As with so many other words, the context in which they are used determines their meaning. In this case, to speak of biodiversity is to refer to the different forms of life on Earth, either within a profane or scientific approach.
It also implies referring not only to the different species but to their characteristics, their relationships or, for example, their genetic diversity and the environment in which they are found, in which case we will have to study the diversity of ecosystems.
The popularization of the term, derived from scientific slang, has led to its use in very different contexts and to do so from new perspectives that enrich its study, but in all cases it expresses the variety or diversity of the biological world .
- Origin of the term
- Is biological diversity biodiversity?
- The species, the measure of biodiversity
- Other concepts that help measure it
- Objective: preserve biodiversity
- Conclusions
Index
Origin of the term
If we want to know the exact moment when the word “biodiversity” was born, we have to go back in time three decades. It was in 1986, at the first edition of the American Forum on Biological Diversity, organized by the National Research Council, NRC, where the biologist Edward Wilson used the expression instead of the well-known expression “biological diversity”.
Since then, its use has spread worldwide in the scientific, political, level among environmental activists and citizens in generally .
Is biological diversity biodiversity?
Both terms are synonymous, although the appearance of the contraction broadened the meaning of the term ” biological diversity “. Before the term “biodiversity” emerged, it was considered synonymous with species richness, including the concept of genetic diversity, and finally, in 1986, it also included ecological diversity.
The species, the measure of biodiversity
As is well known, species is a central concept in biology . It is also an essential element for activism, and on it they base a good part of their research, actions and demands.
Specifically, species richness (their number) is studied to measure biodiversity in a given area, as well as to establish comparisons between regions or, of course, to determine which species are threatened. It is, in short, the most basic and functional general measure.
However, as such, species richness is an incomplete measure of biodiversity. Among other problems, it does not allow a complete vision of biodiversity . Among other drawbacks, for example, comparisons cannot be made about geographic diversity.
This lack of units of measurement ended up encompassing many others. Beyond species or species richness, the concept of endemic species and the differences between species has been introduced, new and complementary ways of measuring biodiversity.
Other concepts that help measure it
The knowledge of the species, both its definition and its taxonomic organization helps us to know the relationships between organisms . In addition to allowing an evolutionary line to be drawn, it indicates the similarities and differences between them.
Basically, we can say that the more different the species are, the more biodiversity there will be in a given habitat or ecosystem. Thanks to its classification, therefore, we improve the biodiversity tool . Not surprisingly, the greater or lesser affinity between species or the ecological importance of one or the other can be used when deciding which areas are more valuable than others in terms of their biodiversity.
From the results obtained, preservation campaigns can be planned that favor certain areas more. In particular, it will be of great practical use when resources are scarce and you have to decide where to invest them.
Other concepts that help to measure biodiversity refer to genetic diversity or, among others, to the diversity of ecosystems. While the first refers to the reserve of genetic diversity that each species shares, as well as its variations depending on geographic dispersion or the phenomenon known as genetic erosion , which leads to its loss.
For its part, the diversity of ecosystems and habitats is another key to better define biodiversity. There are different ways to classify them, and the factors considered, such as climate, vegetation or species diversity, also vary.
Objective: preserve biodiversity
The great concern of a wide sector of biological sciences is related to the extinction of species, although its contribution is made from a multidisciplinary approach. Conserving biodiversity requires both halting habitat loss and ending problems related to climate change or, for example, hunting.
Although it is the law of life that many species disappear, we are currently suffering an accelerated decline in them, the consequence of a dramatic and unstoppable intervention by human beings. Science is warning us not only that we are killing key species like pollinators, but that we are on the brink of the sixth great extinction.
Conclusions
According to an American study published in the journal Science, biodiversity is on the verge of collapse , mainly because since human beings have existed, plant and animal species are disappearing faster and faster.
In addition, it must be taken into account that the disappearance of species implies an imbalance of the ecosystems, to the point of chain disappearances. To the purest domino effect, and the human being is only one more piece that will fall. The helpful example of bees is enough to understand to what extent we depend on Nature to survive. As scientists say, over and over again, it is up to us to save or condemn ourselves.
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