The document discusses biological diversity and its importance. It defines biological diversity as including genetic diversity within species, diversity of species within an area, and diversity of ecosystems. It notes that diversity at all these levels has supported human civilization by providing resources and is important to maintain. However, modern consumerism is adversely impacting biological diversity. Classifying and understanding diversity has helped utilization of resources but has also increased consumerism.
8. The great variety of life on earth has
provided for men's needs over thousands
of year. This diversity of living creatures
forms a support system which has been
used by each civilization for its growth
and development. Those that used this
bounty of nature carefully and
sustainably survived, while those that
overused or misused with disintegrated.
9. Science has attempted to classify and categorize the
variability in nature for our century. This has led to
an understanding of its organization into
communities of plants and animals. This information
has helped in utilizing the earths biological wealth
for the benefit of humanity and has been integral to
the process of “development”. This includes better
health care, better crops and the use of these life-
forms as raw material for industrial growth, which
has led to a highest standard of living for the
developed world. However, this has also produced
the modern consumerist society, which adversely
affects the diversity of biological recourses upon
which it is based.
10. “Biological Diversity” of bio diversity is that part
of nature which includes the difference in genes
among the individuals of species; The variety and
richness of all the plant an animal species at
different scales in space-locally, in a region, in the
century and the world; and the types of
ecosystems, both terrestrial and aquatic, within a
defined area.
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14. Each member of any animal or plant species differs
widely from other individuals in its genetic makeup,
owing to the large number of combination possible
in the genes that give every individual specific its
characteristics. this genetic variability is essential for
a healthy breeding population of a species. if the
number of individuals is reduced, the dissimilarity
of genetic makeup is reduced and in-breeding
occurs. this leads to genetic anomalies and,
eventually, to the extinction of that particular species
15.
16. The number of species of plants and animals that are
present in a region constitutes its species diversity.
This diversity is seen both in natural ecosystem and
in agricultural ecosystems. Some area are richer in
species than others. For e.g., natural undisturbed
tropical forests have much greater species richness
than monoculture plantation developed by a forest
department for timber production.
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18. There are a large variety of different ecosystems on
earth, each having their own compliment of distinctive
interlinked species based on the difference in the
habitats. Ecosystem diversity can be described for a
specific geographical region, or a political entity such as
country, a state, a taluka. Distinctive ecosystems include
landscapes like forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains,
etc. as well as aquatics eco system like rivers, lakes, and
sea’s. Each region also has man-modified areas such as
farmland or grazing pastures.
19.
20. Our country can be conveniently divided into ten major
regions, based on the geography, climate and pattern of
vegetations seen and the communities of mammals,
birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and other
invertebrates that live in them. Each of these regions
contains a variety of ecosystems such as forest,
grasslands, lakes, rivers, wetlands, mountains and hills,
which have specific plan and animal species.
