BIODIVERSITY AND

ENDEMISM

Biodiversity
The variety of genes, species and
ecosystems in an area.
It is a measure of the variety of living
things and their genetic variations.
Totality of the genes, species and
ecosystems in a region.
The main aspects of biodiversity are
Genetic diversity
Species diversity and
Ecosystem diversity

ASPECTS OF BIODIVERSITY

 GENETIC

DIVERSITY

Genetic variability within one species.

SPECIES

DIVERSITY

Number of different species in an area

ECOSYSTEM

DIVERSITY

The range of different habitats,

ecosystems and niches in an area.

 Group

Species

of organisms with so many features in

common that they can mate and produce
sexually viable offspring.

 Number

Species

richness

of different species in an ecological

community at a particular time.

Gene pool
Set of all genes or genetic information in any
population.
A large gene pool indicates extensive genetic
diversity and high chance of survival.

Measuring biodiversity within

a habitat
Species
Speciesrichness
richness
The
Thesimplest
simplestway
wayto
tomeasure
measure
biodiversity
biodiversityis
isto
tocount
countthe
thenumber
number
of
ofdifferent
differentspecies
speciesin
inan
an
environment.
environment.
Genetic diversity
Genetic diversity
IfIfthere
thereare
areaalarge
largenumber
numberof
ofalleles
alleles
of
ofeach
eachgene,
gene,then
thenthey
theyhave
havehigher
higher
genetic
geneticdiversity.
diversity.

Simpsons
Simpsons index
index

ItItis
isaameasure
measureof
ofdiversity.
diversity.
This
Thistakes
takesinto
intoaccount
accountthe
thenumber
numberof
of
species
speciespresent
presentas
aswell
wellas
asthe
therelative
relative
abundance
abundanceof
ofeach
eachspecies.
species.
ItItis
ismeasured
measuredby
byusing
usingthe
theformula
formula
DD==n(n
n(n--1)
1)
N(N
N(N--1)
1)

where
where N
N=
= the
the total
total number
number of
of organisms
organisms
of
of all
all species
species and
and
n
n=
= the
the total
total number
number of
of organisms
organisms of
of aa
particular
particular species
species

from
from which
which Simpsons
Simpsons Diversity
Diversity Index,
Index, 11
D,
D, is
is found.
found.

It
It ranges
ranges from
from 00 to
to 0.9999
0.9999

High
High species
species diversity
diversity increases
increases the
the
chance
chance of
of species
species survival.
survival.

Endemism and biodiversity

The situation where a species is found

only in one particular area

Species of plants and animals which are

found exclusively in a particular area is
called endemic species.

Endemism occurs when species are

separated and cannot interbreed.

There
There is
is aa possibility
possibility to
to become
become two
two
different
different species.
species. (speciation)
(speciation)

Genetic
Genetic diversity
diversity is
is very
very low.
low.

Areas
Areas with
with many
many endemic
endemic
populations
populations are
are very
very vulnerable
vulnerable to
to
the
the changes
changes in
in the
the environment
environment..
Example
Example :: red
red kangaroo
kangaroo found
found only
only in
in
Australia
Australia

Biodiversity Hotspots

ItItis
isaabiogeographic
biogeographicregion
regionthat
that
is
isboth
bothwith
withsignificant
significantreservoir
reservoir
of
ofbiodiversity
biodiversityand
andis
is
threatened
threatenedwith
withdestruction.
destruction.