Ecosystem diversity
Topic: Biodiversity and its Conservation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 14 "Biodiversity and Conservation"
Meaning
Ecosystem diversity is the variety of ecosystem types, habitats and ecological processes in a region. An ecosystem is a community of living things together with its physical surroundings, such as a forest, grassland, wetland or coral reef. It is one of the three levels of biodiversity, along with genetic and species diversity. One ecosystem usually blends into the next without a sharp edge, so ecosystem boundaries are hard to mark.
Example
The Anamalai hills in the Western Ghats (Tamil Nadu–Kerala) hold open grasslands next to sholas. Sholas are patches of evergreen forest in the valleys. These two very different ecosystems sit side by side in the same hills.
Don't confuse with
- Species diversity: counts the variety of species in an area. Ecosystem diversity counts the variety of whole habitats and their processes.
Related concepts
- Biodiversity
- Species
- Genetic diversity
- Species diversity
- Latitudinal diversity gradient
- Endemic species
- Importance of biodiversity
- Ecosystem services
- Agro-biodiversity