Biodiversity: History and context of a concept

Abstract

Biodiversity is a fundamental, complex and general concept that embraces the whole spectrum of biological organization, from genes to communities and its structural, functional and compositional components as well as space and time scales. However, the multiple elements that it comprises and their varied meanings usually generate confusion limiting its utility. In this article, the importance of biodiversity is emphasized and a brief review is presented about the origin of the concept and the modifications it underwent upon incorporating new perspectives and advances in the study of the biological diversity. The analysis of the significant plurality of biodiversity through the comparison of definitions and meanings allows to infer the meanings arising from the different contexts in which it originated, and also allows to clarify a useful and appropriate reference frame to the objectives of conservation of biological diversity.