The Importance of Biodiversity

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Recommended: Genetics, unity and diversity

What exactly is Biodiversity? Biodiversity is generally defined as “the existence of many different kinds of plants and animals in an environment.” (Merriam Webster Dictionary, n.d.) However, there is no single definition for biodiversity. One definition for biological diversity is “a diversity among and within plant and animal species in an environment” (Biological Diversity, n.d.). Biodiversity can also be defined as “the number and variety of organisms found within a specified geographic region” (Biological Diversity, n.d.). Another definition is “the variability among living organisms on the earth, including the variability within and between species and within and between ecosystems” (Biological Diversity, n.d.). There are at least two levels at which biodiversity has been identified as: genetic diversity and ecological diversity.
Genetic diversity is where we can best see the development and changes in diversity. This includes the various types of genes that are accessible for set members of a species. This can include a family, a population, a region, or the entire species. This much variety in genes allows that species to have a multitude of inherited traits that allow it to survive through any changes in the environment. Species with slight hereditary diversity have limited ability to adapt to changing weather conditions or insect pests. An example of which is farm hybrids, which are special breeds of crops or livestock that are all closely related. Two examples of this are the mule, which is a hybrid of a male donkey and a female horse, and a hinny, which is the hybrid of a female donkey and a male horse. Species that are deficient in genetic diversity have a hard time adapting to an altering environment and have a hig...

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...Is In The 7 Billion Club? Retrieved from NPR: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/11/03/141946751/along-with-humans-who-else-is-in-the-7-billion-club
Leidig, M. (2007, March 14). Honey Bees in US Facing Extinction. Retrieved from The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1545516/Honey-bees-in-US-facing-extinction.html
Merriam Webster Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from Merriam Webster Dictionary: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biodiversity
One Quadrillion Pennies. (2001). Retrieved from The MegaPenny Project: http://www.kokogiak.com/megapenny/seventeen.asp
Shah, A. (2011, 4 6). Why is Biodiversity Important? Who Cares? Retrieved 2013, from Global Issues: http://www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-important-who-cares
U.S. and World Population Clock. (n.d.). Retrieved from United States Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/popclock/

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