Genetic Variety Serves as a Buffer in Biodiversity: The Loss of Biodiversity Can Exacerbate the Spread of Infectious Diseases

Abstract

Almost every ecosystem maintains its own ecological insurance scheme. In order to maintain this system, an ecosystem needs three forms of diversity: biological, genetic, and functional. Biological diversity refers to the richness of species in a given area; genetic diversity denotes a way for a particular species to adapt itself to changing circumstances while functional diversity relates to the biophysical processes that happen within the area. One of the most important benefits of genetic variation is that it functions as a buffer against the variability of environmental conditions, particularly in the medium and long durations. Biodiversity or biological diversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, including plants, animals, micro-organisms, and the genes they contain. It simply means the existence of a broad variety of plants and animal species in their natural settings or the diversity of plant and animal life in a particular habitat.