What do we mean by biodiversity?

Simoneta Negrete Yankelevich

Resumen


The use of the word ’biodiversity’ has increased dramatically in the last decade in the popular press, governmental and intergovernmental reports, scientific papers and meetings. Here I discuss the challenge around operationalizing the concept of biodiversity to enable its incorporation into scientific theory. Multiple dimensions, levels of organization and components have been organized to create a conceptual framework were biodiversity research revolves. As an example, I describe how research on the functional dimension of biodiversity has developed and how concepts and theory have emerged along the way.  The degree to which some overall level of biodiversity is required for the delivery of ecosystem services is still unknown. In this sense, the essential issue that has fuelled biodiversity research is yet unresolved. However, in a couple of decades of intensive research, the formalization of the theory behind the theory has progressed substantially.

 

Key words: Biological diversity, ecological science, operationalization, conservation science.


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