What is biodiversity? Describe its three levels with examples.
How to lay out the answer. Follow the frame, then write it in your own words.
1 · Define in one line. Biodiversity is the combined diversity of life at all levels of biological organisation; the term was popularised by Edward Wilson.
2 · Explain genetic diversity. Variation within a species: reserpine in Rauwolfia vomitoria; over 50,000 strains of rice in India.
3 · Explain species diversity. The variety of species in a region: the Western Ghats have more amphibian species than the Eastern Ghats.
4 · Explain ecological diversity. The variety of ecosystems: India, from deserts to coral reefs, has more than Norway.
5 · Link to real life. India's many rice and mango varieties are a living gene bank for future crops.
6 · Close in one line. So biodiversity runs from genes to whole ecosystems.
Scoring tip: Give one example for each level. A level without an example earns only half its mark.
