What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms within a particular habitat or ecosystem, encompassing the range of species, genetic variability, and the different ecological roles they play. This diversity is crucial because it contributes to the resilience of ecosystems, allowing them to adapt to changes and disturbances, such as climate shifts or human-induced impacts. Higher biodiversity typically leads to more stable and productive ecosystems because a wide range of interactions among species can enhance ecosystem functions, such as nutrient cycling and pollination.

The other options focus on specific aspects of ecosystems rather than capturing the overall concept of biodiversity. For instance, the number of individuals in an ecosystem relates to population size but does not reflect the diversity of species present. Total biomass indicates the mass of living biological organisms but lacks the aspect of variety among those species. Lastly, assessing ecosystem health based on pollution levels pertains to ecological health rather than biodiversity itself. Therefore, the definition that encompasses the variety of life within an ecosystem precisely describes biodiversity.