And its ValuesKeshav Narayan Pai

MSc IIDOS in Botany

ManasagangotriMysore

• Introduction

• Biodiversity of India

• Levels of biodiversity

• Distribution of biodiversity

• Values of biodiversity

• Conclusion

• References

• Multiple choice questions.

CONTENTS

Introduction

• Bios-life, diversitas-variety or difference-variety of life.

• Biological diversity refers to the variety and variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur.

• Biodiversity can be defined as species richness (plants, animals and micro-organisms) occuring as a interacting system in a given habitat.

Raymond F. Dasmann

• The term biological diversity was used first by wildlife scientist and conservationist Raymond F. Dasmann

• The term's contracted form biodiversity may have been coined by W.G. Rosen in 1985-Father of biodiversity.

• We are still profoundly ignorant of the number of species that live on our planet.

• Roughly 1.75 million species have been formally described by science.

• Estimated range - from 3 million to 100 million.

Measuring biodiversity

• Number of species on Earth-Still unsure

– Some areas remain little explored (hydrothermal vents, rainforest canopies, tropical soils).

– Many species are tiny and inconspicuous (microbes, roundworms, protists, fungi…).

– Some species are very similar in appearance (many taxa, even trees, birds, whales).

Measuring biodiversity

• India is known for its rich heritage of bio-diversity.

• It is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world.

• With only 2.4% of the world’s area, India accounts 7-8%of the Worlds recorded plants and animal species.

• India’s ten biogeographic zones posses an exemplary diversity of ecological habitats like alpine forests, grass lands, wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems and desert ecosystems.

• India has 2 out of 34 global biodiversity hotspots, which is an indicator of high degree of endemism(of species) in India.

Biodiversity of India

• About 5,150 plant species and 1,837 animal species are endemic to India.

• India’s biodiversity includes wild relatives of agricultural crops and domesticated animals.

• India has 16 major types and 251 subtypes of forests.

• Indigenous medicine system utilizes nearly 6,500 native plants for both human and animal healthcare.

• Biodiversity performs a number of ecological services for humankind that have economic, aesthetic or recreational value.

• The values of biodiversity can be classified in two broad categories,

Direct use values

Indirect use valves

Direct use Values

• Direct use values Benefits are derived from nature and involve direct human interaction with natural elements.

• Direct use value of biodiversity can be categorized as…

Consumptive use value.

Productive use value.

Consumption of Biodiversity products are called Consumptive use

Food

Fuel

Medicines

FOOD

Fuel

• Fire wood is a fuel

• Coal and petroleum are the fossil fuels.

• Gobar gas are obtained from cow dung.

Medicines

Another important category of medicinal uses is the Folk

medicine.

Our tribal and rural peoples have immense idea regarding

use of large number of plants as source of remedy for

large number of diseases.

Their knowledge regarding this is called as “Ethnobotany”

Productive Use Value

• Marketable items of biodiversity form the productive use value.

• These products have become essential commodity of people.

Timber

Cultivation of trees for the timber - silviculture

Cotton

Dyes

Perfumes

Rubber

Benefits to mankind

• Industrial materials:– Paper

– Fibers

– Resins, gums

– Perfumes

– Adhesives

– Dyes

– Oils, waxes, rubber

– Agricultural chemicals

• Recreational

harvesting:

– Hunting

– Fishing

– Pets

– Ornamental

plants

• Indirect use value = services provided by biodiversity that are not normally given a market value (often regarded as free)

• These are ennumerated as follows:

• carbon fixation through photosynthesis.

• Pollination, gene flow, etc.

• Maintaining water cycles, recharging ground water, protecting watersheds and buffering from extreme conditions such as protection from erosion.

Indirect value

Social value

• Social value of biodiversity refers to religious and cultural importance.

• Trees are worshiped as God Eg: Banyan tree, peepaltree.

• Flowers, Tulsi leaves are offered during poojas.

Aesthetic Valve

• The use of plants and animals is beautifying the surrounding is said to be their Aesthetic Value.

• Ornamental plants

• Zoos and Museum

• Parks

• Beautiful birds in cabinet.

Conclusion

Hornbills

Reference

• S.V.S Rana,Essentials of ecology and environmental science,fourth edition.2010.PHI learning private limited,NewDelhi. Pp-202-222.

• Kormondy.E.J, Concepts of Ecology, Fourth edition.2009. PHI Learning private limited, New Delhi. Pp-248 - 271.

• www.nwf.org/Wildlife/WildlifeConservation/Biodiversity.aspx

MCQ

1.The term biodiversity was first coined by

a. W.G. Rosen in 1985

b. Raymond F. Dasmann in 1988

c. Robert E. Jenkins in 1987

d. Bosselman in 1975

a. W.G. Rosen in 1985

2.Number of Mega-diverse countries present in the world are

a. 7 b. 17

c. 27 d. 37

Answer – b.17

• 3. No. of hotspots present in India are

a. 6 b. 2

c. 5 d. 8

Ans:b. 2