Ecosystem definition in biology The ecosystem word comes from two Greek words ‘eco’ means environment, and ‘system’ means interdepend. Glossary; Whittaker (1972) described three terms for measuring biodiversity over spatial scales: alpha, beta, and gamma diversity. In general, places with more varied terrain tend to have more ecosystems than places where topography is more homogeneous. The number and variety of ecosystems within a larger area (forest, reef, ocean) Species diversity. The main difference between species diversity and ecosystem diversity is that the species diversity is the variety of species in a particular region whereas the ecosystem diversity is the variety of ecosystems in a particular area.. It is sometimes confused with ecological diversity which is the number of species within a community. It is not the diversity of species within an ecosystem. refers to the interrelatedness of genes, species, and ecosystems and their interactions with the environment. Species diversity and ecosystem diversity, along with genetic diversity, are the three levels of biodiversity on the earth. ecosystem diversity[?] It should not be confused with habitat variety which is an expression mainly used for different species of animals which have different habitats. The Earth has many diverse ecosystems and ecologicalsystem diversity. - diversity at a higher level of organization, the ecosystem (richness in the different processes to which the genes ultimately contribute) The latter definition, which conforms to the traditional five organisation layers in biology, provides additional justification for multilevel approaches. ... (biology) the sequence of events involved in the evolutionary development of a species or taxonomic group of organisms. It is a type of biodiversity which refers to variation in species rather than ecosystems. Ecosystem diversity deals with the variations in ecosystems within a geographical location and its overall impact on human existence and the environment. Contents. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stability Ecological diversity is the largest scale of biodiversity, and within each ecosystem, there is a great deal of both species and genetic diversity. Genetic diversity is all the different genes contained in all individual plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms. ecosystems, estuaries, alpine forests, and rocky shorelines has greater ecosystem diversity than does Kansas, which primarily consists of prairies, rivers, and lake ecosystems. An ecosystem or biome describes a single environment and every living (biotic) organism and non-living (abiotic) factor that is contained within it or characterizes it. Usually three levels of biodiversity are discussed—genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity. An ecosystem embodies every aspect of a single habitat, including all interactions between its different elements. These are NASA composite images of the Earth: 2001 (left), 2002 (right), titled The Blue Marble.. Ecosystem diversity deals with the variations in ecosystems within a geographical location and its overall impact on human existence and the environment.. Ecosystem diversity can also refer to the variety of ecosystems … Definition. Definition noun, plural: diversities (biology) The degree of variation of living things present in a particular ecosystem (general) The state of being diverse; variety Supplement In biology, diversity may pertain to the variation of life forms present in different ecosystems. Ecosystem diversity. Community diversity is a synonym of ecosystem diversity and is defined as the diversity of community types within larger areas (ecological, units). Ecosystem diversity is the the variety of different ecosystems within an area. Natural Selection. 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