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Biodiversity is a measure of the variety of life on Earth. It encompasses the diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems. Understanding biodiversity — what it is, why it matters, and how it varies — is central to ecology and conservation biology.
Biodiversity (biological diversity) can be defined at three levels:
| Level | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Genetic diversity | The variety of alleles (gene variants) within a species or population | Different alleles for coat colour in a population of mice |
| Species diversity | The variety of species in an area, encompassing both the number of species and their relative abundance | A tropical rainforest containing thousands of plant, animal, fungal and microbial species |
| Ecosystem diversity | The variety of different ecosystems (habitats) in a region | A landscape containing forests, wetlands, grasslands and rivers |
All three levels are interconnected. High genetic diversity within species contributes to species diversity, and diverse ecosystems support greater species diversity.
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