What is Biodiversity?

The term biodiversity or biological diversity notably has been defined in many ways, but
the two most acceptable definitions will be presented here accordingly:
1. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) 1992:
“The variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia,
terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes
of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species
and of ecosystems.”
2. O Wilson 1998:
“The variety of life at every hierarchical level and spatial scale of biological
organizations: genes within populations, population within species, species within
communities, communities within landscapes, landscapes within biomes, and
biomes within the biosphere”.
 
Hence, biodiversity encompasses a variety of biological life at more than one scale.

What is Health?

Health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is a state of complete

physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or
infirmity. It is also:
1. one of the most basic human rights,
2. one of the most important indicators of sustainable development and,
3. the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity vital for the continued
functioning of ecosystems at all scales as well as for the delivery of ecosystem
services that are essential for human health.

What is Ecosystem Stability?

Biodiversity at the ecosystem level refers to the variety of living organisms interacting
with each other and their physical environment and conservation of biodiversity at the
ecosystem level deals with the management of these interactions.
An ecological system (or ecosystem) is a network of interactions among living
organisms and between these organisms and their local environment.
As the basic unit of interest in the study of ecology, an ecosystem has often been
referred to as one of the larger entities in the biological hierarchical scale or ascending
levels of organization in biology (e.g. cells-tissues-organs-organisms-populations-
species-communities-ecosystems-landscape-biosphere).

Characteristics of an ecosystem
  Ecosystems have structures with physical (abiotic) and biological (biotic)
components, Spatio-temporal patterns (e.g. vertical layering seasonal changes),
and some degree of predictability (e.g. ecological succession, seasonal
migration).
 Ecosystems carry on multiple, interdependent processes (e.g. photosynthesis,
decomposition, nutrient cycling, interactions among trophic levels in the food
chain.
 Ecosystems are dynamic. They are regulated by biological, physical, and social
agents of change
Accordingly, the classification of ecosystems is affected by people’s perception of the
natural world. Thus, any classification must take context into account, clearly articulating
parameters and criteria for setting objectives, and delineating the scope of an
investigative study or management strategy.
Biodiversity and ecosystem stability
The state or condition of an ecosystem is often described within the context of
ecological integrity, ecosystem health, or level of degradation:
1. Ecological Integrity
-An ecosystem with ecological integrity is one that has persistence (i.e capable of
sustaining the functioning of the communities) and adaptability (i.e capable of
enduring stress through recovery, regeneration, or modification
-Ecosystems that have lost their ecological integrity are considered “biologically
dead”
2. Healthy Ecosystems
-A healthy ecosystem has the ability to maintain itself with minimum human
intervention and repair itself when some natural or anthropogenic disturbances
occur
-An ecosystem is said to be healthy if it can maintain its structure and functions
over a period of time even in the presence of environmental stress
3. Degraded Ecosystems
-A degraded ecosystem is often referred to as the one that is “unhealthy” or
“deteriorated”
-An unhealthy ecosystem is one that is incapable of maintaining its integrity over
time
What are the signs of unhealthiness in terrestrial ecosystems?
1. The decline in species diversity and a shift in species composition to more
stress-tolerant species i.e. displacement of the native by alien species
2. Disease outbreaks and pest infestations e.g. pantropical disease (which could be
due to monoculture)
3. A decrease in the symbionts of plant roots (e.g. mycorrhizae)
Environmental Indicators
 Environmental indicators are biological, physical, chemical, and socio-economic
parameters or measures used in assessing the quality and sustainability of a
given ecosystem
 It gauges the condition and vitality of an ecosystem
Benchmark Sites
 A yardstick against which comparisons can be made
 Attributes of a pristine or minimally disturbed natural area are commonly used in
setting the standards for a healthy ecosystem
Therefore, the definition of ecosystem integrity, stability, or health is focused in general
on a healthy ecosystem:
 one that performs its various functions well
 where equilibrium is maintained
 dependent upon biodiversity