What other terms in biological diversity are important to define?
I think that we have to be very careful when we’re using terms, particularly when we’re teaching about biodiversity, to make sure that we define what the terms is that we’re using. The term “habitat,” for instance, is used very differently in different venues. Some people define habitat just in relation to a single species or an organism and the resources that that organism or species uses. Other people use habitat more generally like “habitat destruction” or “habitat fragmentation” to mean something more like an ecological community. And we need to be very, very careful to articulate what it is that we’re defining when we’re using these terms and to be clear that our definitions relate to one another, all the way from “niche” up to “landscape.” One thing to remember of course is that biodiversity is so complex, and everything’s interconnected by definition, so that by trying to come up with terms that compartmentalize diversity into this area or this level, it’s very difficult. When d
