BIODIVERSITY AND ITS CONSERVATION

Index:Biodiversity:

Biodiversity meaning.

Need of biodiversity.

Classification of biodiversity.

Biodiversity at international level.

Biodiversity at national level.

Causes of biodiversity:

Threats to biodiversity.

Effects of biodiversity.

Conservation of biodiversity:Methods to prevent biodiversity.

Conservation approaches.

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 defined area.

The word BIODIVERSITY originates from the Greek word BIOS = LIFE

and Latin word DIVERSITAS = VARIETY or DIFFERENCE.

The whole word BIO DIVERSITY generally therefore means:

VARIETY OF LIFE.

Why is biodiversity important?

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 as food,

shelter, oxygen, and soil enrichment.

Maintaining a wide diversity of species in each ecosystem is

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 humanity itself."

Speciesdiversity is the

effective

number of

different

species that are

represented in

a collection of

individuals

Genetic diversity, the level of biodiversity refers to

the total number of genetic characteristics in the

genetic makeup of a species.

Ecosystem diversity refers to

the diversity of a

place at the level

of ecosystems.

The term differs

from biodiversity,

which refers to

variation in species

rather than

ecosystems.

• Includes the differences in DNA composition among individuals within a given species.

• Adaptation to particular environmental conditions may weed out genetic variants that are not successful.

• But populations benefit from some genetic diversity, so as to avoid inbreeding or disease epidemics.

Genetic diversity

Includes diversity above the species level.Biologists have viewed diversity above the species level in various ways. Some alternative ways to categorize it include:

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 fertile offspring

› Species diversity = the number or variety of species in a particular region

› Species richness = number of species

› Evenness, or relative abundance= extent to which numbers of different species are equal or skewed

SPECIES DIVERSITY

Community diversity

Habitat diversity

Landscape diversity

•India is known for its rich heritage of biodiversity.

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

• With only 2.4 % of the world’s area, India accounts for 7–8 % of the world’s

recorded plant and animal species.

• India’s ten biogeographic zones possess an exemplary diversity of ecological

habitats like alpine forests, grasslands, wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems,

and desert ecosystems.

• 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-geographic regions.

• India has four out of thirty-four global biodiversity hotspots, which is an indicator

of high degree of endemism (of species) in 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 systems utilize nearly 6,500 native plants for both human and

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 nature conservation.

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 in 1936.

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 heritage sites.

India has a National Wildlife Action Plan, which envisages 10 % of the geographical

area of the country under PA coverage.

Causes of

BIODIVERSITY

BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY

Consumptive value:

Food/Drink

Fuel

Medicine

Batter crop varieties

Industrial Material

Non-Consumptive Value:

Recreation

Education and Research

Traditional value

Ecological services:

Balance of nature

Biological productivity

Regulation of climate

Degradation of waste

Cleaning of air and water

Cycling of nutrients

Control of potential pest and disease causing species

Detoxification of soil and sediments

Stabilization of land against erosion

Carbon sequestration and global climate change

Maintenance of Soil fertility

Flora and fauna diversity depends on-

Climate

Altitude

Soils

Presence of other species

Most of the biodiversity concentrated in Tropical region.

BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS:

A region with high biodiversity with most of spices being

Endemic.

India have two Biodiversity Hotspots- East Himalayan Region

and Western Ghat

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

Natural causes:

Narrow geographical area

Low population

Low breeding rate

Natural disasters

Anthropogenic causes:

Habitat modification

Overexploitation of selected species

Innovation by exotic species.

Pollution

Hunting

Global warming and climate change

Agriculture

Domino effect

Each species is classified within a hierarchy reflecting evolutionary relationships.

Two related species might be in the same genus; two related genera in the same family, etc.

Species and taxonomy

Threatened

endangered

species In

India

Within species, diversity exists in subspecies, or geographic variations.

The tiger, Panthera tigris, had 8 subspecies.5 persist today, including Panthera tigrisaltaica, the Siberian tiger.

Diversity of subspecies

Endangered golden lion

tamarin, endemic to Brazil’s

Atlantic rainforest, which has

been almost totally destroyed.

CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY

• Various treaties have helped conserve biota.

• A major one is CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, prepared in 1973.

• It bans international trade and transport of body parts of endangered organisms.

Conservation approaches: International treaties

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), from the Rio Conference in 1992, aims to:• Conserve biodiversity

• Use it sustainably

• Ensure fair distribution of its benefits

The CBD has been signed by 188 nations, but not by the United States.

Conservation approaches: International treaties

Biodiversity is the variety of life forms on earth and the essential interdependence

of all living things.

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 of ecosystem.”

According to IUCN in 1998, “the variety and variability of species of their

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

influences perform.”

BIODIVERSITY CONVENSIONS

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 and Development

(UNCED), batter known as Rio Summit to maintain ecological

balance and enrich biodiversity. The agreement on biodiversity

signed by 150 countries including three programmes-

To ensure conservation of biodiversity

Sustainable use of biodiversity

Rational and equitable share of profit to accrue from use of

genetic resources.

The second convention organized at Johannesburg in 2002

called World Summit On Sustainable Development (WSSD)

where the Biodiversity and Sustainable Ecosystem Management

was the issue.

The International Conference held on Biodiversity in

Relation to Food & Human Security in a warming planet 15-17

February, 2010 in Chennai.

International Conference on Wildlife & Biodiversity

Conservation held on 3 to 5 June, 2010 at Dal lake, Srinagar,

Kashmir.

Indian Biodiversity Congress (IBC) & Indian Biodiversity

Expo(IBE) will be held on 27-31 December at

Thriuvananthapuram, Kerala

CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY: INSITU AND EX-SITU

In-situ conservation:Conservation of a species is best done by protecting

its habitat along with all the other species

that live in it in nature.

Ex-sittu conservation:However, there are situations in which an endangered species is so close to extinction that

unless alternate

methods are instituted, the species may be rapidly

driven to extinction.

Biodiversity inventories

Conserving Biodiversity in protected Habitats-

In situ conservation

Ex situ conservation

Seed Bank, Gene Bank, Pollen Bank, DNA

Bank

Restoration of Biodiversity

Imparting Environmental Education

Enacting, strengthening and enforcing Environmental

Legislation

Population Control

Reviewing the agriculture practice

Controlling Urbanization

Conservation through Biotechnology

Biodiversity Conservation

In situ

Sacred groves

and lakes

Biosphere Reserves

Terrestrial

Marine

National parks, wildlifesanctuaries

Ex situ

Sacred plant home garden

Seed Bank, Gene bank,

Cryopreservation

Botanical garden,

Zoological garden, Aquaria

• Extinction = last member of a species dies and the species vanishes forever from Earth

• Extirpation = disappearance of a particular population, but not the entire species globally

• These are natural processes.On average one species goes extinct naturally every

500–1,000 years—this is the background rate of extinction.

• 99% of all species that ever lived are now extinct.

Biodiversity loss and species extinction

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 and wildlife• Keeping of pets• Valuing real estate with landscape views• Interest in escaping cities to go hiking, birding, fishing, hunting,

backpacking, etc.

Benefits of biodiversity: Biophilia

Do we have an ethical responsibility to prevent species extinction?

On one hand, as humans we need to use resources and consume other organisms to survive.

On the other hand, we have conscious reasoning ability and are able to make conscious decisions.

Ethics?

• Scientific discipline devoted to understanding the factors, forces, and processes that influence the loss, protection, and restoration of biological diversity within and among ecosystems.

• Applied and goal-oriented: conservation biologists intend to prevent extinction.

• This discipline arose in recent decades as biologists grew alarmed at the degradation of natural systems they had spent their lives studying.

Conservation biology

• Explains how species diversity patterns arise on islands, as a result of:

• Immigration

• Extinction

• Island size

• Distance from the mainland

• The theory originally developed as basic science for oceanic islands.

• Then it was found to apply to islands of habitat (fragments) within terrestrial systems, for conservation biology.

Equilibrium theory of island biogeography

• This has worked so far for the California condor (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 the wild.

• Many endangered species are being bred in zoos, to boost populations and reintroduce them into the wild.

Conservation approaches: Captive breeding

• 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” for others.)

• Large species with large home ranges (like tigers and other top predators) are good umbrella species.

• So are flagship species, or charismatic species that win public affection, like the panda.

Conservation approaches: Umbrella species

Biodiversity hotspot = an area that supports an especially high number of species endemic to the area, found nowhere else in the world

Conservation approaches: Biodiversity hotspots

Global map of biodiversity hotspots, as determined by Conservation International.

Conservation approaches: Biodiversity hotspots

• Many environmentalists from developed nations who want to establish reserves in developing nations have been viewed with resentment by local people.

• But today many efforts work with local communities to get them invested in the conservation of their own natural resources.

• This community-based conservation makes efforts more complex, but will probably be more successful in the long run.

Conservation approaches: Community-based conservation

Conservation approaches: Economic incentives

Debt-for-nature swaps = a non-governmental organization (NGO) raises money and offers to pay off debt for a developing country, in exchange for parks, reserves, habitat protectionConservation concession = an NGO offers money to a developing nation’s government for a concession to some of its land—for conservation, rather than for resource extraction

CONCLUSION

Biodiversity is our life. If the Biodiversity got lost at this rate then in

near future, the survival of human being will be threatened. So, it is

our moral duty to conserve Biodiversity as well our Environment.

Long-term maintenance of species and their management requires

co-operative efforts across entire landscapes. Biodiversity should be

dealt with at scale of habitats or ecosystems rather than at species

level.

The end

REPORTED BY•Shreyanshambastha