What is the difference between biodiversity and wildlife

All dogs are part of the same species, but their genes can dictate whether they are Chihuahua or a Great Dane. There can be a lot of variation in genes—just think about all the colors, sizes, and shapes that make up the genetic diversity of dogs. Ecological biodiversity is the diversity of ecosystems, natural communities, and habitats. The forests of Maine differ from the forests of Colorado by the types of species found in both ecosystems, as well as the temperature and rainfall.

These two seemingly similar ecosystems have a lot of differences that make them both special. Researchers have estimated that there are between 3 and 30 million species on Earth, with a few studies predicting that there may be more than million species on Earth.

Currently we have identified only 1. There is more biodiversity within tropical ecosystems than temperate or boreal ecosystems. In fact, tropical rain forests have the most diversity. The most diverse group of animals are invertebrates. Invertebrates are animals without backbones, including insects, crustaceans, sponges, scorpions, and many other kinds of organisms.

Over half of all the animals already identified are invertebrates. Of these, beetles are some of the most numerous species. Biodiversity is extremely important to people and the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity allows us to live healthy and happy lives. It provides us with an array of foods and materials, and it contributes to the economy. Without a diversity of pollinators, plants, and soils, our supermarkets would have a lot less produce.

Most medical discoveries to cure diseases and lengthen life spans were made because of research into plant and animal biology and genetics. Every time a species goes extinct or genetic diversity is lost, we will never know whether research would have given us a new vaccine or drug.

Biodiversity is also an important part of ecological services that make life livable on Earth. They include everything from cleaning water and absorbing chemicals, which wetlands do, to providing oxygen for us to breathe—one of the many things that plants do for people. Biodiversity allows for ecosystems to adjust to disturbances like fires and floods.

Genetic diversity even prevents diseases and helps species adjust to changes in their environment. Extinction is a natural part of life on Earth. Over the history of the planet, most of the species that ever existed evolved and then gradually went extinct.

Species go extinct because of natural shifts in the environment that take place over long periods of time, such as ice ages. Today species are going extinct at an accelerated and dangerous rate because of non-natural environmental changes caused by human activities.

Some of the activities have direct effects on species and ecosystems, such as habitat loss and degradation, overexploitation such as overfishing , and the spread of non-native species and diseases. The three components of biodiversity are: Genetic diversity variation of genes within a species or population , Species diversity variety of living species at local, regional or global scales , and Ecosystem diversity the variety of ecological units which consist of communities of organisms interacting with each other and with their physical environment.

Benefits Habitat changes will benefit some species while negatively impact others. Concerns Growing and harvesting woody biomass has the potential to change the quantity and quality of habitat available at both stand and landscape levels because of the modification to and removal of habitat elements.

Mitigation Strategies Some states have published woody biomass harvesting guidelines which are intended to mitigate a variety of impacts. Avoid operating in areas where plant or animal species are listed as endangered or threatened MFRC Minimize the development of roads and use water quality best management practices to reduce the flow of sediment and other pollutants. Time management activities to avoid breeding, nesting and calving seasons. Evaluate the amount of habitat area over a larger area, rather than just one stand Angelstam et al.

This is extremely important for species requiring large habitat areas. Identify one species that has particular habitat requirements and whose presence and population health is highly correlated with other species Angelstam et al.

Maintain leave live trees which are either clumped or scattered throughout a harvest site MFRC Avoid harvesting within leave tree clumps. Use special management areas, such as riparian management zones areas adjacent to waterbodies such as streams and lakes where management approaches are modified, to help maintain suitable habitat Russell et al.

Biodiversity and forest habitats. In: Richardson, J. Brakenhielm, S. Long-term effects of clearfelling on vegetation dynamics and species diversity in a boreal pine forest.

Biodiversity and Conservation, Population dynamics of small mammals in relation to forest age and structural habitat factors in northern Sweden. Journal of Applied Ecology, Effects of logging residue removal on ground-active beetles in temperate forests. Forest Ecology and Management, Although all of these insects have a similar structure and may be genetic cousins, the beautiful variety of colors, shapes, camouflage, and sizes showcase the level of diversity possible even within a closely-related group of species.

Biodiversity is a term used to describe the enormous variety of life on Earth. It can be used more specifically to refer to all of the species in one region or ecosystem. Biodiversity refers to every living thing, including plants, bacteria, animals, and humans.

Scientists have estimated that there are around 8. However, only around 1. This means that millions of other organisms remain a complete mystery. Over generations, all of the species that are currently alive today have evolved unique traits that make them distinct from other species. These differences are what scientists use to tell one species from another.

Organisms that have evolved to be so different from one another that they can no longer reproduce with each other are considered different species. All organisms that can reproduce with each other fall into one species.

Scientists are interested in how much biodiversity there is on a global scale, given that there is still so much biodiversity to discover. They also study how many species exist in single ecosystems, such as a forest, grassland, tundra, or lake. A single grassland can contain a wide range of species, from beetles to snakes to antelopes.

Ecosystems that host the most biodiversity tend to have ideal environmental conditions for plant growth, like the warm and wet climate of tropical regions. Ecosystems can also contain species too small to see with the naked eye. Looking at samples of soil or water through a microscope reveals a whole world of bacteria and other tiny organisms. Some areas in the world, such as areas of Mexico, South Africa, Brazil, the southwestern United States, and Madagascar, have more biodiversity than others.

Areas with extremely high levels of biodiversity are called hotspots. Endemic species—species that are only found in one particular location—are also found in hotspots. For example, the grass in pastures feeds cattle. Cattle then produce manure that returns nutrients to the soil, which helps to grow more grass. This manure can also be used to fertilize cropland.