Biodiversity

Abstract

Biodiversity can be referred to as the sum total of all of the plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms on Earth; their genetic and phenotypic variation; and the communities and ecosystems of which they are a part. This definition implies that biodiversity encompasses three traditionally recognized levels of organization: intraspecific, interspecific, and ecosystem diversity. The intraspecific or genetic diversity level refers to the genetic diversity residing within a given species, including the genetic variation within and among populations of the same species. For example, the genes that determine the variation in flower color among plants within a population and the genes responsible for the variation in plant stature among populations located at different elevations represent such intraspecific diversity. The interspecific diversity or species diversity level is most commonly known as species richness (typically within a given group of organisms, such as plants, birds, etc.) in a community. The diversity of ecosystems level refers to the variety of ecosystems present in a given region, such as the presence of mangroves, savannas, tropical forests, and temperate forests found along an elevation gradient within a mountainous typical tropical region.