Biodiversity (Biological Diversity) refers to the variety of life on Earth. In Class 12 Biology, biodiversity is studied at three distinct levels or types.
Genetic Diversity: Variety of genes within one species.
Species Diversity: Variety of different species in one area.
Ecosystem Diversity: Variety of different ecosystems (habitats).
1. Genetic Diversity This refers to the variety of genes within a single species. Different individuals of the same species have slightly different genetic makeup, which is why all humans look different from each other (hair color, eye color, height). India's rice crop, for example, has over 50,000 genetically distinct strains.
2. Species Diversity This refers to the variety of different species in a given region or ecosystem. The Amazon Rainforest has extremely high species diversity (millions of different insects, plants, birds, and mammals). The number and variety of species is measured by the Species Richness Index.
3. Ecosystem Diversity This refers to the variety of different ecosystems found on Earth. The Earth contains deserts, rainforests, mangroves, coral reefs, grasslands, and mountains — each a unique ecosystem with its own web of life. India is one of the mega-diverse countries with 10 different bio-geographical regions.
The three types of biodiversity are: 1) Genetic Diversity (variety of genes within a species), 2) Species Diversity (variety of different species in an area), and 3) Ecosystem Diversity (variety of different ecosystems on Earth).
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