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Dictionary definition: biodiversity
- Article from:
- A Dictionary of Biology
Copyright© A Dictionary of Biology 2004, originally published by Oxford University Press 2004. (Hide copyright information)
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biodiversity (
biological diversity
)
The existence of a wide variety of species (
species diversity
) or other taxa of plants, animals, and microorganisms in a natural community or habitat, or of communities within a particular environment (
ecological diversity
), or of genetic variation within a species (
genetic diversity
). The maintenance of a high level of biodiversity is important for the stability of ecosystems. Certain habitats, especially rainforests, have a rich species diversity, which is threatened by the continued destruction of habitats (see
deforestation
;
...