Biodiversity

  BIODIVERSITY

It refers to the variety and abundance of organisms living in a particular region.  In other words, biodiversity is the variability among living and non-living organisms and ecological complexes of which they are part, including diversity within and between species and ecosystem.

Levels of Biodiversity

Biodiversity can be observed at three levels, which are as follows: 

i)   Genetic Diversity  It means the variation found in the genes within a species.  Each  individual of every species has a different genetic composition.  Within a species there may also be discrete populations with distinctive genes.

ii)      Species Diversity    It refers to the variety of species in a specific area.  The diversity of species can be measured through its richness, abundance and types.

iii)     Ecosystem Diversity      The broad differences between ecosystem types and the diversity of habitats and ecological processes occurring within each ecosystem type constitute the ecosystem diversity.

Measurement of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is an important measure of ecosystem health.  Biodiversity can be measured and monitored at several spatial scales.

•  Alpha Diversity   It is used to measure richness and evenness of individuals within a habitat unit.

•   Beta Diversity     Beta diversity is distinct from alpha diversity as it is an expression of diversity between habitats.

•    Gamma Diversity    It is used to measure diversity of habitats within a landscape or region.

•     Point Diversity     It refers to diversity on the smallest scale such as the diversity of microhabitats or sample taken from within a homogenous habitat.