Term (also "biological diversity" or "diversity of life") in the biological sciences an assessment yardstick for the abundance of different life in a specific landscape or in a geographically limited area. This can mean both the genetic diversity within a population and the degree of species richness in a particular location (habitat, region). The biodiversity of a region comprises four levels (stages) of diversity. These are genetic diversity within a species, species diversity in an ecosystem, ecosystem diversity and functional biodiversity. In a broader sense, this refers to the entire species richness on earth. The existence of a large number of different plant and animal organisms is the prerequisite for a stable ecosystem.
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