1.
Biodiversity
By
V. S. Saravana Mani
Head & Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry
Annapoorana Engineering College, Salem

2.
Biodiversity
Bio =
Diversity = Variety

3.
INTRODUCTION
The term Bio-Diversity was first coined by Walter G. Rosen in
1986.
Biodiversity, refers to the variety of life on Earth. It includes
diversity of ecosystems, species and genes, and the ecological
processes that support them. Basically BIO means “Life” and
Diversity means “Variety” . It represents the sum total of
various life forms such as unicellular fungi, protozoa, bacteria
and multi cellular organisms such as plants, fishes and animals
at various levels.

4.
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."

5.
Species diversity
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.

6.
Includes diversity above the species level. Biologists
have viewed diversity above the species level in
various ways. Some alternative ways to categorize it
include:
• Community diversity
• Habitat diversity
• Landscape diversity
Ecosystem
diversity

7.
Species 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

8.
Genetic diversity
• 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.

9.
Biogeographical
Classification of India

10.
India, being a vast country, shows a great diversity in
climate, topography and geology and hence the country is
very rich in terms of biological diversity.
India's biological diversity is one of the most significant in
the world, since India has only 2% of the total landmass of
the world containing about 6% of the world's known
wildlife.

11.
ECOZONE
OF INDIA

12.
GEOGRAPHY AND MAJOR BIOMES OF INDIA
India is the seventh largest country in the world and Asia's
second largest nation with an area of 3,287,263 sq.km.
encompassing a varied landscape rich in natural resources.
India is shielded by the world's highest mountains, the
Himalayas, in the north.
The southern part of India takes the shape of a peninsula and
divides the Indian Ocean into the Bay of Bengal to the
southeast and the Arabian Sea to the southwest.
The southern tip of Kanyakumari is washed by the Indian
Ocean. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of
Bengal and the Lakshadweep group of islands in the Arabian
sea are also a part of India.

13.
India has a great diversity of natural ecosystems from
the cold and high Himalayan ranges to the sea coasts,
from the wet northeastern green forests to the dry northwestern arid deserts,
different types of forests,
 wetlands, islands and the oceans.
India consists of fertile river plains and high plateaus and several major rivers,
including the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Indus.
The climate of India is determined by the
southwest monsoon between June and October,
the northeast monsoon between October and November and
dry winds from the north between December and February.
 From March to May the climate is dry and hot.

14.
PLANTS IN INDIA
Total number of plant species recorded in the world 2,50,000
species
In India 45,000 species 33% of the above are native.
There are 15,000 flowering plant species which is 6% of the
world’s total.
Areas rich in endemism are the Northeast, the Western Ghats
and the Northwestern and Eastern Himalayas.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands contribute at least 200 endemic
species to the endemic flora.

15.
Classification No. of species
Angiosperms 15,000
Gymnosperms 64
Pteridophytes 1,022
Bryophytes 2,584
Algae 2,500
Fungi 23,000
Bacteria 850
Lichens 1,600
Source: Rao, 1994: BSI, 1992

16.
LARGER ANIMALS NO. OF SPECIES
Mammals 390
Birds 1,232
Reptiles 456
Amphibians 209
Fishes 2,546
Source: Faunal diversity in India, ENVIS Centre,
Zoological Survey of India, 1998

17.
ANIMALS IN INDIA
Total animal species recorded In the world 11,96,903 In India
86,874
India possesses little more than 7% of the total animal species
of the world. This percentage is higher than that of the plant
species. Out of a total of 86,874 animal species, insects alone
comprise 68.52% and chordates 5.70%
Among the large animals, 173 species of mammals, 101 of
birds, 15 of reptiles, 3 of amphibians and 2 of fishes are
considered endangered.
Gharial - present only in the Ganges river

18.
S.No. Biogeographic zones Biotic provinces
1. Trans-Himalaya Ladakh mountains, Tibetan plateau
2. Himalaya Northwest, West, Central and East Himalayas
3. Desert Thar, Kutch
4. Semi-arid Punjab plains, Gujarat Rajputana
5. Western Ghats Malabar plains, Western Ghats
6. Deccan Peninsula
Central highlands, Chotta-Nagpur, Eastern
highlands, Central Plateau, Deccan South
7. Gangetic plains Upper and Lower Gangetic plains
8. Coast West and East coast, Lakshadweep
9. North-East Brahmaputra valley, Northeast hills
10. Islands Andaman and Nicobar
Source: Wildlife Protected Area Network in India: A Review, Wildlife
Institute of India, 2000.
The country has 10 different biogeographic zones and 26 biotic provinces.

19.
1. THE TRANS-HIMALAYAN
REGION
This area is very cold and arid
(4,500 Π6,000 mts. above msl).
The only vegetation is a
sparse alpine steppe. Extensive
areas consist of bare rock and
glaciers.
The faunal groups best
represented here are wild
sheep and goats (chief
ancestral stock), ibex, snow
leopard, marbled cat, marmots
and black-necked crane.
Marco polo sheep - ratio
of horn length to body
weight exceeds that of any
animal in the world.

20.
2. THE HIMALAYAN REGION
The fantastic altitude gradient results in the tremendous
biodiversity of the Himalayan region.
Flora and fauna vary according to both altitude and climatic
conditions:
tropical rainforests in the Eastern Himalayas and
dense subtropical and alpine forests in the Central and
Western Himalayas.
The lower levels of the mountain range support many types
of orchids. On the eastern slopes, rhododendrons grow to
tree height.

21.
Monal - bird of nine colours
Animals of Himalayas show several behavioural and
physiological adaptations.
 Sambar and muntjac are found in the subtropical foothills;
serow, goral and the Himalayan thar are found in the
temperate and subalpine regions; snow leopard and brown
bear inhabit the alpine region.
 Carnivores are the most elusive of all mammals in the
Himalayas. There are a variety of carnivores in the higher
mountains, some of which are rare and threatened with
extinction.

22.
Last surving Wild Ass
3. THE INDIAN DESERT
The natural vegetation consists of tropical thorn forests and
tropical dry deciduous forests, sandy deserts with seasonal
salt marshes and mangroves are found in the main
estuaries.
Typical shrubs are phog growing on sand dunes. Sewan
grass covers extensive areas called pali.

23.
Thar desert possesses most of the major insect species.
 43 reptile species and moderate bird endemism are found here.
 No niche of the Thar is devoid of birds.
The black buck was once the dominant mammal of the desert region,
now confined only to certain pockets.
The gazelle is the only species of the Indian antelope of which the
females have horns.
Nilgai the largest antelope of India and the wild ass, a distinct
subspecies, is now confined to the Rann of Kutch which is also the only
breeding site in the Indian subcontinent for the flamingoes.
 Other species like desert fox, great Indian bustard, chinkara and
desert cat are also found.

24.
4. THE SEMI-ARID REGION
The semi-arid region in the
west of India includes the arid
desert areas of Thar and
Rajasthan extending to the
Gulf of Kutch and Cambay
and the whole Kathiawar
peninsula.
Last surving Asiatic lion.
The natural vegetation consists of tropical thorn forests and
tropical dry deciduous forests, moisture forests (extreme
north) and mangroves. The sandy plains have a few scattered
trees of Acacia and Prosopis. The gravelly plains have
Calotropis, Gymnosporia, etc. The rocky habitats are covered
by bushes of Euphorbia while species of Salvadora and
Tamarix occur mainly near saline depressions.
The lion of Gir is the endemic species in this zone.

25.
5. THE WESTERN GHATS
They cover only 5% of India's land surface but
are home to more than about 4,000 of the
country's plant species of which 1800 are
endemic.
The monsoon forests occur both on the
western margins of the Ghats and on the
eastern side where there is less rainfall.
This zone displays diversity of forests from
evergreen to dry deciduous.
The Nilgiri langur, lion tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr,
Malabar grey hornbill and Most amphibian species are
endemic to the Western Ghats.
Tiger - national animal

26.
6. THE DECCAN PENINSULA
The Deccan Peninsula is a large area of raised land covering
about 43% of India's total land surface.
It is bound by the Sathpura range on the north, Western
Ghats on the west and Eastern Ghats on the east.
 The elevation of the plateau varies from 900 mts. in the west
to 300 mts. in the east.
There are four major rivers that support the wetlands of this
region which have fertile black and red soil.
Asiatic wild buffalo -
the most impressive and magnificent
animal in the world today

27.
Fauna like tiger, sloth bear, wild boar, gaur, sambar and chital are
found throughout the zone along with small relict populations of
wild buffaloes, elephants and barasingha.
Large parts are covered by tropical forests. Tropical dry
deciduous forests occur in the northern, central and
southern part of the plateau. The eastern part of the plateau
in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa has moist
deciduous forests.

28.
7. THE GANGETIC PLAIN
The Gangetic plain is one of India's most fertile regions.
The soil of this region is formed by the alluvial deposits of the
Ganges and its tributaries.
 The four important surface differences recognized in the
geomorphology of the plains are
1. Bhabar - pebble studded zone with porous beds
2. Terai - marshy tract
3. Bhangar - older alluvium of the flood plain
4. Khadar -newer alluvium

29.
The Gangetic plains stretching from eastern Rajasthan
through Uttar Pradesh to Bihar and West Bengal are mostly
under agriculture.
The large forest area is under tropical dry deciduous forest
and the southeastern end of the Gangetic plain merges with
the littoral and mangroves regions of the Sunderbans.
The fauna includes elephants, black buck, gazelle,
rhinoceros, Bengal florican, crocodile, freshwater turtle and a
dense waterfowl community.

30.
8. THE COASTAL REGION
The natural vegetation consists of mangroves.
Animal species include dugong, dolphins, crocodiles and
avifauna.
There are 26 species of fresh water turtles and tortoises in
India and 5 species of marine turtles, which inhabit and feed
in coastal waters and lay their eggs on suitable beaches.
Tortoise live and breed mainly on the land.
Mangroves

31.
•Over 200,000 Olive Ridley turtles come to Orissa to nest in the space of
three or four nights.
• The highest tiger population is found in the Sunderbans along the
east coast adjoining the Bay of Bengal.
•Lakshadweep consists of 36 major islands - 12 atolls, 3 reefs and 5
submerged coral banks - make up this group of islands more than three
hundred kilometers to the west of the Kerala coast.
•The geographical area is 32 sq. km. and the usable land area is 26.32
sq. km.
•The fauna consists mainly of four species of turtles, 36 species of crabs,
12 bivalves, 41 species of sponges including typical coral, ornamental
fishes and dugongs. A total of 104 scleractinian corals belonging to 37
genera are reported.

32.
9. THE NORTH-EAST
•Biological resources are rich in this zone.
•The tropical vegetation of northeast India is rich in
evergreen and semievergreen rain forests, moist deciduous
monsoon forests, swamps and grasslands.
Mammalian fauna includes 390 species of which 63% are
found in Assam. The area is rich in smaller carnivores. The
country's highest population of elephants are found here
Great Indian one-horned rhinoceros –
largest of all existing rhinoceros
Hoolock gibbon - the only ape found in India

33.
10. THE INDIAN ISLANDS
It is a group of 325 islands: Andaman to the north and Nicobar to
the south.
The two are separated by about 160 kms. by the Ten Degree
Channel of the sea.
The rainfall is heavy, with both Northeast and Southwest
monsoons.
At present, 21 of the 325 islands in the Andaman & Nicobar
Islands are inhabited.
Many unique plants and animals are found here. About 2,200
species of higher plants are found here of which 200 are endemic.
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands have tropical evergreen forests
and tropical semievergreen forests as well as moist deciduous
forests, littoral and mangrove forests.

34.
112 endemic species of avifauna, the Andaman water monitor, giant
robber crab, 4 species of turtles, wild boar, Andaman day gecko and
the harmless Andaman water snake are found only in these islands.
The Narcondam hornbill found only in Narcondam is a large forest
bird with a big beak. Coral reefs are stretched over an area of 11,000
sq.km. in the Andamans and 2,700 sq.km. in Nicobar.
Living corals

35.
India is known for its rich heritage of biodiversity.
India is a Mega-diversity Nation
• 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 bio-geographic zones possess an exemplary
diversity of ecological habitats like alpine forests,
grasslands, wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems, and
desert ecosystems.

36.
•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.

37.
 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.

38.
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.

39.
BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY
•Consumptive value:
•Food/Drink
•Fuel
•Medicine
•Batter crop varieties
•Industrial Material
Non-Consumptive Value:
•Recreation
•Education and Research
•Traditional value

40.
Direct values
The direct value include food resources like grains,
vegetables, fruits which are obtained from plant resources and
meat, fish, egg, milk and milk products from animal resources.
These also include other values like medicine, fuel, timber, fiber,
wool, wax, resin, rubber, silk and decorative items.
The direct values are of two types
(i) Consumptive use value and
(ii) Productive use value.

41.
Consumptive use value:
These are the direct use values where the biodiversity products
can be harvested and consumed directly. Example: Food, fuel and drugs.
These goods are consumed locally and do no figure in national and
international market.
(a) Food:
(i) Plants: The most fundamental value of biological resources
particularly plants is providing food. Basically three crops i.e. wheat,
maize and rice constitute more than two third of the food requirement
all over the world.
(ii) Fish: Through the development of aquaculture, techniques, fish and
fish products have become the largest source of protein in the world.

42.
Fuel:
Since ages forests have provided wood which is
used as a fuel. Moreover fossil fuels like coal, petroleum,
natural gas are also product of biodiversity which are
directly consumed by humans.

43.
Drugs and medicines:
The traditional medical practice like ayurveda utilizes plants
or their extracts directly. In allopathy, the pharmaceutical industry is
much more dependent on natural products. Many drugs are derived
from plants like
Quinine: The famous anti malaria drug is obtained from cinchona
tree.
Penicillin: A famous antibiotic is derived from pencillium, a
fungus.
Tetracycline: It is obtained from bacterium.
Recently vinblastin and vincristine, two anti cancer drugs have
been obtained from catharanthus plant which has anti cancer
alkaloids.

44.
Productive use values:
These are the direct use values where the product is
commercially sold in national and international market. Many
industries are dependent upon these values.
Example- Textile, leather, silk, paper and pulp industry
etc. Although there is an international ban on trade of
products from endangered species like tusks of elephants,
wool from sheep, fur of many animals etc. These are traded in
market and fetch a booming business.

45.
Indirect values
Biodiversity provides indirect benefits to human beings
which support the existence of biological life and other benefits
which are difficult to quantify. These include social and cultural
values, ethical values, aesthetic values, option values and
environment service values.
Social and cultural value:
Many plants and animals are considered holy and sacred
in India and are worshipped like Tulsi, peepal, cow, snake etc. In
Indian society great cultural value is given to forest and as such
tiger, peacock and lotus are named as the national animal, bird
and flower respectively.

46.
Ethical:
These values are related to conservation of biodiversity where
ethical issue of ‘all life forms must be preserved’ is laid down. There is an
existence value which is attached to each species because biodiversity is
valuable for the survival of human race. Moreover all species have a
moral right to exist independent of our need for them.
Aesthetic value:
There is a great aesthetic value which is attached to biodiversity.
Natural landscapes at undisturbed places are a delight to watch and also
provide opportunities for recreational activities like bird watching,
photography etc. It promotes eco-tourism which further generates
revenue by designing of zoological, botanical gardens, national parks,
wild life conservation etc.

47.
Option values:
These values include the unexplored or unknown potentials of
biodiversity.
Environment service values: The most important benefit of
biodiversity is maintenance of environment services which includes
Carbon dioxide fixation through photosynthesis.
Maintaining of essential nutrients by carbon (C), oxygen (O),
Nitrogen (N), Sulphur (S), Phosphorus (P) cycles.
Maintaining water cycle and recharging of ground water.
Soil formation and protection from erosion.
Regulating climate by recycling moisture into the atmosphere.
Detoxification and decomposition of waste.

48.
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

49.
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

50.
HOTSPOTS
A biodiversity hotspot is a region with a high level
of endemic species. Hotspots were first named in 1988 by
Dr. Sabina Virk. Many hotspots are nearby of large human
populations. While hotspots are spread all over the world, the
majority are forest areas and most are located in the tropics. The
following picture shows hotspots around the world.

51.
A biodiversity hotspot is a bio-geographic region that
is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is
threatened with destruction. The term biodiversity hotspot
specifically refers to 25 biologically rich areas around the
world that have lost at least 70 percent of their original
habitat.

52.
What’s a Hotspot?
To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must meet two strict
criteria:
It must have at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics —
which is to say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found
nowhere else on the planet. A hotspot, in other words, is irreplaceable.
It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation. In
other words, it must be threatened.
Around the world, 35 areas qualify as hotspots. They represent
just 2.3% of Earth’s land surface, but they support more than half of
the world’s plant species as endemics — i.e., species found no place
else — and nearly 43% of bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian
species as endemics.

53.
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

54.
Threats to biodiversity
Habitat destruction
Important to protect habitat in order to protect biodiversity
within it. Huge pressure from the World’s rapidly increasing
population.
Global climate change
Change in a biotic elements of ecosystems leading to biotic
change.
Habitat fragmentation
From human activity. Reduces ability of habitat to support
species.

55.
Pollution
Introduction of pollutants such as nutrient overloading with
nitrate fertilizer as well as more immediately harmful chemicals.
Over-exploitation
This includes the illegal wildlife trade as well as overfishing,
logging of tropical hardwoods etc.
Alien species
Introduced by humans to regions where there are no natural
predators.
Disease
Reduction in habitat causing high population densities,
encourages spread of diseases.

56.
Habitat loss

57.
Habitat loss:-
Habitat loss can be described when an animal loses their
home. Every animal in the animal kingdom has a niche, a their in
their animal community and without their habitat they no
longer have a niche.
Reasons of habitat loss by humans:
agriculture, farming
harvesting natural resources for personal use
for industrial and urbanization development
Habitat destruction is currently ranked as the primary causes of
species extinction world wide…!!!

58.
Example :
The impact upon china’s panda, ones found across the
nation. Now it’s only found in fragmented and isolated regions in
the south west of the country as a result of wide spread
deforestation in the 20th century.
There are natural causes too..
Habitat destruction through natural processes such as
volcanism, fire and climate change is well documented in the fossil
record. One study shows that fragmentation of tropical rainforest
in euro 3000 million years ago lead to a great loss of amphibian
diversity.

59.
Solutions on for this..
•Protecting remaining intact section of natural habitat.
•Reduce human population and expansion of urbanisation and
industries.
•Educating the public about the importance of natural habitat
and bio diversity.
•Solutions to habitat loss can include planting trees, planting
home gardens so as to reduce need for man to need large lands
for agricultural farms which lead to habitat loss.

60.
Poaching

61.
Poaching is the hunting and harvesting taking of wild
plants or animals, such as through hunting , harvesting,
fishing or trapping.
History of poaching
•Millions of years ago, in the Stone Age
• Followed through the ages, to even the tribal natives but it
was during the Late Middle Ages that poaching became a
punishable offense

62.
Why Poaching is done???
Poaching is done for large profits gained by the
illegal sale or trade of animal parts, meat and pelts.
Exists because there is a demand for these products,
caused by a lack of education or disregard for the law
amongst the buyers
Many cultures believe that certain animal parts have
medicinal value

63.
Poaching is not limited to animals its
also for plants too…………!
Three of the most often poached species in the park are
galax, black cohosh, and ginseng.
GALAX BLACK COHOSH GINSENG

64.
How does poaching affect the environment?
•Poaching or illegal hunting causes animals endangered of
being extinct. If more animals becomes extinct there's
a disruption in the food chain, and that will cause major
problems in our ecosystem, resulting eventually in new
adaptations of animals, and or species beyond human
control.
•Poaching results in animals being hunted too soon for
them to have time to reproduce and repopulate.

65.
Man- wild conflicts

66.
Man-wildlife conflict
• Any conflict that arises where the behavior of one (human or
wildlife) is unacceptably disadvantageous to other
• Increase in man wildlife conflict is due to resource limitation like
1. Space 2. Food 3. Shelter
• It is also due to Increasing population of human beings , Loss of
forest, decrease in quality of forest and development activities.
• Crops like sugarcane and tea estates are reported to provide
excellent cover for wild animals
• There are 661 Protected Areas in the country covering around 4.8%
geographical areas. There are 100 National Parks, 514 Wildlife
Sanctuaries, 43 Conservation Reserves and 4 Community Reserves in
the country

67.
A ‘Conflict’ of Words
• One-sided Reporting Can Harm Wildlife
• The headlines are invariably provocative –
menace, threat, fear, attack and death!
• In 99.9 per cent of these cases (with the
exception of deliberate stalking and predation
on humans by big cats), it’s never an aggressive
attack by the animal. The animal gets cornered,
surrounded by people (big cats) or faces an
abrupt encounter at short range because of its
poor senses (elephants, bear) and then attacks
out of fear.
• reporters and sub editors should avoid biased
or sensationalized reports

68.
 In India, wild elephants probably kill far
more people than tiger, leopard or lion.
 Damage to agricultural crops and
property, killing of livestock and human
beings are some of the worst forms of
man-animal conflict.
 Farmers sometimes poison and shoot
wild animals as they damage their
crops, but this can be prevented by
taking certain measures.
2006-07 / 31 / 342
2007-08 / 34 / 241
2008-09 / 46 / 726
2010-11 / 52 / 689

69.
 Governments is working on
improvement of habitat to
augment food and water
availability and to reduce
movement of animals from the
forests to the habitations.
 Training forest staff and
police to tackle these
situations and creating
awareness among the people
about the Do’s and Don’ts to
minimize conflicts .
 construction of boundary walls
and solar fences around the
sensitive areas to prevent the
wild animal attacks.
 Some devices of Information
Technology, viz., radio collars
with Very High
Frequency, Global Positioning
System and Satellite uplink
facilities can be used to track
the movements of wild animals
.
 Ways to reduce the conflicts

70.
Species and
taxonomy
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.

71.
Threatened endangered species In India

72.
Diversity of subspecies
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.
Endangered golden lion
tamarin, endemic to
Brazil’s Atlantic
rainforest, which has
been almost totally
destroyed.

73.
CONSERVATION
OF
BIODIVERSITY

74.
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

75.
Biodiversity loss and species
extinction
• 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.

76.
Benefits of biodiversity: Biophilia
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.

77.
TERMS RELATED TO BIODIVERSITY
• Endemic species- Plant and animal species confined to a
particular geographical area are called endemic species.
• Extinct species- Species that no longer exist anywhere on the
Earth are called extinct species.
• Endangered species- Species that are at a high risk of getting
extinct in their habitat are called endangered species.
• Ecosystem- An ecosystem is a community of living organisms
(plants, animals and microbes) in conjunction with
the nonliving components of their environment (things like
air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system.

78.
DISTIBUTION OF BIODIVERSITY
• Biodiversity is not evenly distributed, rather it varies greatly
across the globe as well as within regions. Among other factors,
the diversity of all living things depends on temperature,
precipitation, altitude, soils, geography and the presence of
other species. The study of the spatial distribution of organisms,
species and ecosystems is the science of biogeography.
• Flora diversity also depends on factors like climate, altitude, soil
and presence of other species.
• Most of the biodiversity is concentrated in the tropical region.