![Darwin - The Voyage That Shook the World - BluRay [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51sx5aPkzoL._SL160_SS160_.jpg)
Welcome to Biodiversity Guide
Lack Of Biodiversity Is Dangerous Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
The Concept Of Biodiversity – An Exercise In Variability
from:While it shouldn't be, it's often hard for people to wrap their minds around the concept of biodiversity. Partly this is because the concept of biodiversity is a complex one, and partly it's because so many agencies have vested interests in people seeing anything that conserves resources as a threat to their lifestyles. The first steps toward defining the concept of biodiversity were undertaken by E.O. Wilson in the mid-1980s. Since then, the concept has become so important that there are a number of world, national, and local initiatives targeted at reducing biodiversity loss by 2010.
The concept of biodiversity breaks down into three major factors, all of which are interwoven:
First is the concept of genetic diversity. This refers to the variation of genes within a single species and can be further broken down into two components: genetic variations within distinct populations of the same species, and genetic variations within a population.
Next is the concept of species diversity. This take us up one rung as we consider the varieties of species within a region. There are two main measures to assess this: the first is species “richness”, or the number of species, both plant and animal, that inhabit an area; the second is the more precise “taxonomic diversity,” which takes into account the relationships between species in addition to their numbers.
The third factor, and the overarching one, is ecosystem diversity. Since the boundaries between various biological communities are highly fluid, this is the most difficult factor to measure accurately, yet it may very well be the most important, since this is where changes that affect all life occur. Climate change, often caused by things like global warming, are among the greatest threats to ecosystem diversity.
Biological diversity includes the variety of ecosystems, and their patterns. It also includes their linkages across regional landscapes. There is a hierarchy of the parts and processes of biological diversity that is, admittedly, artificial. This hierarchy also has a distinct human context (i.e., things are seen in the context of how useful they are to humans). Still, it provides a focus for the concept of biodiversity, which is so infinitely varied that any lens taken to it must be narrowly focused compared to the full spectrum of both the topic and human needs.
Understanding the concept of biodiversity should be a high priority for everyone, since we cannot preserve it if we don't understand it, and not preserving it will ultimately affect the lives of all of us. One of the best ways of understanding the very broad concept of biodiversity is reading the various definitions used by scientists, philosophers, environmentalists, and others.
Lack Of Biodiversity Is Dangerous Specific links
Lack Of Biodiversity Is Dangerous News
Rapid Coral Death by a Deadly Chain Reaction - Science Daily (press release)
Rapid Coral Death by a Deadly Chain Reaction Science Daily (press release) ScienceDaily (May 23, 2012) — Most people are fascinated by the colorful and exotic coral reefs, which form habitats with probably the largest biodiversity. But human civilization is the top danger to these fragile ecosystems through climate change, ... Rapid Coral Death By Deadly Chain Reaction |
Earth 'going downhill' as consumption rises, report says - CNN
 msnbc.com | Earth 'going downhill' as consumption rises, report says CNN "The report is clear that we're still going downhill, that our ecological footprint, the pressure we put on the earth's resources, continues to rise so we're now using 50% more resources that the earth can replenish and biodiversity continues to ... We must look after Earth, there's no planet B |
Seagrass and the carbon paradox - RenewEconomy
Seagrass and the carbon paradox RenewEconomy Yet, seagrass meadows lack the glamour of coral reefs and many Australians, as most people worldwide, do not think much of their seagrass. Indeed, seagrasses have been termed the “ugly ducklings of marine conservation” (Duarte et al. |
Biodiversity could be casualty of Myanmar openness - The Associated Press
Biodiversity could be casualty of Myanmar openness The Associated Press The bird's status is among many reasons Myanmar is regarded as one of Asia's last bastions of biodiversity, and why environmentalists view the country's steps toward opening its doors with some fear. Myanmar has avoided the rapid, often rampant ... |
Biodiversity could be casualty of Myanmar openness - Atlanta Journal Constitution
 Atlanta Journal Constitution | Biodiversity could be casualty of Myanmar openness Atlanta Journal Constitution The bird's status is among many reasons Myanmar is regarded as one of Asia's last bastions of biodiversity, and why environmentalists view the country's steps toward opening its doors with some fear. (AP Photo/Ian Fulton) In this undated photo released ... Myanmar 'ripe for environmental rape' |