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Biodiversity describes the variety of living things at multiple organizational levels: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Species diversity includes all branches of the evolutionary tree from single-celled prokaryotic organisms, bacteria, and archaea, to the eukaryotic kingdoms: plants; animals; fungi; and protists. To date, there have been about 1.75 million species identified, and new species are discovered every week.
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There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
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[Biodiversity : a need for clarification].

Guillaume Lecointre

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    |November 7, 2024
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    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Biodiversity refers to cataloging life forms, while ecosystems describe their interactions. Clarifying these terms prevents confusion in science and policy.

    Keywords:
    BiodiversitéSystématiqueTaxonomieÉcologieÉcosystème

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    Area of Science:

    • Ecology
    • Systematics
    • Environmental Science

    Background:

    • The term "biodiversity" is often used ambiguously, encompassing both the characterization of organisms and their ecological interactions.
    • This ambiguity leads to the conflation of "biodiversity" with "ecosystem," causing epistemological and political issues.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To propose a clear distinction between the terms biodiversity and ecosystem.
    • To reserve "biodiversity" for the characterization of life at various taxonomic levels.
    • To reserve "ecosystem" for the study of functional interactions within the environment.

    Main Methods:

    • Conceptual analysis of existing definitions and usage of "biodiversity" and "ecosystem."
    • Distinguishing between the domains of systematics (characterization) and ecology (functional interactions).

    Main Results:

    • Biodiversity should exclusively refer to the "what there is" aspect, encompassing infra-specific, specific, and supra-specific levels.
    • Ecosystem should exclusively refer to the "what it does" aspect, focusing on functional interactions between organisms and their environment.

    Conclusions:

    • A precise definition of biodiversity is crucial for accurate scientific communication and policy-making.
    • Distinguishing biodiversity (systematics) from ecosystem (ecology) resolves terminological ambiguity and enhances clarity.