Biodiversity

The human species came into being at the time of greatest biological diversity in the history of the earth.  Today as human populations expand and alter the natural environment, they are reducing biological diversity to its lowest level since the end of the Mesozoic era, 65 million years ago. (Edward O. Wilson)

What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity or biological diversity can be defined as the spectrum of life forms and the ecological processes that support them.  It occurs at four different levels: genetic diversity, species diversity, community diversity, and ecosystem diversity.  Genetic diversity refers to a healthy and diverse gene pool for a specific species so that one calamity (e.g., disease) does not significantly harm the species; species diversity refers a multitude of species filling a particular niche in a geographical area, so that the loss of one species does not harm the community; and so on. 

According to Edward O. Wilson, the loss of biodiversity may be the most important environmental issue of all, because it is the only one that truly is wholly irreversible. The environmental issue concerning biodiversity is that the simplification of a natural community significantly weakens it and lessens the chance for its sustainability. Once something is gone, it is gone.  Ecological simplification is when the interrelationships between organisms and their environments are reduced in number and complexity (Department of Natural Resources, 1995). 

<<  -----  >>