biodiversitet

Biodiversitet, or biodiversity, is the variety of life in all its forms, levels, and organization. It encompasses genetic diversity within species, the diversity of species themselves, and the diversity of ecosystems in which they occur. Genetic diversity enables populations to adapt to changing conditions. Species diversity refers to the number of species and their relative abundance, while ecosystem diversity describes the variety of habitats, communities, and ecological processes such as nutrient cycling and pollination.

Biodiversitet supports human life through ecosystem services. Provisioning services include food, medicine, and materials. Regulating services cover climate regulation, flood control, and disease management. Supporting services involve nutrient cycling, soil formation, and the maintenance of biological processes that sustain ecosystems. Cultural and recreational benefits also arise from biodiversity, contributing to aesthetics, inspiration, and knowledge.

Global biodiversity is unevenly distributed. Tropical regions contain a large share of species richness, while higher latitude regions host distinct communities. Many groups face declines due to multiple threats, and some ecosystems are more vulnerable to disturbance than others.

The main threats are habitat loss and fragmentation, overexploitation, invasive species, pollution, climate change, and land-use change. Conservation strategies include protected areas, habitat restoration, sustainable resource management, and ex situ approaches. International frameworks, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, coordinate targets, reporting, and collaborative action to preserve biodiversity for current and future generations.

Monitoring relies on indicators such as species richness, genetic diversity measures, and composite indices like the Living Planet Index.