In conservation biology, which option best represents ecosystem diversity within a region?

• A. The presence of multiple ecosystem types such as wetlands, grasslands, coral reefs, and temperate forests
• B. A single habitat type occurring over a large geographic area (e.g., continuous desert)
• C. High genetic variation (many alleles) within one population of a single species
• D. A single forest ecosystem containing many different bird species (high species richness)

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of ecosystem diversity: it refers to the variety of different ecosystems within a particular region, encompassing different habitat types and ecological communities.
2. Identify that ecosystem diversity is about the presence of multiple distinct ecosystems, such as wetlands, grasslands, coral reefs, and temperate forests, rather than variation within a single ecosystem or species.
3. Recognize that a single habitat type over a large area (like a continuous desert) represents low ecosystem diversity because it is one ecosystem type spread out, not multiple types.
4. Distinguish ecosystem diversity from genetic diversity, which involves variation within the genes of a species, and from species richness, which is the number of species within a single ecosystem.
5. Conclude that the best representation of ecosystem diversity is the presence of multiple ecosystem types within a region, as this reflects the variety of ecological environments and communities.