Ecosystem diversity

Two views of the Earth from space. — The Earth has many diverse ecosystems and ecologicalsystem diversity. These are NASA composite images of the Earth: 2001 (left), 2002 (right), titled *The Blue Marble*.

Ecosystem diversity deals with the variations in ecosystems within a geographical location and its overall impact on human existence and the environment.

Ecosystem diversity addresses the combined characteristics of biotic properties (biodiversity) and abiotic properties (geodiversity). It is a variation in the ecosystems found in a region or the variation in ecosystems over the whole planet. Ecological diversity includes the variation in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Ecological diversity can also take into account the variation in the complexity of a biological community, including the number of different niches, the number of and other ecological processes. An example of ecological diversity on a global scale would be the variation in ecosystems, such as deserts, forests, grasslands, wetlands and oceans. Ecological diversity is the largest scale of biodiversity, and within each ecosystem, there is a great deal of both species and genetic diversity.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

^ Cunningham, Margaret. "What is Biodiversity? - Definition and Relation to Ecosystem Stability". study.com. DSST Environment & Humanity: Study Guide & Test Prep. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
^ Brenda Wilmoth Lerner; K. Lee Lerner, eds. (2009). "Ecosystems". Environmental Science: In context. In Context Series. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale. pp. 242–246. ISBN 978-1-4103-3754-2. OCLC 277051356.
^ Purdy, Elizabeth (2012). "Ecosystems". In S. George Philander (ed.). Encyclopedia of Global Warming & Climate Change. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Reference. pp. 485–487. doi:10.4135/9781452218564. ISBN 978-1-4129-9261-9.
^ Brenda Wilmoth Lerner; K. Lee Lerner, eds. (2009). "Ecosystem Diversity". Environmental Science: In Context. In Context Series. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale. pp. 239–241. ISBN 978-1-4103-3754-2. OCLC 277051356.

[1] Cunningham, Margaret. "What is Biodiversity? - Definition and Relation to Ecosystem Stability". study.com. DSST Environment & Humanity: Study Guide & Test Prep. Retrieved 29 April 2015.

[2] Brenda Wilmoth Lerner; K. Lee Lerner, eds. (2009). "Ecosystems". Environmental Science: In context. In Context Series. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale. pp. 242–246. ISBN 978-1-4103-3754-2. OCLC 277051356.

[3] Purdy, Elizabeth (2012). "Ecosystems". In S. George Philander (ed.). Encyclopedia of Global Warming & Climate Change. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Reference. pp. 485–487. doi:10.4135/9781452218564. ISBN 978-1-4129-9261-9.

[4] Brenda Wilmoth Lerner; K. Lee Lerner, eds. (2009). "Ecosystem Diversity". Environmental Science: In Context. In Context Series. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale. pp. 239–241. ISBN 978-1-4103-3754-2. OCLC 277051356.

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