Defining Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the term used to describe the variety of biota in a given region (from very large to microscopic). There are 3 main subsets of biodiversity that can serve as indicators of the state of ecosystems - species diversity, habitat diversity, and genetic diversity.  Some even refer to a fourth type of biodiversity called functional biodiversity, which involves the behaviors of organisms in an ecosystem. Species diversity is measured according to an ecosystem’s richness, which is how many different forms of life are present, and its evenness, which is the degree to which the numbers of the different populations are similar. Biodiversity has both functional and intrinsic value in ecosystems, as it is directly correlated with the stability of ecosystems and weaves such a delicate complexity that it warrants appreciation of its aesthetic.