http://www.ck12.org Chapter 4. Understanding Biodiversity: An Introduction
4.1 Biodiversity
Understanding Biodiversitydoes not attempt to provide a complete review of biodiversity. For additional information
about biodiversity, see theCommunities and Populationschapter in the CK-12 Biology FlexBook® textbook at http
://www.ck12.org/flexbook/book/2537 and theEcology and Human Actionschapter in the CK-12 Biology I - Honors
FlexBook® textbook at http://www.ck12.org/flexbook/book/829.
“If names are not correct, language will not be in accordance with the truth of things.” Confucius.
Biodiversityrefers to the variety of life and its processes, including the variety of living organisms, the genetic
differences among them, and the communities and ecosystems in which they occur. Scientists have identified about
1.9 million species alive today, each with their own unique scientific name. They are divided into the six kingdoms
of life shown in theFigure4.1. Scientists are still discovering new species. Thus, they do not know for sure how
many species really exist today. Most estimates range from 5 to 30 million species.
FIGURE 4.1
Diversity of life from Archaebacteria to
Plants and Animals.The Importance of Biodiversity
Human beings benefit in many ways from biodiversity. Biodiversity has direct economic benefits. It also provides
services to entire ecosystems.
Economic Benefits of Biodiversity
The diversity of species provides humans with a wide range of economic benefits. Just a few of these are described
below:
- Wild plants and animals maintain a valuable pool of genetic variation. This is important because many
domestic species are genetically uniform. This puts the domesticated species at great risk of dying out due to
disease.