ZOOLOGY

The Importance of Biodiversity Biodiversity, which encompasses genes, species, and ecosystems, provides society with a diverse range of goods and services that are essential for human well-being. These components of biodiversity—whether used directly, indirectly, or as potential resources—are often referred to as “biological resources” (McNeely et al., 1990; Reid & Miller, 1989; Wood, 1997). Direct…

Seawater intrusion (SI) is an ecological problem caused by the encroachment and infiltration of salt water (typically brackish water or seawater) into freshwater surface and groundwater supplies in coastal areas. This intrusion can transform landscapes, reduce agricultural viability, and contaminate freshwater reserves. It is a growing issue in numerous coastal regions worldwide, including China’s Yangtze…

An invasive species is any nonnative organism that significantly alters or disrupts the ecosystems it colonizes. While some species migrate naturally, human activities such as global commerce and the pet trade have become the primary means by which invasive plants, animals, microbes, and other organisms are transported to new habitats. Most introduced species fail to…

Over the past 50 years, the natural world has undergone unprecedented change, leading to devastating consequences. Today, nearly one million species face extinction, threatening essential ecosystem services such as disease regulation and pollination. The primary drivers of biodiversity loss include land and sea use changes, overexploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution, and the introduction of…

Biodiversity, the variety of life across genes, species, and ecosystems, is crucial for ecosystem stability and human well-being. Unfortunately, biodiversity is depleting at an alarming rate due to various natural and human-induced factors.Biodiversity loss refers to the decline in biological diversity within species, ecosystems, geographic regions, or the entire Earth. Biodiversity encompasses genetic variation, species…

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, including all species of plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, as well as the ecosystems they form. It is essential for maintaining ecological balance, sustaining life-supporting systems, and providing resources necessary for human survival. Conservation, on the other hand, refers to the efforts made to protect, restore,…

Systematics: The term “systematics” is derived from the word “systema,” meaning the systematic arrangement of organisms. It considers the evolutionary relationships among organisms. Plant systematics, in particular, deals with the interrelations between plants and their evolutionary descent. Systematics studies biological diversity and organizes this information into a classification system. Organisms are classified based on similarities,…

Taxonomy, the science of classifying organisms, has evolved over centuries from simple groupings based on observable traits to complex systems incorporating evolutionary relationships and molecular data. The history of taxonomy can be divided into distinct phases, each marked by significant contributions from naturalists and scientists. 1. Early Classification Systems (Pre-Linnaean Period) a. Ancient Taxonomy (Aristotle…

Sytematics is commonly defined as the study of biological diversity and the relationships among organisms. Taxonomy, that component of systematics specifically focusing on the theory and practice of classification, is not clearly separable and both are frequently used interchangeably by biologists. This chapter will first briefly review the importance of systematics to the pest management…