The variety of habitats, communities and ecological processes in a region.
Includes variety of habitats in a landscape, from wetlands to forests. Diverse ecosystems offer varied services and resilience.
Variety of ecosystems supports landscape-level processes. Loss of an ecosystem type affects associated species.
Key idea: protecting ecosystems protects many species at once.
The variety of habitats, communities and ecological processes in a region.
Ecosystem Diversity is one of the 52 topics in Taxonomy & Biodiversity. It is rated Intermediate, so it suits learners who already know the core vocabulary. Related topics in this area include Biodiversity, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function, Ex-situ Conservation.
A mosaic of forest, meadow and river supports more species than one habitat alone.
Work through the Beginner topics in Taxonomy & Biodiversity first, such as Taxonomy, Binomial Nomenclature, Taxonomic Hierarchy, then return to Ecosystem Diversity. Intermediate topics assume the Beginner vocabulary.
The closest topics to Ecosystem Diversity are Biodiversity, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function, Ex-situ Conservation, Rewilding. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Ecosystem Diversity. To practise the whole of Taxonomy & Biodiversity, use the Taxonomy & Biodiversity quiz.
Ecosystem Diversity: The variety of habitats, communities and ecological processes in a region. Biodiversity: The variety of life at the level of genes, species and ecosystems. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Biodiversity and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Taxonomy & Biodiversity quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
The variety of life at the level of genes, species and ecosystems.
🗂️ Taxonomy & BiodiversityExperiments show richer communities often have higher productivity and stability.
🗂️ Taxonomy & BiodiversityProtecting species outside natural habitat in zoos, seed banks and botanical gardens.
🗂️ Taxonomy & BiodiversityRestoring ecosystems by reintroducing species and natural processes.
🗂️ Taxonomy & Biodiversity