plant diversity
Botanical richness everywhere
Plant diversity refers to the variety of plant species within an ecosystem, region, or the entire planet.
It encompasses differences in genetics, species, and habitats—from rainforest canopies to desert scrublands.
Ecologists measure plant diversity to assess ecosystem health: The wetland's plant diversity has declined sharply since the drought.
Greater plant diversity typically supports more wildlife and more resilient ecosystems.
- biomeMajor ecological community
- old growth forestMature woodland, never harvested
- floraPlants of a region
- wild flowersUntamed native blooms
- genomeOrganism's total hereditary material
endemic species · threatened species · living fossils · hybridization · habitat fragmentation · habitat loss · invasive species · keystone species · seed dispersal · food web · alleles · ecological niche · adaptation · symbiosis · heredity · mutation · epigenetics · carbon cycle
plant diversitybiodiversity loss
Reduction in species variety
ecological degradation · habitat destruction · deforestation · species extinction · ecosystem collapse
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