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Biological diversity (biodiversity)

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Environmental Geology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Science ((EESS))

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Biodiversity, a contraction of biological diversity, refers to the number, variety and population sizes of living species in their various physical habitats (Wilson and Frances, 1988). The term has three particular connotations. Genetic diversity represents the variation in characteristics of species, as represented by their genes and chromosomes and as spread by reproduction and recombination. It is outwardly expressed by differences in the form and function of organisms. Species diversity refers to the total of different living species currently present on Earth and in particular habitats. However, it is not entirely representative of biodiversity, as the level of differentiation between species varies considerably among different types of organisms, and biodiversity is greatest where the species present differ most strongly from one another. Ecosystem (community) diversityis characterized in terms of the relative abundance of species, and differentiation among them, at...

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Bibliography

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Authors
  1. David E. Alexander
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© 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Alexander, D.E. (1999). Biological diversity (biodiversity). In: Environmental Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4494-1_36

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4494-1_36

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-412-74050-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-4494-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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