Biodiversity & Its Conservation by Shreyansh Ambastha

BIODIVERSITY AND
ITS CONSERVATION
Sunday, May 3, 2015 1

Index:
Biodiversity:
Biodiversity meaning.
Need of biodiversity.
Classification of biodiversity.
Biodiversity at international level.
Biodiversity at national level.
Causesof biodiversity:
Threats to biodiversity.
Effects of biodiversity.
Conservationof biodiversity:
Methods to prevent biodiversity.
Conservation approaches.
Conclusion.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
3

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 supposeSunday, May 3, 2015 7

Species
diversity is the
effective
number of
different
species that are
represented in
a collection of
individuals
Geneticdiversity, 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.
Bbiologists 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 Sunday, May 3, 2015
10

•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 biogeography 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
Consumptivevalue:
Food/Drink
Fuel
Medicine
Batter crop varieties
Industrial Material
Non-ConsumptiveValue:
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 Ghats

THREATSTO BIODIVERSITYNatural 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 tigris altaica, 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.
Conservationapproaches: 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.”

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 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

CONSERVATIONOF BIODIVERSITY: INSITUANDEX-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,
wildlife
sanctuaries
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.
Equilibriumtheory 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.
Conservationapproaches: 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
Conservationapproaches: Biodiversity
hotspots

Global map of
biodiversity
hotspots, as
determined by
Conservation
International.
Conservationapproaches: Biodiversity
hotspots
47Sunday, May 3, 2015

• 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.
Conservationapproaches: Community-based
conservation
Conservationapproaches: 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 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 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.

Biodiversity & Its Conservation by Shreyansh Ambastha

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