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Article: Biodiversity
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- Biology
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CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the sum total of life on Earth; the entire global complement of terrestrial, marine, and freshwater biomes and
ecosystems
, and the species
—
plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms
—
that live in them, including their behaviors, interactions, and ecological processes. Biodiversity is linked directly to the nonliving components of the planet
—
atmosphere, oceans, freshwater systems, geological formations, and soils
—
forming one great, interdependent system, the biosphere.
Humankind's Relationship to Biodiversity
Humans depend entirely on this biodiversity and are an integral part of it. Directly or indirectly, be it from wild or ...