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♤ It is concerned with the variation in genes within a particular species.
♤ Genetic diversity allows species to adapt to changing environments.
♤ This diversity aims to ensure that some species survive drastic changes and thus carry on desirable genes.
♤ The survival of individuals ensures the survival of the population.
♤ The genetic diversity gives us beautiful butterflies, roses, parakeets or coral in a myriad hues, shapes and
sizes.
(b) Species diversity:
♤ It refers to the variety of living organisms on earth.
♤ Species differ from one another, markedly in their genetic makeup, do not inter-breed in nature.
♤ Closely-related species however have in common much of their hereditary characteristics. For instance, about 98.4 per cent of the genes of humans and chimpanzees are the same.
♤ It is the ratio of one species population over total number of organisms across all species in the given biome.
♤ ‘Zero’ would be infinite diversity, and ‘one’ represents only one species present.
(c) Ecosystem/ Community diversity:
♤ This refers to the different types of habitats. A habitat is the cumulative factor of the climate, vegetation and geography of a region.
♤ There are several kinds of habitats around the world. Corals, grasslands, wetland, desert, mangrove and tropical rain forests are examples of ecosystems.
♤ Change in climatic conditions is accompanied by a change in vegetation as well. Each species adapts itself to a particular kind of environment.
♤ As the environment changes, species best adapted to that environment becomes predominant. Thus the variety or diversity of species in the ecosystem is influenced by the nature of the ecosystem.
Do you know?
The most dangerous sharks are the Great White shark, the Tiger shark, the Hammerhead shark, the Mako shark and the Bull shark. On average, there are only about 100 shark attacks each year and only 10 of those result in a human death. People kill thousands of sharks in a year for sport and for food. Shark skins are used to make leather products. Until the 1950 s, shark livers were used as a vitamin A supplement. Shark fin soup and shark steaks are both eaten in many countries. So... who’s the dangerous predator?