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The term 'biodiversity' is still confusing and is more complex than you think

Edited and resized image of Manlake Gabriel is available on Unsplash

Biodiversity is an expression that comes from the union of the terms "diversity" and "biological", and means the variety of life or the variety of all forms of life existing on Earth, whether macro or microscopic.

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All the different types of life found in an area - animals, plants, fungi and even micro-organisms such as bacteria, are part of biodiversity. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and sustain life. Biodiversity supports everything we need to survive in nature: food, clean water, medicine and shelter.

But as humans put increasing pressure on the planet, using and consuming more resources than planetary limits allow, there is a risk of disturbing the balance of ecosystems and, consequently, of loss of biodiversity.

Biodiversity can be studied at different levels, from the highest, where all the different species on Earth are considered; even the lowest ones, like the species that are part of the ecosystem of a lake.

But… Species? Ecosystem?

Ecology does have highly "confounding" terms like "species", "population", "community", and "ecosystem". In order for us to be able to read and learn a little more about biodiversity, we first need to be aware of the differences between these concepts.

Species

Edited and resized image by Tomas Sobek, available on Unsplash

A species corresponds to a subdivision or group of individuals that have characteristics in common (such as their morphology, anatomy, and physiology), distinguishing themselves from the others by this specific character, being also capable of reproducing and generating fertile descendants. In biology, it is called the basic unit of biological classifications, or taxonomic group.

Population

Edited and resized image by Thomas Kelley is available on Unsplash

A population represents the dynamics of the relationship between individuals, considering the set of individuals of a species in a space/time unit.

Community

Edited and resized image by Hidde Rensink is available on Unsplash

On the other hand, community studies consider populations together in a unit of space/time, while ecosystems consider together the biotic and abiotic environment in a unit of space/time.

Species richness and abundance measures

One of the ways to quantify biodiversity is to use mathematical mechanisms called "wealth measures", which estimate the number of species present in a community. There are also two types of richness measures: specific richness and species density.

THE specific wealth is related to the number of species in a community. Species density, on the other hand, is related to the number of species present in a given area or volume.

Another method that can be used is also the calculation for "species abundance", which will determine how abundant a species is in relation to others, within an established group of individuals.

However, biodiversity is not a species-only concept. To consider the full diversity of life on Earth, it is necessary for us to recognize the genetic diversity of species, in addition to the diversity of existing habitats and ecosystems.

Genetic and ecological biodiversity

Genetic biodiversity includes variation in genes within a species.

Ecological biodiversity, on the other hand, is all that existing in ecosystems, natural habitats and communities. In a simpler way, ecological biodiversity represents the different ways in which species interact with each other, and these with the environment.

Did you know?

• It is estimated that over 100 million different species inhabit planet Earth;
• Only about 1.7 million have been identified so far, so we still have a long way to go before we can discover them all.
• It was also identified that tropical ecosystems have greater biodiversity than other ecosystems;
• According to the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), Brazil has the greatest biodiversity on the planet (about 20% of the total number of species in the world), due to the diversity of biomes that reflects the enormous wealth of Brazilian fauna and flora;
• The group of animals with the greatest diversity of species is that of invertebrates, and more than half of the animals already identified belong to this group.

Biodiversity can also be considered very important to human and ecosystem health, as it provides the variety of foods that are essential to us, as well as other materials that contribute to the economy. In addition, the diversity of pollinators is also essential, as without it there would not be such a wide variety of foods that we find on the market.

Most medical discoveries were made through the investigation of the biology and genetics of animals and plants (via biomimetics). At any moment, some species goes into extinction, and we will never know if an investigation of it would lead to the discovery of a new vaccine or medicine.

Biodiversity allows ecosystems to adjust after a disturbance, such as a fire or extreme flooding (a phenomenon called resilience). Likewise, genetic diversity prevents disease and allows species to adapt to changes in the environment.

Threats

Extinction, despite being treated with a certain revulsion and great fear, is natural and part of life on Earth. Throughout the planet's history, most species that have ever existed have evolved to then gradually become extinct due to, for example, natural climate changes that occur over long timescales (such as in the Ice Ages).

• Climate change could extinguish 10% of amphibian species in the Atlantic Forest

"But then we shouldn't worry, should we?" Well we must, yes! Mainly because species are becoming extinct at a very fast pace, thanks to environmental and climatic changes caused by human action, according to a good part of the scientific community. Some of the consequences of this human interference that causes the accelerated loss of biodiversity are the loss of habitats or their degradation, the overexploitation of natural resources and the spread of non-native species and/or diseases.

• What is climate change in the world?
• What is global warming?

About a third of all known species are threatened with extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This number encompasses about 29% of amphibians, 21% of mammals and 12% of all birds. It is estimated that today, species have become extinct about 100 to 1000 times faster than what was expected for the natural rate of extinction.

Protected areas are essential for us to reduce these rates, or at least keep them stable. These areas end up functioning as refuges for species, shelters for genetic diversity and for ecological processes. In addition, they provide space for natural evolution, and because they have milder temperatures, they protect animals and plants from accelerated global warming while the rest of the world seeks the long-term solution of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. ).

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• What are greenhouse gases

According to Evaluation report Globally, nearly 1 million species of animals and plants are threatened with extinction. Human actions changed the natural world everywhere. Three-quarters of the terrestrial environment and about 66% of the ocean environment have changed significantly. This influence is so great that some experts claim that we are in the Anthropocene Era.

More than a third of the world's land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to agricultural or livestock production.

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Unfortunately, the Global Assessment report offers irrefutable evidence of not only nature's unprecedented decline, but its risks to human lives and prosperity. The need for urgent action has not been clearer. O business as usual is no longer an option. The report offers hope for setting nature on the path to recovery through transformative change, redefining our approach to a more sustainable future.