Biodiversity is a term used to describe the enormous variety of life on Earth. It tin be used more specifically to refer to all of the species in ane region or ecosystem. Biodiversity refers to every living matter, including plants, bacteria, animals, and humans. Scientists have estimated that there are around 8.7 million species of plants and animals in existence. However, only around 1.2 1000000 species have been identified and described so far, near of which are insects. 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 singled-out from other species. These differences are what scientists use to tell one species from some other. Organisms that have evolved to exist so different from i some other that they can no longer reproduce with each other are considered different species. All organisms that tin can reproduce with each other fall into one species.

Scientists are interested in how much biodiversity there is on a global calibration, given that there is still so much biodiversity to discover. They likewise study how many species exist in single ecosystems, such as a woods, grassland, tundra, or lake. A single grassland tin can comprise a broad range of species, from beetles to snakes to antelopes. Ecosystems that host the most biodiversity tend to have platonic ecology conditions for plant growth, like the warm and moisture climate of tropical regions. Ecosystems can also contain species as well small to meet with the naked eye. Looking at samples of soil or water through a microscope reveals a whole world of leaner and other tiny organisms.

Some areas in the world, such equally areas of Mexico, S Africa, Brazil, the southwestern United states of america, and Republic of madagascar, accept more biodiversity than others. Areas with extremely loftier levels of biodiversity are called hotspots. Endemic species—species that are only establish in one detail location—are also institute in hotspots.

All of the Earth's species work together to survive and maintain their ecosystems. For case, the grass in pastures feeds cattle. Cattle then produce manure that returns nutrients to the soil, which helps to abound more grass. This manure tin also exist used to fertilize cropland. Many species provide important benefits to humans, including food, wearable, and medicine.

Much of the Earth's biodiversity, however, is in jeopardy due to human consumption and other activities that disturb and fifty-fifty destroy ecosystems. Pollution, climatic change, and population growth are all threats to biodiversity. These threats take caused an unprecedented rising in the charge per unit of species extinction. Some scientists judge that one-half of all species on World will exist wiped out inside the next century. Conservation efforts are necessary to preserve biodiversity and protect endangered species and their habitats.

Biodiversity

Although all of these insects have a similar structure and may exist genetic cousins, the cute multifariousness of colors, shapes, camouflage, and sizes showcase the level of diversity possible even within a closely-related group of species.

Substantive

all the different kinds of living organisms within a given surface area.

Substantive

office of the Earth where life exists.

Substantive

management of a natural resource to forestall exploitation, destruction, or neglect.

consumption

Substantive

process of using goods and services.

Noun

community and interactions of living and nonliving things in an area.

ecosystem variety

Noun

number of ecosystems nowadays in a specific area.

Noun

organism threatened with extinction.

owned

Describing word

native to a specific geographic space.

evolution

Noun

change in heritable traits of a population over time.

Noun

process of complete disappearance of a species from Globe.

fertilize

Verb

to make productive or fertile.

generation

Noun

time between an organism'south nativity and the time information technology reproduces.

genetic diversity

Noun

difference or variety of units of inheritance (genes) in a species.

hotspot

Noun

surface area that contains a pregnant level of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction.

naturalist

Noun

person who studies the natural history or natural evolution of organisms and the surroundings.

Noun

process by which organisms that are better -adapted to their environments produce more offspring to transmit their genetic characteristics.

offspring

Noun

the children of a person or animal.

organism

Noun

living or in one case-living thing.

Noun

introduction of harmful materials into the environment.

reproduce

Verb

to create offspring, by sexual or asexual means.

Noun

group of similar organisms that can reproduce with each other.

Noun

group of similar organisms that can reproduce with each other.

species diversity

Noun

formula that calculates the total number of specific species in an area compared with the number of all species.

trait

Noun

feature or aspect.

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    Tyson Brown, National Geographic Order

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    National Geographic Society

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    Gina Borgia, National Geographic Club
    Jeanna Sullivan, National Geographic Society

    Program Specialists

    Sarah Appleton, National Geographic Society
    Margot Willis, National Geographic Social club

    Final Updated

    Aug. 23, 2019

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