species richness

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a measure of biodiversity defined as the total number of distinct species present in a defined area or habitat at a given time, without accounting for the relative abundance of those species; species richness is the simplest and most widely used dimension of biodiversity measurement, and it forms the basis of many conservation priority assessments including the designation of biodiversity hotspots — regions with exceptional species richness and high levels of endemism that face severe habitat loss; tropical regions, particularly the Amazon basin, the Congo Basin, Southeast Asian forests, and coral reefs, have the highest species richness on Earth; species richness typically increases with area (the species-area relationship) and decreases with increasing latitude from the equator