Answer (6) THREE WAYS HUMAN HAVE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BIODIVERSITY :- (A) Population:- Growth of the human population is a major factor affecting the environment. Simply put, overpopulation means that there are more people than there are resources to meet their needs. Almost all the environmental problems we face today can be traced back to the increase in population in the world. The human population is at 6 billion; with an annual global growth rate of 1.8%, three more people are added to the earth every second. (B) Habitat Removal and Alteration :- Habitat fragmentation is the loss and subdivision of a habitat and the corresponding increase in other habitats in the landscape. Conversion of habitat represents the greatest threat to biodiversity, since almost all human activities cause alterations to the natural environment to a greater or lesser degree. Almost 10% of Canada\'s ecoregions are estimated to be at high risk for loss of biodiversity because of habitat removal. (C) Overharvesting/Overexploitation :- Overharvesting has had the greatest effect on biodiversity. In fact, overharvesting and habitat loss often occur simultaneously, as removal of an organism from its environment can have irreversible impacts on the environment itself. Humans have historically exploited plant and animal species in order to maximize short-term profit, at the expense of sustainability of the species or population. This exploitation follows a predictable pattern: initially, a species harvested from the wild can turn a substantial profit, encouraging more people to get involved in its extraction. This increased competition encourages the development of more large-scale and efficient methods of extraction, which inevitably deplete the resource. (D) Pollution :- Toxic discharges: This includes metals, organic chemicals, and suspended sediments usually found in industrial and municipal effluents that are discharged directly into waterbodies. Toxic discharges can inversely impact the biota (living organisms) in an ecosystem by killing them, weakening them, or affecting their ability to carry out essential biological functions (feeding, reproducing, etc.). bacterial contamination: For example, fecal coliforms that come from human waste are found in municipal effluent discharges. Potable water is treated to destroy fecal coliforms which can make people ill if ingested. nutrient buildup: Most concern are phosphorus and nitrogen which often originate as run-off from fertilizers applied on agricultural fields. These nutrients, naturally present in very low concentrations, stimulate rapid growth of algae and aquatic plants, ultimately limiting the amount of oxygen and light available to other organisms in the ecosystem. As well, aquatic environments can be degraded by habitat alteration and presence of invasive species. Answer (7); SPECIES DIVERSITY This refers to the variety of species within a particular region. The number of species in a region is a measure for such.

1. Answer (6)
THREE WAYS HUMAN HAVE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BIODIVERSITY :-
(A) Population:-
Growth of the human population is a major factor affecting the environment. Simply put,
overpopulation means that there are more people than there are resources to meet their needs.
Almost all the environmental problems we face today can be traced back to the increase in
population in the world. The human population is at 6 billion; with an annual global growth rate
of 1.8%, three more people are added to the earth every second.
(B) Habitat Removal and Alteration :-
Habitat fragmentation is the loss and subdivision of a habitat and the corresponding increase in
other habitats in the landscape. Conversion of habitat represents the greatest threat to
biodiversity, since almost all human activities cause alterations to the natural environment to a
greater or lesser degree. Almost 10% of Canada's ecoregions are estimated to be at high risk for
loss of biodiversity because of habitat removal.
(C) Overharvesting/Overexploitation :-
Overharvesting has had the greatest effect on biodiversity. In fact, overharvesting and habitat
loss often occur simultaneously, as removal of an organism from its environment can have
irreversible impacts on the environment itself.
Humans have historically exploited plant and animal species in order to maximize short-term
profit, at the expense of sustainability of the species or population. This exploitation follows a
predictable pattern: initially, a species harvested from the wild can turn a substantial profit,
encouraging more people to get involved in its extraction. This increased competition encourages
the development of more large-scale and efficient methods of extraction, which inevitably
deplete the resource.
(D) Pollution :-
Toxic discharges: This includes metals, organic chemicals, and suspended sediments usually
found in industrial and municipal effluents that are discharged directly into waterbodies. Toxic
discharges can inversely impact the biota (living organisms) in an ecosystem by killing them,
weakening them, or affecting their ability to carry out essential biological functions (feeding,
reproducing, etc.).
bacterial contamination: For example, fecal coliforms that come from human waste are found in
municipal effluent discharges. Potable water is treated to destroy fecal coliforms which can make
people ill if ingested.
nutrient buildup: Most concern are phosphorus and nitrogen which often originate as run-off
from fertilizers applied on agricultural fields. These nutrients, naturally present in very low

2. concentrations, stimulate rapid growth of algae and aquatic plants, ultimately limiting the amount
of oxygen and light available to other organisms in the ecosystem. As well, aquatic environments
can be degraded by habitat alteration and presence of invasive species.
Answer (7);
SPECIES DIVERSITY
This refers to the variety of species within a particular region. The number of species in a region
is a measure for such diversity. The richness of species in a given region provides a yard stick for
species diversity. Species diversity depends as much on the genetic diversity as on the
environmental condition.
Colder regions support less than the warmer regions for species diversity. The good climate with
good physical geography supports a better species diversity. Species richness is a term which is
used to measure the biodiversity of a given site.
In addition to species richness, species endemism is a term used to measure biodiversity by way
of assessing the magnitude of differences between species. In the taxonomic system similar
species are grouped together in general, similar genera in families, families in orders and so on
till in the level of kingdom. This process is a genuine attempt to find relationships between
organisms. The higher taxa have thousands of species. Species that are very different from one
another contributes more to overall biodiversity.
GENETIC DIVERSITY
It is the variation of genes within the species. This results distinct population of one, even same
species. It gives genetic variation within a population or varieties within one species. There are
two reasons for differences between individual organisms. One is variation in the gene which all
organisms possess which is passed from one to its offspring’s.
The other is the influence of environment on each individual organism. The variation in the
sequence of four base pairs in DNA chain forms the genetic variation in the organism. The
recombination of genetic material during cell division makes it an imperative for genetic
diversity within a species. Loss of genetic diversity within a species is called genetic erosion.
The whole area of agricultural productivity and development depend on genetic diversity. The
plant as well as animal genetic resources play important role in the economy of a country.
Genetic diversity is the whole basis for a sustainable life system in the earth.
ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY
This is the number of species in a community of organisms. Maintaining both types of diversity
is fundamental to the functioning of ecosystems and hence to human welfare. India is one of the
12 centres of diversity and origin of several cultivated plants in the world. It is estimated that
15,000 species of plants occur in India. The flowering plants comprise 15,000 species of which
several hundred (5000-7500) species are endemic to India. The region is also rich in fauna,

3. containing about 65,000 species of animals.
Among these, more than 50,000 species of insects, 4,000 of molluscs. 6,500 of other
invertebrates, 2,000 offish, 140 of amphibians, 420 of reptiles, 1,200 of birds and 340 of
mammals are recorded from India. This richness in biological diversity is due to immense variety
of climatic and altitudinal conditions coupled with varied ecological habitats.
These vary from the humid tropical Western Ghats to the hot desert of Rajasthan, from the cold
desert of Ladakh and the icy mountains of Himalayas to the warm coasts of peninsular India
including coastal region of Orissa. Gandhamardan Hills of Sambalpur is rich in biodiversity. The
Indian tradition teaches us that all forms of life, human, animal and plants are so closely linked
that disturbance in one gives rise to imbalance in the other.
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Biodiversity may be defined as the variety and variability of living organisms and the ecological
complexes in which they exist. In other words, biodiversity is the occurrence of different types of
ecosystems, different species of organisms with the whole range of their variants and genes
adapted to different climates, environments along with their interactions and processes.
Biodiversity includes the genetic variability (for which different varieties of spices have
appeared in the course of evolution) and diversity of life forms such as plants, animal microbes,
etc. living in a wide range of ecosystems.
FOR DIFFERENTIATION, HERE ARE THE IMPORTANT SHORT POINTS :-
GENETIC DIVERSITY
•Genetic diversity is the amount of variation in the genetic material within all members of a
population (total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup).
• It affects a population’s ability to adapt to changing environments.
•A large population always promotes the genetic diversity required for surviving environmental
changes. When a population is reduced to small numbers, the amount of genetic variation is
reduced as well.
•Natural selection suggests the struggle of organisms to survive and reproduce.
•When genetic variation in a species reduces it reduces the possibility that the species will
survive natural selection.Many germplasm reserves or gene banks have been established all
around the world to meet present and future needs for plant genetic diversity for economically
important plant species
SPECIES DIVERSITY
• Species diversity refers to the diversity at the species level.It takes into account both species
richness and species evenness.
• Species richness - Suggests simple count of species, number of unique species within an area.
• Species evenness - relative number of individuals of each species in an area (counts how equal

4. are the abundances of the species).
•Pollution often reduces the species diversity of an ecosystem.
ECOLOGICAL BIODIVERSITY
• Ecological biodiversity are dynamic interactions between plants, animals, and micro-organisms
and their environment working together as a functional unit.
• Ecosystems will fail if they do not remain in balance. No community can carry more organisms
than its food, water, and shelter can accommodate. Food and territory are often balanced by
natural phenomena such as fire, disease, and the number of predators.
• Each organism has its own niche or role in the whole system to play its part to show their
importance.
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
• Biological diversity is defined as the variability among living organisms from all sources
including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological
complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of
ecosystems.
• Biodiversity is a measure of the variety of life on earth.
• Biodiversity is the variation of life forms, plants and animals within a given ecosystem, biome,
or on the entire Earth. One cannot find all the types of plants and animals all over a certain
country or part of a country.
• Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems.
Solution
Answer (6)
THREE WAYS HUMAN HAVE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED BIODIVERSITY :-
(A) Population:-
Growth of the human population is a major factor affecting the environment. Simply put,
overpopulation means that there are more people than there are resources to meet their needs.
Almost all the environmental problems we face today can be traced back to the increase in
population in the world. The human population is at 6 billion; with an annual global growth rate
of 1.8%, three more people are added to the earth every second.
(B) Habitat Removal and Alteration :-
Habitat fragmentation is the loss and subdivision of a habitat and the corresponding increase in
other habitats in the landscape. Conversion of habitat represents the greatest threat to
biodiversity, since almost all human activities cause alterations to the natural environment to a
greater or lesser degree. Almost 10% of Canada's ecoregions are estimated to be at high risk for

5. loss of biodiversity because of habitat removal.
(C) Overharvesting/Overexploitation :-
Overharvesting has had the greatest effect on biodiversity. In fact, overharvesting and habitat
loss often occur simultaneously, as removal of an organism from its environment can have
irreversible impacts on the environment itself.
Humans have historically exploited plant and animal species in order to maximize short-term
profit, at the expense of sustainability of the species or population. This exploitation follows a
predictable pattern: initially, a species harvested from the wild can turn a substantial profit,
encouraging more people to get involved in its extraction. This increased competition encourages
the development of more large-scale and efficient methods of extraction, which inevitably
deplete the resource.
(D) Pollution :-
Toxic discharges: This includes metals, organic chemicals, and suspended sediments usually
found in industrial and municipal effluents that are discharged directly into waterbodies. Toxic
discharges can inversely impact the biota (living organisms) in an ecosystem by killing them,
weakening them, or affecting their ability to carry out essential biological functions (feeding,
reproducing, etc.).
bacterial contamination: For example, fecal coliforms that come from human waste are found in
municipal effluent discharges. Potable water is treated to destroy fecal coliforms which can make
people ill if ingested.
nutrient buildup: Most concern are phosphorus and nitrogen which often originate as run-off
from fertilizers applied on agricultural fields. These nutrients, naturally present in very low
concentrations, stimulate rapid growth of algae and aquatic plants, ultimately limiting the amount
of oxygen and light available to other organisms in the ecosystem. As well, aquatic environments
can be degraded by habitat alteration and presence of invasive species.
Answer (7);
SPECIES DIVERSITY
This refers to the variety of species within a particular region. The number of species in a region
is a measure for such diversity. The richness of species in a given region provides a yard stick for
species diversity. Species diversity depends as much on the genetic diversity as on the
environmental condition.
Colder regions support less than the warmer regions for species diversity. The good climate with
good physical geography supports a better species diversity. Species richness is a term which is
used to measure the biodiversity of a given site.
In addition to species richness, species endemism is a term used to measure biodiversity by way
of assessing the magnitude of differences between species. In the taxonomic system similar

6. species are grouped together in general, similar genera in families, families in orders and so on
till in the level of kingdom. This process is a genuine attempt to find relationships between
organisms. The higher taxa have thousands of species. Species that are very different from one
another contributes more to overall biodiversity.
GENETIC DIVERSITY
It is the variation of genes within the species. This results distinct population of one, even same
species. It gives genetic variation within a population or varieties within one species. There are
two reasons for differences between individual organisms. One is variation in the gene which all
organisms possess which is passed from one to its offspring’s.
The other is the influence of environment on each individual organism. The variation in the
sequence of four base pairs in DNA chain forms the genetic variation in the organism. The
recombination of genetic material during cell division makes it an imperative for genetic
diversity within a species. Loss of genetic diversity within a species is called genetic erosion.
The whole area of agricultural productivity and development depend on genetic diversity. The
plant as well as animal genetic resources play important role in the economy of a country.
Genetic diversity is the whole basis for a sustainable life system in the earth.
ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY
This is the number of species in a community of organisms. Maintaining both types of diversity
is fundamental to the functioning of ecosystems and hence to human welfare. India is one of the
12 centres of diversity and origin of several cultivated plants in the world. It is estimated that
15,000 species of plants occur in India. The flowering plants comprise 15,000 species of which
several hundred (5000-7500) species are endemic to India. The region is also rich in fauna,
containing about 65,000 species of animals.
Among these, more than 50,000 species of insects, 4,000 of molluscs. 6,500 of other
invertebrates, 2,000 offish, 140 of amphibians, 420 of reptiles, 1,200 of birds and 340 of
mammals are recorded from India. This richness in biological diversity is due to immense variety
of climatic and altitudinal conditions coupled with varied ecological habitats.
These vary from the humid tropical Western Ghats to the hot desert of Rajasthan, from the cold
desert of Ladakh and the icy mountains of Himalayas to the warm coasts of peninsular India
including coastal region of Orissa. Gandhamardan Hills of Sambalpur is rich in biodiversity. The
Indian tradition teaches us that all forms of life, human, animal and plants are so closely linked
that disturbance in one gives rise to imbalance in the other.
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
Biodiversity may be defined as the variety and variability of living organisms and the ecological
complexes in which they exist. In other words, biodiversity is the occurrence of different types of
ecosystems, different species of organisms with the whole range of their variants and genes

7. adapted to different climates, environments along with their interactions and processes.
Biodiversity includes the genetic variability (for which different varieties of spices have
appeared in the course of evolution) and diversity of life forms such as plants, animal microbes,
etc. living in a wide range of ecosystems.
FOR DIFFERENTIATION, HERE ARE THE IMPORTANT SHORT POINTS :-
GENETIC DIVERSITY
•Genetic diversity is the amount of variation in the genetic material within all members of a
population (total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup).
• It affects a population’s ability to adapt to changing environments.
•A large population always promotes the genetic diversity required for surviving environmental
changes. When a population is reduced to small numbers, the amount of genetic variation is
reduced as well.
•Natural selection suggests the struggle of organisms to survive and reproduce.
•When genetic variation in a species reduces it reduces the possibility that the species will
survive natural selection.Many germplasm reserves or gene banks have been established all
around the world to meet present and future needs for plant genetic diversity for economically
important plant species
SPECIES DIVERSITY
• Species diversity refers to the diversity at the species level.It takes into account both species
richness and species evenness.
• Species richness - Suggests simple count of species, number of unique species within an area.
• Species evenness - relative number of individuals of each species in an area (counts how equal
are the abundances of the species).
•Pollution often reduces the species diversity of an ecosystem.
ECOLOGICAL BIODIVERSITY
• Ecological biodiversity are dynamic interactions between plants, animals, and micro-organisms
and their environment working together as a functional unit.
• Ecosystems will fail if they do not remain in balance. No community can carry more organisms
than its food, water, and shelter can accommodate. Food and territory are often balanced by
natural phenomena such as fire, disease, and the number of predators.
• Each organism has its own niche or role in the whole system to play its part to show their
importance.
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
• Biological diversity is defined as the variability among living organisms from all sources
including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological
complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of

8. ecosystems.
• Biodiversity is a measure of the variety of life on earth.
• Biodiversity is the variation of life forms, plants and animals within a given ecosystem, biome,
or on the entire Earth. One cannot find all the types of plants and animals all over a certain
country or part of a country.
• Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems.