The document discusses biodiversity and its conservation. It defines biodiversity as the diversity among biological organisms, including genes, species, and ecosystems in a region. It then describes the three main types of biodiversity: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecological diversity. The document outlines some of the major threats to biodiversity, such as habitat loss, climate change, overexploitation, pollution, and invasive species. It also discusses patterns of biodiversity like latitudinal gradients and species-area relationships. Finally, it covers the importance of conserving biodiversity and different conservation methods like in-situ and ex-situ conservation.

1. September
2020
Biodiversity and
Conservation

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Biodiversity and Conservation

3. What is Biodiversity?
The diversity among biological organisms has been
referred to as biological diversity or biodiversity.
• Going by the raw definition, biodiversity is the totality
of genes, species, and ecosystems of a given region.
What is Biodiversity 3
THOMAS LOVEJOY is an innovative and
accomplished conservation biologist
who in 1980 coined the term
“biological diversity.”

4. Types of Biodiversity
Biodiversity further
classifies into three
major types. They are:
1. Genetic Diversity
2. Species Diversity
3. Ecological Diversity
Types of Biodiversity 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGtTgl3G2Z4

5. Genetic Diversity
• It is basically the variety of species expressed at
the genetic level by each individual in a species.
• Genetic diversity fundamentally means variation
in the genetic material among individuals of a
species.
• The genetic variation may be in the nucleotides,
genes, entire genome or chromosomes.
• This diversity arises through genetic
recombination during sexual reproduction and
mutation. It leads to natural selection and the
origin of new species.
• Thus, genetic diversity increases adaptability
and is essential for the evolution of new species.
Types of Biodiversity
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8. Species Diversity
• It refers to the number of species in a population in a given space and time. It ismeasured by species
richness (the number of species in a given area at a particular point of time), species composition (list of
species) and relative abundance (relative number of individuals of different species).
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) recognises three types
of species diversity :
1.alpha diversity, (2)beta diversity, and (3) gamma diversity.
• Alpha diversity refers to the veriety of species within a community. It is also referred to as the species
richness.
• Beta diversity is the diversity of species among communities
• Gamma diversity is the diversity of species across a wide geographical range.
Types of Biodiversity 8

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JePixuWr2n0

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12. COMPARISON
Genetic Diversity
1. Definition : Genetic diversity refers to the
diversity of genes within a species
2. Related to : Genetic diversity is related to the
number of genes in a particular population.
3. Trait : Genetic Diversity is a trait of the species.
4. Promotion : Genetic diversity promotes the
adaptability and distribution of a particular
species in diverse habitats.
Species Diversity
1. Definition : Species diversity refers to the vast
number of different species in a particular area
2. Related to : Species diversity refers to the number
and the distribution of species in a particular area.
3. Trait : Species diversity is a trait of the community.
4. Promotion : Species diversity promotes the biotic
interactions and stability of the community.
Difference between Genetic Diversity and Species Diversity 12

13. Ecological Diversity
• Ecological (ecosystem) diversity explains about the different types of ecosystems present in the
biosphere.
• The community composition (assemblage of several interacting populations in a given space at a
particular point of time) is affected directly by the environment.
• A change in the ambient environment induces a change in the ecosystem composition and its
functioning.
• It is also, referred to as community diversity.
Types of Biodiversity 13

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15. Similarities Between Species Diversity
and Ecosystem Diversity
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Species diversity and ecosystem diversity are two types of
biodiversity on the earth.
Both of them contribute to the variations.
Moreover, they are described with respect to a particular area.

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A Variety of Hawaiian Endemic Fish Species Inhabit a Reef at Pearl and Hermes
Species Diversity

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A Wetland Ecosystem

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Patterns of Biodiversity
Ecologists discovered two broad kinds of diversity patterns, namely:
1. Latitudinal gradients
2. Species-Area relationships

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Latitudinal gradients-
Species diversity decreases as we move away from the equator towards the poles.
Tropics harbour more species than temperate or polar areas.
Colombia located near the equator has nearly 1,400 species of birds while NewYork at 41° N has 105 species and
Greenland at 71° N only 56 species. India, with much of its land area in the tropical latitudes, has more than 1,200 species
of birds.
The largely tropical Amazonian rain forest in South America has the greatest biodiversity on earth- it is home to more
than 40,000 species of plants, 3,000 of fishes, 1,300 of birds, 427 of mammals, 427 of amphibians, 378 of reptiles and of
more than 1,25,000 invertebrates.
Tropics have greatest biodiversity because
a) Unlike temperate regions subjected to frequent glaciations in the past, tropical latitudes have remained relatively
undisturbed for millions of years.
b)Tropical environments are less seasonal and more constant and predictable which promote niche specialization and
lead to a greater species diversity.
c)There is more solar energy available in the tropics, which contributes to higher productivity thus contributing
indirectly to greater diversity.

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Species-Area relationships
Alexander von Humboldt observed that within a
region species richness increased with increasing
explored area, but only up to a limit.
The relation between species richness and area for a
wide variety of taxa such as angiosperm plants, birds,
bats, freshwater fishes turns out to be a rectangular
hyperbola.
On a logarithmic scale, the relationship is a straight
line described by the equation
log S = log C + Z log A
where, S= Species richness A= Area
Z = slope of the line (regression coefficient)
C =Y-intercept.
The species-area relationships among very large areas
like the entire continents, the slope of the line is much
steeper (Z values in the range of 0.6 to 1.2).
For example, for frugivorous (fruit-eating) birds and
mammals in the tropical forests of different
continents, the slope is found to be 1.15.

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• It is also found that species diversity increases with area (species-
area curves),
• The more variable the habitat, the greater the species diversity
within it.
• This pattern was offered as one of the reasons why there are more
species in a bigger area (more area covers a greater variety of
habitat).
Species-Area relationships

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• Biodiversity has been playing an important role in maintaining the well-
being of human society.
• Scientists have classified the values of diversity as:
(1) direct, and (2) indirect
• This classification may also be viewed as ecosystem goods and ecosystem
services and values, respectively.
• Ecosystem goods refer to natural products harvested from ecosystems,
directly used by human. These include food, clothing, shelter, medicines
and biological resources directly used in industry.
• Ecosystem services refer to different ecosystem processes, which help
sustain both the ecosystems and human life.
THE IMPORTANCE OF SPECIES DIVERSITY
TO THE ECOSYSTEM

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Direct
value
Food Clothing Shelter Medicines
Industrial
Products
Direct value

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Indirect value
Biological
Control
Environmental
Modulation
Ecosystem
Functions and
Services
Ecotourism
IndirectValue

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• Species extinction is the most common cause of loss of
biodiversity.
• Like every other thing, the physical environment changes with time.
• Species extinction is due to loss of adaptability with the changing
physical environment.
• Therefore, extinction is a natural phenomenon.
• The factors, which induce species extinction, are termed as drivers.
The drivers are of two classes: direct and indirect.
•
LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

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(1) Land use change (habitat destruction and fragmentation)
(2) Climate change
(3) Overexploitation of natural resources
(4) Environmental pollution
(5) Invasion of exotic species
Direct drivers influence ecosystem processes, which bring
about mass extinction of species.These include:

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• Tropical rain forests covering more than 14 per cent of the earth’s
land surface, these rain forests now cover no more than 6 per cent.
• The Amazon rain forest called as the ‘lungs of the planet’ harboring
probably millions of species is being cut and cleared for cultivating
soya beans or for conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle.
• Breaking of large areas into small fragments cause biodiversity
loss.
Land use change (habitat destruction and fragmentation)

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• The destruction of habitats is the primary reason for the loss of biodiversity in terrestrial
and coastal ecosystems.
• Conversion of forest land for agriculture, developmental projects, mining operations,
etc leads to the destruction of natural habitats of organisms.
• Natural habitat loss is further due to filling of wetlands, ploughing of grassland, etc.
These changes kill or force out many species of plants, animals and microorganisms of
their habitat. Birds, mammals and plants are most affected due to habitat loss.
• Developmental projects, such as upcoming railway track or a highway passing across
a natural habitat, fragments it into two or more smaller habitats. Smaller habitats are
more susceptible to ecological succession. Over the years, a new ecosystem comes up in
place of the old one. The consequence is the total extermination of the existing species.
• Secondly, when a large population fragments into smaller ones, there is more inbreeding
and there is an inbreeding pressure on the gene pool. The frequenting of elephants into
human habitats in recent years is the concequence of habital fragmentation resulting from
developmental prejects.
Land use change (habitat destruction and fragmentation)

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• The climate of the globe changes erratically by anthropogenic activities.
• Global warming due to accumulation of greenhouse gases and gradual
thinning of the stratospheric ozone are two major causes of erratic climate
changes.
• The polar ice caps are slowly melting with a rise in the sea level.
• This may submerge some low lying coastal habitats in the near future.
• Secondly, the animals and plants fail to adapt themselves to the very fast
changing climate. The consequence is their elimination.
Climate Change

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Many species extinctions in the last 500 years were due to overexploitation by humans.
Natural habitats of native animals and plants are being used for construction of new housing
complexes in urban areas, expanding agricultural practice and construction of industrial
establishments.
The consequence is habitat loss resulting in extinction of species.
This situation is so menacing that wild animals are entering into urban areas in search of food and
water.
Moreover, there is an overexploitation of forest resources, which has squeezed the natural habitats of
many wild animals.
In addition, indiscriminate hunting of wild animals has put their status as either endangered or
critically endangered.
For example- Steller’s sea cow, passenger pigeon became extinct due to overexploitation
Overexploitation :
Overexploitation means harvesting species from the wild at rates
faster than natural populations can recover.
Overfishing and overhunting are both types of overexploitation.
Currently, about a third of the world's endangered vertebrates are
threatened by overexploitation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRhKmjeo2AA

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As extinctions go,
the extinction of the
passenger pigeon is
truly a stupendous
human achievement,
unparalleled in
recorded history:
thanks to our
penchant for
relentless killing
combined with
large-scale habitat
destruction, these
iconic birds’
population crashed
from billions to zero i
n just fifty years.

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Discovered in 1741 by German naturalist Georg W. Steller, Steller’s sea cows once inhabited the near-shore areas of
the Komandor Islands in the Bering Sea. Much larger than present-day manatees and dugongs, Steller’s sea cows
reached a length of 9–10 meters (over 30 feet) and weighed around 10 metric tons (22,000 pounds). These massive,
docile animals floated at the surface of the coastal waters but unfortunately had little ability to submerge. This made
them easy targets for the harpoons of Russian seal hunters, who prized them as a source of meat on long sea
journeys. Killing was often wasteful and the species was exterminated by 1768, less than 30 years after it was first
discovered. No preserved specimens exist today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVT-HGKovUs

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• Environmental pollution is a secondary but yet a powerful cause of
loss of biodiversity. Pollution may reduce and eliminate populations of
sensitive species.
• Nonbiodegradable pesticides cause serious threats to some species,
DDT affected decline in fish-eating birds and falcons by
interfering their reproduction.
• In South Asia, population of vultures in the genus Gyps declined by
more than 95 due to the toxic effect of Diclofenac. In nature vultures
eat up the dead animals.
• This anti-inflammatory drug passed on from these dead bodies to
vultures and cause renal failure and death of the vultures.
Environmental Pollution

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Eurasian griffon
vultures, like these in
Huesca, Spain, are
threatened by veterinary
use of diclofenac,
researchers say.

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• When alien species are introduced these cause decline or
extinction of indigenous species./ This alien species overpower the
native flora or fauna and become wild.
• Examples- the Nile perch introduced into Lake Victoria in east Africa
led eventually to the extinction of an ecologically unique
assemblage of more than 200 species of cichlid fish in the lake.
• Introduction of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus for aquaculture
purposes is posing a threat to the indigenous catfishes in our rivers.
Alien species invasions
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFaQLShW0Zc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GAax3xakJs

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• For example, Parthenium entered
India with imported food grains in the
mid-1950s. Because of favourable
environmental conditions in our
country, this has become wide spread,
and now it covers more than 25
million hectares of farm land.
Alien species invasions
Parthenium

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• Similarly, Lanata and Eicchornia
introduced as ornamental plants have
now become wild in India because of
invasiveness.
• It may grow at the cost of the native
species and consequently may be that
the native species may be eliminated.
Alien species invasions
Parthenium
Lanata
Eicchornia

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• Change in Economic activity: Global economic activity is now nearly seven times what
it was 50 years ago and it is expected to grow further. The many processes of
globalization have been removing regional barriers, weakening national connections,
and increasing the interdependence among people and between nations.
• Population change: World population has doubled in the past forty years, reaching 6
billion in 2000. The fact that more and more people live in cities increases the
demand for food and energy and thereby pressures on ecosystems.
• Socio-Political factors: The trend toward democratic institutions over the past 50
years has enabled new forms of management of environmental resources.
• Cultural and Religious factors: Culture conditions individuals' perceptions of the world,
and their priority setting, for instance in terms of conservation.
• Science and Technology: The development and diffusion of scientific knowledge and
technologies can on the one hand allow for increased efficiency in resource use and
on the other hand provide the means to increase exploitation of natural resources.
Indirect drivers change one or more direct
drivers.These include:

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• Biodiversity conservation is the protection and
management of biodiversity to obtain resources for
sustainable development.
• Biodiversity conservation has three main objectives:
1. To preserve the diversity of species.
2. Sustainable utilization of species and ecosystem.
3. To maintain life-supporting systems and essential
ecological processes.
Conservation of Biodiversity
Biodiversity and its Conservation Methods
Biodiversity refers to the variability of life on earth.
It can be conserved in the following ways:
1. In-situ Conservation
2. Ex-situ Conservation

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• In-situ conservation of biodiversity is the conservation of species within their
natural habitat. In this method, the natural ecosystem is maintained and
protected.
• The in-situ conservation has several advantages.
• Following are the important advantages of in-situ conservation:
1. It is a cost-effective and a convenient method of conserving biodiversity.
2. A large number of living organisms can be conserved simultaneously.
3. Since the organisms are in a natural ecosystem, they can evolve better and can
easily adjust to different environmental conditions.
In-situ Conservation

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• A protected area, as defined by the IUCN, is an area of land or sea,
especially dedicated for the protection and maintenance of
biological diversity and associated cultural resources and managed
through legal and other effective means.
• Some protected areas discussed here are National Parks, Wildlife
Sanctuaries and Biosphere Reserves.
A protected area

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• A national park comes under category II of the protected areas, specified by IUCN. It
is an area dedicated to conserve the environment, natural and historical objects and
the wildlife and to provide enjoyment in such a manner and by such a means that will
leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of the future generations.
• A national park is relatively a large area
• Where the operating ecosystems are not materially altered by human exploitation and
occupation, where plant and animal species, their habitats, and geo-morphological sites
are of scientific, educational and recreative interests or which contains natural
landscapes of great beauty and aesthetic value.
• Where the highest competent authority has taken steps to prevent or eliminate
exploitation or occupation in the entire area and to enforce conservation measures
effectively in respect of ecological, geo-morphological and aesthetic features.
• Where visitors are allowed to enter under special conditions for inspirational, cultural
and recreative purposes.
National Park

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• Hailey’s National Park in
Uttarakhand was the first national
park in India established in 1935.
• It is renamed as Corbett National
Park. There are 103 national parks in
India (as on 2015) out of which, in
the state of Odisha, Bhitarkanika in
Kendrapara district is a National
Park.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4SWB5k1lcY

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• A wildlife sanctuary comes under the Category IV of the protected areas,
specified by IUCN.
• It is created by a gazette notification by the State Forest Department,
where vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered wild animals
are protected.
• It can, therefore, be abolished in a similar manner. Human intervention,
poaching and grazing are strictly prohibited by law.
• There are 537 wildlife sanctuaries in India (as on 2015), covering an
area of 1,22,867.34 Km2, which is 3.74 of the total geographical area
of the country.
• The state of Odisha has a network of 19 wildlife sanctuaries.
Wildlife Sanctuary

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• A biosphere reserve comes under category V of the protected areas, specified
by IUCN.
• It is an undisturbed natural area, where in situ conservation of all forms of life
is enforced along with its support system, so as to serve as a referral system
for monitoring and evaluating the changes in natural ecosystems.
• It was initiated under the Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme by the United
Nations Scientific Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1971.
• The first biosphere reserve was established in 1979 and since then, the
network has gone up to 669 in 120 countries which includes 16 trans-
boundary sites (as on 2016).
• There are 18 biosphere reserves in India and Odisha has a share of one in
Similipal.
•
Biosphere Reserve

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• A protected area, declared as a biosphere reserve should satisfy the
following essential features.
• 1. It should contain abundant genetic diversity.
• 2. It should be unique in itself.
• 3. It should have adequate long term legal protection.
• 4. It should be of an appropriate size for effectivemaintenance of natural
populations so that there is no genetic drift.
• 5. It should have sufficient natural resource available for ecological
research, education and training.
• 6. It should be a natural home for the endangered species of plants and
animals.
Biosphere Reserve : essential features.

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• The Biosphore Reserve integrates human activities with
conservation of biodiversity.
• It consists of four zones, namely
(i) core zone
(ii) buffer zone
(iii) transition zone
(iv) zone of human encroachment.
Outline of a Biosphore Reserve

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See the other wildlife santctuaries videos
in WildLife Odisha page in Youtube
• The core zone is strictly protected to maintain the ecological diversity
and integrity.
• The buffer zone concentrically surrounds the core zone. Recreational
activities and sustainable utilization of natural resources are allowed in
this zone.
• The transitional zone is ecologically least sensitive and hence
anthropogenic activities, research and sustainable development are
• permitted.
• The zone of human encroachment is the outermost part, where normal
anthropogenic activities are allowed.
Zones of Biosphere Reserves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvUg36YuPRk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhxvy3XCFzc

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• Biodiversity hot spots are regions with high levels of species
richness and high degree of endemism (that is species confined to
that region are not found anywhere else).
• The total number of biodiversity hot spots in the world are 34.
• These hot spots are regions of accelerated habitat loss.
• Three hot spots which cover India’s, biodiversity regions are
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Bunna and
• These hot spots can reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by
almost 30%.
Biodiversity hot spots

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Ex situ conservation

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Types of Ex Situ Conservation

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• An aquarium is an artificial habitat for water-dwelling
animals.
• It can also be used to house amphibians or large marine
mammals and plant species for tourist attractions.
• It is usually found in zoos or marine parks with different size.

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Botanical Gardens

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Gene Banks
• Genome resource banking is another management technique used for
biodiversity conservation.
• Different types of gene banks have been established for the storage of
biodiversity, depending on the type of materials conserved.
• These include seed banks (for seeds), field gene banks (for live plants), in
vitro gene banks (for plant tissues and cells), pollen, chromosome, and
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) banks for animals (living sperm, eggs, embryos,
tissues, chromosomes, and DNA) that are held in short term or long term
laboratory storage; usually cryopreserved or freeze-dried.
• The principal aim of gene bank conservation is to maintain genetic diversity
alive as long as possible and to reduce the frequency of regeneration that may
cause the loss of genetic diversity

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In vitro conservation & Cryopreservation
• In vitro conservation refers to one
type of gene bank known as slow-
growth conservation method.
• It involves culturing of different
parts of the plant (meristem,
tissues, and cells) into pathogen-
free sterile culture in a synthetic
medium with growth retardants,
which has been cited as a good
way of complementing and
providing backup to field
collections
• The other genome conservation
technique is cryopreservation, in which
living tissues are conserved at very low
temperatures ( −196
°C) in liquid
nitrogen to arrest mitotic and metabolic
activities .
• It is now realized that cryopreservation
method can offer greater security for
long-term, cost effective conservation of
plant genetic resources, including
orthodox seeds
• The storage in liquid nitrogen clearly
prolonged shelf life of lettuce seeds with
half-lives projected as 500 and 3400
years for fresh lettuce seeds stored in
the vapor and liquid phases of liquid
nitrogen, respectively

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The Red List
• The IUCN maintains a document called Red List or Red Data Book of taxa that are facing the risk of
extinction.
• The IUCN Red List categories are:
with no individuals remaining, e.g. javan tiger, dodo and woolly mammoth.
only surviving in captivity or in locations outside its historic range, e.g. Hawaiian crow,
Socorro dove and Scimitar Oryx.
extremely high risk of extinction in the wild, g. mountain gorilla, Bactrian camel,
California condor and white rhinoceros.
high risk of extinction in the wild, e.g. blue whale, giant panda, snow leopard and tiger.
high risk of endangerment in the wild, e.g. African elephant, cheetah, polar bear and
hippopotamus.
likely to become endangered in the near future, e.g. American bison, jaguar, okapi and
tiger shark.
lowest risk, no immediate threat to survival, e.g. giraffe, brown bear, gray wolf, house
mouse, emperor penguin and human.

67. THANKYOU!
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