Question.
What are the different levels of Biodiversity?
( Chapter 16 Biodiversity and Conservation, Class 11 NCERT Fundamentals of Physical Geography)
Answer.
Biodiversity refers to the number and variety of organisms in a given geographical area.
There are three levels of biodiversity;
- genetic diversity
- species diversity
- ecosystem diversity
genetic diversity;
Gene is a fundamental unit in the making of life. Organisms with similar physical characteristics are called species. Genetic diversity means the diversity of genes in a species. Due to genetic diversity, there is a difference in the physical characteristics of populations of the same species.
For example, humans belong to the species Homo sapiens. Not all humans have the same genes, due to the variation in genes, they differ in height, color, and physical characteristics. It shows genetic diversity.
species diversity;
Species diversity refers to the diversity of species living in a particular area.
Species biodiversity can be judged by their richness, type, and abundance.
Some geographic areas are richer in species diversity than others, making them known as hotspots of diversity.
Ecosystem diversity;
Delimiting the boundaries of ecosystems is very difficult and complex. Nevertheless, we can say that some areas are rich in many ecosystems like forests, grasslands, deserts, lakes, rivers, etc. These areas are called ecosystem diversity zones.
For example, the Western Ghats are rich in ecosystem diversity as it has a diversity of forest ecosystems (rainforests, deciduous forests), diversity of grassland ecosystems, lake ecosystems, and river ecosystems.
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