TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY

Definition:

Literally, “bio” means “life” & “diversity” means “variety”, so ‘Biodiversity’

is ‘the study of variety & richness of life in biosphere’.

Even if something catastrophic and unexpected occurs, like a disease that

affects an entire species, genetically diverse populations are more likely to carry
genetic code that leaves some members of the population less vulnerable. So long as
those carrying the genetic benefit are able to reproduce, the disease resistance can
be passed along to the next generation to keep the species going.

Three Types of Biodiversity:

Researchers generally accept three levels of biodiversity: genetic, species, and

ecosystem. These levels are all interrelated yet distinct enough that they can be
studied as three separate components. Some researchers believe that there are fewer
or more levels than these, but the consensus is that three levels is a good number to
work with.

Most studies, either theoretical or experimental, focus on the species level, as

it is the easiest to work on both conceptually and in practice. The following parts
will cover all levels of diversity, though examples will generally use the species level
 1: Genetic Diversity
1.1: Definition:

Genetic diversity is the variety present at the level of genes. Genes, made of
DNA, are the building blocks that determine how an organism will develop and what
its traits and abilities will be.

1.2: Control:

This level of diversity can differ by alleles (different variants of the same gene,
such as blue or brown eyes), by entire genes or by units larger than genes such as
chromosomal structure.

1.3: Measurement:

Genetic diversity can be measured at many different levels, including

population, species, community, and biome. Which level is used depends upon what
is being examined and why, but genetic diversity is important at each of these levels.

1.4: Importance:

 The amount of diversity at the genetic level is important because it represents

the raw material for evolution and adaptation.
 More genetic diversity in a species or population means a greater ability for some
of the individuals in it to adapt to changes in the environment.
 Less diversity leads to uniformity, which is a problem in the long term, as it is
unlikely that any individual in the population would be able to adapt to changing
conditions.
 As an example, modern agricultural practices use monocultures, which are large
cultures of genetically identical plants. This is an advantage when is comes to
growing and harvesting crops, but can be a problem when a disease or parasite
attacks the field, as every plant in the field will be susceptible. Monocultures are
also unable to deal well with changing conditions.
1.5: Relation with gene

Within species, genetic diversity often increases with environmental

variability, which can be expected. If the environment often changes, different genes
will have an advantage at different times or places. In this situation genetic diversity
remains high because many genes are in the population at any given time.

If the environment didn't change, then the small number of genes that had an
advantage in that unchanging environment would spread at the cost of the others,
causing a drop in genetic diversity.

1.6: Explanation

Genetic diversity can be suggested by what an animal, plant, or other living

organism actually looks like, but is more correctly analyzed via direct DNA
assessment. These differences in genetic diversity are what make up the
similarities and differences we may see across a species, such as color, patterns,
sounds (if applicable), and behavior.

Often the most diverse species are those that have been around for a long time
and consequently have been able to evolve within their own species group.
Marsupials, for example, have a long lineage and are therefore very diverse, whereas
kangaroos, come from a much newer evolutionary background.

2: Species Diversity:
2.1: Definition:

The species' diversity refers to a group of similar organisms that typically

mate to produce offspring. They commonly share the same lineage. Species diversity
is the most basic classification unit and includes all species ranging from plants to
various microorganisms.

Biodiversity studies typically focus on species. They do so not because

species diversity is more important than the other two types, but because species
diversity is easier to work with.

2.2: Identification of species:

Species are relatively easy to identify by eye in the field, whereas genetic
diversity (above) requires laboratories, time and resources to identify and ecosystem
diversity needs many complex measurements to be taken over a long period of time.
Species are also easier to conceptualize and have been the basis of much of the
evolutionary and ecological research that biodiversity draws on.
2.3: Unit of diversity:

Species are well known and are distinct units of diversity. Each species can
be considered to have a particular "role" in the ecosystem, so the addition or loss of
single species may have consequences for the system as a whole.

Conservation efforts often begin with the recognition that a species is

endangered in some way, and a change in the number of species in an ecosystem is
a readily obtainable and easily comprehensible measure of how healthy the
ecosystem is.

2.4: Species and human impact:

Some regions have a great deal more species diversity than

others. Rainforests and coral reefs, for example, are home to more species than say
a salt flat or stream. The level of human impact, such as pollution in rivers and seas,
will also have an effect on the natural balance of species diversity.

3: Ecological Diversity
3.1: Definition

It is the diversity seen between the ecosystems in a region. Several ecosystems

like rainforests, deserts, mangroves, etc., show a vast diversity of life forms living
in them

3.2: Features of ecological diversity

 Ecosystem-level theory deals with species distributions and community

patterns, the role and function of key species, and combines species functions
and interactions.

 The term "ecosystem" here represents all levels greater than species:
associations, communities, ecosystems, and the like.
  Different names are used for this level and it is sometimes divided into several
different levels, such as community and ecosystem levels; all these levels are
included in this overview. This is the least-understood level of the three
described here due to the complexity of the interactions.

 This type of biodiversity takes into account differences in biological and non-
biological agents of biodiversity, which may include factors such as climate
change.

3.3: Difficulty in ecological level

One of the difficulties in examining communities is that the transitions

between them are usually not very sharp. A lake may have a very sharp boundary
between it and the deciduous forest it is in, but the deciduous forest will shift much
more gradually to grasslands or to a coniferous forest.

3.4: Researcher’s concepts about ecological level

Some researchers think of communities as simply the sum of their species and
processes, and don't think that any of the properties found in communities are special
to that level. Many others disagree, claiming that many of the characteristics of
communities are unique and cannot be extrapolated from the species level.
Examples of these characteristics include the levels of the food chain and the
species at each of those levels, guilds (species in a community that are functionally
similar), and other interactions.
Types of Ecological diversity:
Ecological diversity has three major perspectives: the diversity of different species
in a landscape is typically measured in three distinct scales. They are termed alpha
diversity, beta diversity, and gamma diversity:
 a) Alpha Diversity
Alpha diversity is the type of ecological diversity found within a specific
region, community, or ecosystem. More specifically, alpha diversity refers to the
species diversity within a community at a local scale or small scale, most often the
size of one ecosystem.

Generally, it is represented by the total number of different species (or species

richness) in that particular region. This is often measured by the total number of taxa
(distinct organism groups) within the corresponding ecosystem (species, genera, and
families).

Example: Sand includes the different groups of organisms that inhabit that
ecosystem, recognized according to their taxonomic family and genus.

b) Beta Diversity
Beta diversity refers to the type of ecological diversity measured by
distinguishing the species diversity between different ecosystems or along with
environmental gradients.

The measurement of beta diversity typically involves comparing the number

counts of taxa unique to each ecosystem. In simple words, it is the measure of species
diversity between two separate entities at a larger scale, usually separated by a
specific geographical barrier such as the mountain ridge or the river.

It is the rate of change in species composition across habitats or among

communities. Furthermore, beta diversity determines a quantitative measure of the
diversity of communities that experience the changing environments.

With this analysis, scholars can establish the number of species that make up
ecosystems that may undergo environmental change.

c) Gamma Diversity
Gamma diversity typically refers to all species richness over a large region (at
a vast scale). It is the measure of the complete diversity for various distinct
ecosystems within a region.

In simple words, it is often studied as a biome where the species diversity is

observed between several ecosystems. This usually ranges over the areas such as the
whole mountain slope or the complete littoral zone of a seashore.
Let us understand these three perspectives with the help of an example. Suppose an
area of mountain slope is the landscape. The mountain slope usually contains various
patches of grasslands and forests, as shown in the image below:

Here, Alpha diversity refers to all such species diversity situated within every single
grassland or forest patch of the slope. Beta diversity refers to all such species
diversity located between any two patches and their corresponding communities.
Lastly, the given landscape's Gamma diversity refers to all those species diversity
present along with the entire range of the slope.