict. Additionally, biological diversity of microorganisms, flora and fauna provides extensive benefits for biological, health, and pharmacological sciences. Significant medical and pharmacological discoveries are made through greater understanding of the earth's biodiversity. Loss in biodiversity may limit discovery of potential treatments for many diseases and health problems. Threats to biodi...

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Origin of Biodiversity Matthew R. Fisher and Editor Figure 1. The diversity of life on Earth is the result of evolution, a continuous process that is still occurring. (credit “wolf”: modification of work by Gary Kramer, USFWS; credit “coral”: modification of work by William Harrigan, NOAA; credit “river”: modification of work by Vojtěch Dostál; credit “protozoa”: modification of work by Sharon Franklin, Stephen Ausmus, USDA ARS; credit “fish” modification of work by Christian Mehlführer; credit “mushroom”, “bee”: modification of work by Cory Zanker; credit “tree”: modification of work by Joseph Kranak) What biological process is responsible for biodiversity? All species —from the bacteria on our skin to the birds outside—evolved at some point from a different species. Although it may seem that living things today stay much the same from generation to generation, that is not the case because evolution is ongoing. Evolution is the process through which the characteristics of a species change over time, which can ultimately cause new species to arise. The theory of evolution is the unifying theory of biology, meaning it is the framework within which biologists ask questions about the living world. Its power is that it provides direction for predictions about living things that are borne out in experiment after experiment. The Ukrainian-born American geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky famously wrote that “nothing makes sense in biology except in the light of evolution.” He meant...

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