Diversity refers to the range of variation or variety or differences among some set of attributes; biological diversity thus refers to variety within the living world or among and between living organisms.
It is often understood in terms of the wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystem they form.
Biodiversity is literally the diversity of life. From a taxonomical perspective, biologists have identified approximately 1.8 million species on Earth and estimates are that between 80 and 90 percent of the actual total remain undiscovered or unnamed.
The term ‘‘biodiversity’’ was first used in its long version (biological diversity) by Lovejoy (1980) and is most commonly used to describe the number of species.
Usually, three levels of biodiversity are discussed: genetic variation, ecosystem variation, species variation (number of species) within an area, biome or planet. Biodiversity conservation provides substantial benefits to meet immediate human needs, such as clean, consistent water flows, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate.
Biodiversity
