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Explore the definition, importance, and conservation of biodiversity, covering species diversity, ecosystem diversity, and genetic diversity. Discover India's rich biodiversity and conservation efforts in this comprehensive study.
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Index: • Biodiversity: • Biodiversitymeaning. • Need ofbiodiversity. • Classification ofbiodiversity. • Biodiversity at internationallevel. • Biodiversity at nationallevel. • Causesof biodiversity: • Threats tobiodiversity. • Effects ofbiodiversity. • Conservation of biodiversity: • Methods to prevent biodiversity. • Conservationapproaches. • Conclusion.
Biodiversity Bio= Diversity= Variety
Definition: ‗Biological diversity‘ or biodiversity is that part of nature which includes the differences in genes among the individuals of a species, the variety and richness of all the plant and animal species at different scales in space, locally, in a region, in the country and the world, and various types of ecosystems,both terrestrial and aquatic, within a definedarea. The wordBIODIVERSITY originates from the Greek word BIOS =LIFE and Latin word DIVERSITAS = VARIETY or DIFFERENCE. The whole word BIO DIVERSITY generally therefore means: VARIETY OFLIFE.
Why is biodiversityimportant? Everything that lives in an ecosystem is part of the web of life, including humans. Each species of vegetation and each creature has a place on the earth and plays a vital role in the circle of life. Plant, animal, and insect species interact and depend upon one another for what each offers, such asfood, shelter, oxygen, and soilenrichment. Maintaining a wide diversity of species in each ecosystemis necessary to preserve the web of life that sustains all living things. In his 1992 best-seller, "The Diversity of Life," famed Harvard University biologist Edward O. Wilson -- known as the "father of biodiversity," -- said, "It is reckless to suppose that biodiversity can be diminished indefinitely without threatening humanityitself."
Species diversity is the effective number of different species thatare represented in a collection of individuals Ecosystem diversity refers to the diversity of a place at the level ofecosystems. The term differs from biodiversity, which refers to variation inspecies rather than ecosystems. Geneticdiversity, the level ofbiodiversity refersto the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of aspecies.
Geneticdiversity SPECIES DIVERSITY Ecosystem diversity species = a particular type of organism; a population or group of populations whose members share certain characteristics and can freely breed with one another and produce fertileoffspring • Includes thedifferences • in DNAcomposition • among individuals within a givenspecies. • Includes diversity above the species level. Biologists have viewed diversity above the species level invarious • ways. Some alternative ways to categorize itinclude: › Species diversity = the number or variety of species in a particularregion • Adaptation to particular • environmental conditionsmay • weed out genetic variants that are notsuccessful. • But populations benefitfrom • some genetic diversity, soas • to avoid inbreeding ordisease • epidemics. › Species richness = number of species • Community diversity • Habitatdiversity • Landscape • diversity › Evenness, or relative abundance = extent to which numbers of different species are equal or skewed
India is known for its rich heritage ofbiodiversity. • India is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in theworld. • With only 2.4 % of the world‘s area, India accounts for 7–8 % of the world‘s recorded plant and animalspecies. • India‘s ten biogeographic zones possess an exemplary diversity of ecological habitats like alpine forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems, and desertecosystems. • Amongst the existing biota, 91,307 species of animals of which 2,557 Protista, 12,470 general invertebrates, 69,903 arthropods, 4,994 vertebrates, and 45,500 species of plants as well as 5,650 microbial species have been documented in its 10 bio-geographicregions. • India has four out of thirty-four global biodiversity hotspots, which is an indicator of high degree of endemism (of species) inIndia. • About 5,150 plant species and 1,837 animal species are endemic toIndia. • India‘s biodiversity includes wild relatives of agricultural crops anddomesticated • animals.
India has 16 major types and 251 subtypes offorests. • Indigenous medicine systems utilize nearly 6,500 native plants for both humanand • animal healthcare. • India‘s diverse preponderance of native tribal and ethnic groups has contributed significantly in the conservation and diversification of biodiversity. Its cultural and ethnic diversity includes over 550 tribal communities of 227 ethnic groups spread over 5,000 forested villages. India proudly upholds the tradition of natureconservation. • In 252 B.C., the Emperor Asoka established protected areas (PAs) for mammals, birds, fish and forests through a proclamation. Jim Corbett National Park covering an area of 325 sq km came into being as the India‘s first and world‘s third National Park in1936. • India has currently 4.79 % of total geographic area under an elaborate network of PAs, which includes 99 National Parks, 513 wildlife sanctuaries, 43 conservation reserves, 4 community reserves and 3 biodiversity heritagesites. • India has a National Wildlife Action Plan, which envisages 10 % of thegeographical • area of the country under PAcoverage.
Causesof BIODIVERSITY
BENEFITS OFBIODIVERSITY Ecologicalservices: • Balance ofnature • Biologicalproductivity • Regulation ofclimate • Degradation ofwaste • Cleaning of air andwater • Cycling ofnutrients • Control of potential pest and disease causingspecies • Detoxification of soil andsediments • Stabilization of land againsterosion • Carbon sequestration and global climatechange • Maintenance of Soilfertility • Consumptive value: • Food/Drink • Fuel • Medicine • Batter cropvarieties • IndustrialMaterial • Non-ConsumptiveValue: • Recreation • Education andResearch • Traditionalvalue
Flora and fauna diversity dependson- • Climate • Altitude • Soils • Presence of otherspecies • Most of the biodiversity concentrated in Tropicalregion. • BIODIVERSITYHOTSPOTS: • A region with high biodiversity with most of spicesbeing • Endemic. • India have two Biodiversity Hotspots- East HimalayanRegion and WesternGhat
THREATS TOBIODIVERSITY • Naturalcauses: • Narrow geographicalarea • Lowpopulation • Low breedingrate • Naturaldisasters • Anthropogeniccauses: • Habitatmodification • Overexploitation of selectedspecies • Innovation by exoticspecies. • Pollution • Hunting • Global warming and climatechange • Agriculture • Domino effect
Species andtaxonomy Each species is classifiedwithin a hierarchy reflecting evolutionaryrelationships. Two related species might be in the same genus; two related genera in the same family,etc.
Diversity ofsubspecies Endangered golden lion tamarin, endemic to Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest, which has been almost totally destroyed. Withinspecies, diversity exists in subspecies,or geographic variations. Thetiger, Panthera tigris, had 8subspecies. 5 persisttoday, including Pantheratigris altaica, the Siberiantiger.
CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY
Conservation approaches: Internationaltreaties • Various treaties have helped conservebiota. • A major one is CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, prepared in1973. • It bans international trade and transport of body parts of endangered organisms.
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), from the Rio Conference in 1992, aimsto: Conservation approaches: Internationaltreaties • Conservebiodiversity • Use itsustainably • Ensure fair distribution of itsbenefits The CBD has been signed by 188 nations, but not by the UnitedStates. • Biodiversity is the variety of life forms on earth and the essential • interdependence of all livingthings. • As defined in convention on Biological diversity singed at Rio De Jenerio • (Brazil) in 1992 by 154 countries, the Biodiversity defined as “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic eco-systems and the ecological complexes of which the area part- this include diversity with in species, between species and ofecosystem.” • According to IUCN in 1998, “the variety and variability of species oftheir • population, the variety of species of their life forms, the diversity of the complex association with species with their interaction and their ecological process which influencesperform.”
BIODIVERSITYCONVENSIONS • The first convention on biodiversity organized at Rio De Janerio, capital of Brazil from June 5 to 16, 1992 named as United Nation Conference On Environment andDevelopment • (UNCED), batter known as Rio Summit to maintain ecological balance and enrich biodiversity. The agreement on biodiversity signed by 150 countries including threeprogrammes- • To ensure conservation ofbiodiversity • Sustainable use ofbiodiversity • Rational and equitable share of profit to accrue from use of geneticresources. • The second convention organized at Johannesburg in 2002 called World Summit On Sustainable Development (WSSD) where the Biodiversity and Sustainable Ecosystem Management was theissue.
The International Conference held on Biodiversityin Relation to Food & Human Security in a warming planet15-17 February, 2010 inChennai. • International Conference on Wildlife & Biodiversity Conservation held on 3 to 5 June, 2010 at Dal lake,Srinagar, Kashmir. • Indian Biodiversity Congress (IBC) & IndianBiodiversity Expo(IBE) will be held on 27-31 December at Thriuvananthapuram,Kerala
CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY: INSITU ANDEX-SITU In-situconservation: Conservation of a species is best done by protecting its habitat along with all the otherspecies that live in it innature. Ex-sittuconservation: However, there are situations in which an endangered species is so close to extinction that unlessalternate methods are instituted, the species may be rapidly driven to extinction. • Restoration ofBiodiversity • Imparting EnvironmentalEducation • Enacting, strengthening and enforcingEnvironmental • Legislation • PopulationControl • Reviewing the agriculturepractice • ControllingUrbanization • Conservation throughBiotechnology • Biodiversityinventories • Conserving Biodiversity in protectedHabitats- • In situconservation • Ex situconservation • Seed Bank, Gene Bank, Pollen Bank,DNA Bank
Biodiversity Conservation Exsitu Insitu Biosphere Reserves Sacred plant homegarden Sacred groves andlakes National parks,wildlife sanctuaries SeedBank,Gene bank, Cryopreservation Terrestrial Marine Botanical garden, Zoological garden,Aquaria
Biodiversity loss and speciesextinction • Extinction = last member of a species dies and the speciesvanishes forever fromEarth • Extirpation = disappearance of a particular population, but notthe entire speciesglobally • These are naturalprocesses. • On average one species goes extinct naturally 500–1,000 years—this is the background rate ofextinction. • 99% of all species that ever lived are nowextinct. every
Benefits of biodiversity:Biophilia • Biophilia = human love for and attachment to other living things; ―the connections that human beings subconsciously seek out with the rest of life‖: • Affinity for parks andwildlife • Keeping ofpets • Valuing real estate with landscapeviews • Interest in escaping cities to go hiking, birding, fishing,hunting, • backpacking,etc.
Ethics? Do we have an ethical responsibility to prevent species extinction? On one hand, as humans we need to use resources and consume other organisms tosurvive. On the other hand, we have conscious reasoning ability and areable to make consciousdecisions.
Conservationbiology • Scientific discipline devoted to understanding the factors, forces, and processes that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biological diversity within and amongecosystems. • Applied and goal-oriented: conservation biologists intend to preventextinction. • This discipline arose in recent decades as biologists grewalarmed at the degradation of natural systems they had spent their lives studying.
Equilibrium theory of islandbiogeography • Explains how species diversity patterns arise on islands, as a resultof: • Immigration • Extinction • Islandsize • Distance from themainland • The theory originally developed as basic science for oceanicislands. • Then it was found to apply to islands of habitat (fragments) within terrestrial systems, for conservation biology.
Conservation approaches: Captivebreeding • Many endangered species are being bred in zoos, to boost populations and reintroduce them into thewild. • This has worked so far for the Californiacondor • (in photo, condor hand puppet feeds chick so it imprints on birds,not • humans). • But this is worthless if there is not adequate habitat left in thewild.
Conservation approaches: Umbrellaspecies • When habitat is preserved to meet the needs of an ―umbrella species,‖ it helps preserve habitat for many other species. (Thus, primary species serve as an ―umbrella‖ forothers.) • Large species with large home ranges (like tigers and other top predators)are • good umbrellaspecies. • So are flagship species, or charismatic species that win public affection, like the panda.
Conservation approaches: Biodiversityhotspots Biodiversity hotspot = anarea that supports an especially high number of species endemic to the area, found nowhere else in theworld
Conservation approaches: Biodiversityhotspots Global map of biodiversity hotspots, as determined by Conservatio n International.
Conservation approaches: Community-basedconservation • Many environmentalists from developed nations who want to establish reserves indeveloping nations have been viewed with resentment by localpeople. • But today many efforts work with local communities to get them invested in the conservation oftheir • own naturalresources. • This community-based conservation makes efforts more complex, but will probably bemore successful in the longrun. Conservation approaches: Economicincentives Debt-for-nature swaps = a non-governmental organization (NGO) raises money and offers to payoff debt for a developing country, in exchange for parks, reserves, habitat protection Conservation concession = an NGO offers money to a developing nation‘s government for a concession to some of its land—for conservation, rather than for resourceextraction
CONCLUSION Biodiversity is our life. If the Biodiversity got lost at this rate thenin near future, the survival of human being will be threatened. So, it is our moral dutytoconserve Biodiversity as well ourEnvironment. Long-term maintenance of species and their management requires co-operative efforts across entire landscapes. Biodiversity shouldbe dealt with at scale of habitats or ecosystems rather than at species level.
