Biodiversity

Biodiversity

27
Oct

Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, encompassing the diversity of species, genetic variations within those species, and the ecosystems they form. It is a term that includes all living organisms, from plants and animals to microorganisms, and the complex interactions between them and their habitats.

Species diversity: The variety of different species in a given area, from the number of species to their relative abundance.

Genetic diversity: The variation of genes within a single species, which is crucial for adaptation and survival.

Ecosystem diversity: The variety of different ecosystems in a geographical area, such as forests, wetlands, and deserts.

There are an estimated 8.7 million species on Earth, though only about 1.2 million have been scientifically described and cataloged. Insects are the most numerous described group, followed by birds, reptiles, and mammals

There are three high-level habitat environments: land, marine, and deep subsurface environments. Deep subsurface environments can be terrestrial or below the ocean floor, but represent habitats deep below the surface – extending from around 50 metres to thousands of metres below the surface

Most of life exists on land 86% of biomass.

• This is because almost all plant life – mostly trees – is terrestrial. The marine plants, for example seaweed, make up less than 1 billion tonnes of carbon. This is less than 0.2% of total plant biomass.
• Most bacteria and archaea exists in the deep subsurface, meaning 13 percent of global biomass thrives in this environment.
• Despite dominating our planet in terms of area and volume – taking up more than 70% of global surface area – the oceans are home to just 1% of biomass.

But they do dominate the animal kingdom: 78% of animal biomass lives in the marine environment.