1.

Define biodiversity and give three types of biodiversity essential in preserving ecological systems
and functions.

Biodiversity, also known as biological diversity, is the diversity of organisms on Earth at all forms
of biological organization. Biodiversity can be used on a smaller scale to describe the variation in the
genetic structure of the organisms and, on a larger scale, to describe the variety of ecosystem groups.
Biodiversity forms the foundation of a wide range of ecosystem services that contribute critically to
human well-being. It represents not only the sum of all ecosystems, animals and genetic material, but
also the diversity within and within them.

Three types of biodiversity that are essential in preserving ecological systems and functions are
genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecological diversity.

Genetic diversity is a measure of the variety of versions of the same genes within individual
species. Genetic diversity is essential for the healthy breeding population of species because inbreeding
of animals can occur if there is a reduction of it, leading to genetic mutations and the extinction of that
specie. The diversity can be exploited if we breed domestic plant and animal varieties with their wild
varieties to make them more viable and disease resistant. Now biotechnology manipulates genes to
produce improved varieties of crop, medications and other industrial raw materials.

Species diversity describes the number of different kinds of organisms within a community or
ecosystem. In order to reliably assess species diversity, consideration must be given to both the species
richness, which is the number of distinct species, and the relative abundance, which is the number of
individuals within each species. The number and abundance of different kinds of mammals in the forest
will be an indication of species diversity. Some ecosystems are far richer in numbers like tropical
rainforest than desert ecosystems.

Ecological diversity means the richness of complexity of a biological community. Ecological

diversity involves variations in both terrestrial environments, like forests, grasslands, deserts and
mountains, marine environments, such as rivers, lakes and seas, and even man-modified areas such as
farmlands, grazing land and urban lands. Ecological diversity is the largest indicator of biodiversity, and
there is a great deal of both species and genetic diversity within each ecosystem.

2. How do humans benefit from biodiversity?

We humans receive several benefits from biodiversity in different areas such as health and
nutrition, medical advancement, and livelihood

In health and nutrition, biodiversity can be considered as the foundation of human health
because without a global environment that is stable and capable of maintaining a diversity of life, no
human population can survive. Our well- being is influenced by the global environment and the
conservation of ecosystems around us. A good example of this is the food that we eat. Millions of
organisms work together to provide us with a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and animal products
important to a healthy, nutritious diet. Diets centered on the diversity of food species improve our
wellbeing and can help to shield us against several diseases by solving the issue of micronutrients and
vitamin deficiencies. As a result, the loss of agricultural biodiversity will threaten our health, our future
food and nutrition welfare and in the long run, even our survival.
 In medical advancement, plants are vital to medicines. For example, 25% of medicines used in
modern medicine are extracted from rainforest plants, while 70% of cancer drugs are natural or
manufactured products inspired by nature. This means that any time a plant is endangered, we lose out
on a possible new drug. Biodiversity loss and ecosystem change can raise the risk of contracting or
transmitting infectious diseases in livestock, plants and humans, including commercially significant
animal diseases, zoonotic outbreaks and global pandemics because through human activities such as
deforestation and urbanization, we are reducing the volume and number of ecosystems. As a result,
animals live in close proximity to each other and to humans, providing perfect conditions for the
transmission of zoonotic diseases.

In livelihood, according to UNESCO, globally, three out of four jobs rely on water, while the
agricultural sector employs more than 60 % of the world's lowest earners. Biodiversity must also be
preserved and restored, not only for the benefit of nature, but also for the populations that rely on
them.