BIODIVERSITY & CONSERVATION

Plant diversity is also called biodiversity. It is critical to the health of an ecosystem. In a biodiverse ecosystem, each organism plays an important role and helps to regulate natural processes and growth cycles. The term “Diversity” generally refers to the variety and variability of life of both plants and animals on the Earth. According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), plant diversity measures variation at the genetic, species and ecosystem level. Terrestrial diversity of plant species is higher near the equator due to warm climate and primary productivity. Plant diversity is not constant on Earth; it is richest in the tropics because the tropical forest ecosystem covers < 10% of Earth’s surface and contains 90% of the world’s species. Along the western Pacific Ocean coast, marine plant diversity is high due to high sea surface temperature.