Biodiversity refers to the vast array of life forms. It is coined from the words biological and diversity.

Usually, scientists would refer

to three levels of biodiversity, namely: different kinds of organisms (species diversity), genetic information that organisms contain
(genetic diversity) and different types of places where organisms live, and the interconnections that bind these organisms
together (ecosystem diversity).
Species diversity comprises the large number and all different kinds, shapes, colors, and sizes of organisms that inhabit the
Earth. It also includes the smallest and the simplest bacterium (pl. bacteria) to the complex, bigger, brightly colored flower or fish.
Add to this the carabao, the tallest acacia, the biggest elephant, and a human, like you. These organisms are found in various
places from the soil to the rivers, oceans, forests, salty or hot areas, in short, in every corner of the Earth. Some of these
organisms even live in your body. At present, more than a million organisms have been identified and named, while many more
are being discovered every year. Recently, foreign, and local researchers have found that the diversity of reptiles and amphibians
in the Northern Philippines is even greater than known and identified.
In your daily life, you see many kinds of organisms. Each distinct kind of organism, like cat, dog, bird, mango, or worm, is called a
species. A species is a group of living organisms capable of interbreeding naturally; that is, they only interbred with their own
kind. This section discusses how a species is formed based on different concepts formulated by biologists. Some consider
appearance, interbreeding, ancestry, and genetics as bases. Also, several concepts from taxonomists help explain what a
species is.
1. The typological species concept – Scientists like Aristotle and Linnaeus thought that organisms belonging to the same species
are distinctly similar in appearance. Later on, succeeding scientists discovered that this was not always the case. Some may
appear very different yet belong to the same species since organisms can change over time in a process called evolution.
2. The biological species concept – This concept invokes that organisms belong to the same species if they can interbreed with
one another to form fertile offspring. For example, some birds may be very similar in appearance but are incapable of
interbreeding because they are not of the same species. Others may vary in appearance but can interbreed and therefore belong
to the same species.
3. The phylogenetic species concept – This concept considers species as a group of organisms that come from a common
ancestor. It is based on evolutionary relationships and relies on common ancestry and the species' shared evolutionary history. If
the organisms belong to the same species, they must show common ancestry and be distinct from other groups.
4. The species genetic concept – This is a concept proposed by most geneticists, who considered genetic similarity as the basis
for belonging to the same species. Genetic analyses can uncover species that morphologically cannot be uncovered just by
looking at their physical characteristics.
Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life on earth. It is typically a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and
ecosystem level. Biodiversity boost ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role
to play. Biodiversity can be classified into two – high biodiversity and low biodiversity.
The flow of energy is the most important factor that controls what kinds of organisms live in an ecosystem. Organisms obtain
energy in different ways and sources. Producers and consumers make possible the flow of energy through ecosystems through
food chains and food webs. The reduction in the amount of available energy limits the number of steps that can occur in a food
chain.
Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how
small, has a vital role to play. For instance, a larger number of plant species means
a greater variety of crops. Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability
for all life forms.
Low biodiversity means that the trophic system is likely less functional. Since fewer
species are in the various trophic levels, the paths of energy and nutrients are
fewer in number. High biodiversity is like a bed of nails, except the nails are what's
keeping the ecosystem alive.
High biodiversity is good since there are many species present in an area. This
usually means that an ecosystem is healthy and is relatively undisturbed by
humans. Low biodiversity is a characteristic of an unhealthy or degraded
environment. A mown lawn in a city park is an example of an ecosystem with low
biodiversity.
The biodiversity of an ecosystem contributes to the sustainability of that
ecosystem. The higher the biodiversity of an ecosystem, the more sustainable it is.
Conversely, lower biodiversity equals less sustainability. The biodiversity of an
ecosystem contributes to the sustainability of that ecosystem.

1. The plant species' high biodiversity will aid in the abundance and growth of the
animal species, which feed on the plant species, thus maintaining stability between plant and animal species.
2. The high biodiversity will promote significant variations in the gene pool, which will support the adaptation and evolution of new
traits associated with species.
3. High biodiversity means a great source of medicine, food, herbs, and meat to benefit human society.

The following are some of the advantages of high biodiversity in maintaining the stability of the ecosystem.
Explanation:
Advantages of High Biodiversity
1) By having high biodiversity, the environment can be conserved and quickly recover from the disturbances in an ecosystem.
2) More plants mean a better environment and lesser effect of greenhouse gases or temperature rising.
3) Biodiversity helps to maintain the food web circle while disturbing it can result in the scarcity of food.
Disadvantages of Low Biodiversity
If a natural disaster were to occur, the whole population could be wiped out. The trophic level of an organism is the position it
occupies in a food web. A food chain is a succession of organisms that eat other organisms and may, in turn, be eaten
themselves. The trophic level of an organism is the number of steps it is from the start of the chain. Energy decreases as it
moves up trophic levels because energy is lost as metabolic heat when organisms from the next level consume the organisms
from one trophic level.
Trophic level transfer efficiency (TLTE) measures the amount of energy that is transferred between trophic levels.