Biodiversity and Conservation THE PPTS COVERS GENERAL INTRODUCTION OF Biodiversity, Threats to Biodiversity AND STEPS TO Conserving Biodiversity

1. Biodiversity and Conservation
Section 1: Biodiversity
Section 2: Threats to Biodiversity
Section 3: Conserving Biodiversity

2. Biodiversity - Definition
The variability among living organisms from all
sources including terrestrial, marine, and other
aquatic ecosystems and the ecological
complexes of which they are a part; this
includes diversity within species, between
species and of ecosystems.

3. Concept of biodiversity
Extinction is a process that happens when an
entire species permanently disappears from the
biosphere due to the death of the species’ last
member.
Biodiversity is the variety of life in an area that is
determined by the number of different species in
that area.
Biodiversity increases the stability of an
ecosystem and contributes to the health of the
biosphere.

4. The term 'biodiversity' is being taken in its
holistic sense, to encompass all levels of
biodiversity, ecological and evolutionary
processes, including:
Natural ecosystems: e.g. forests,
grasslands, wetlands, deserts, mountains,
coastal and marine areas, including the
historical changes taking place in such
ecosystems.
Wild species and varieties: species of
plants, animals, and micro-organisms
existing in their natural state and the
genetic variation within each of these
species.
Biodiversity

5. Agricultural ecosystems: e.g. farmlands,
pastures, capture fisheries, aquaculture,
including historical changes in land-use
patterns.
Domesticated species and varieties:
species of crops livestock (including
poultry), captive-bred fish, pets, and micro
organisms in ex-situ collection and the
genetic variation within each of these
species.
In general we may say that Biodiversity exist
at a various levels such as
species, genetic and habitat
Biodiversity

6. Biodiversity
According to Convention on Biological
Diversity (CBD), biodiversity is “the variability
among all living organisms from all sources,
including, interlayer, terrestrial, marine and
other aquatic ecosystems and ecological
complexes of which they are part; this includes
diversity within species, between species and
of ecosystems”.

7. Biodiversity
Biological diversity is the central tenet of nature,
one of its key defining features.
Evolution has produced an amazing variety of
plants, animals and micro-organisms, intricately
interconnected, and worthy of respect and
conservation in their own right.
Biodiversity is also the basis for the continuous
evolution of species. This diversity is also the
backbone of human societies and cultures, in
terms of the ecological functions it provides and
the myriad survival and livelihood it meets.

8. Levels of Biodiversity
1. Genetic diversity: the gene pool within
a population
2. Species diversity: the number and
types of species in an area
3. Higher taxonomic diversity
4. Community Diversity
5. Ecosystem diversity (Habitat diversity)

9. 1.Genetic diversity - genetic variability or diversity
within a species, i.e. between the individuals of a
species
Example ; 5,000 recorded varieties of mango
88,000 recorded varieties of Oryza sativa

10. Genetic Diversity
The variety of genes or inheritable
characteristics that are present in a
population comprises its genetic diversity.
Genetic diversity within an interbreeding
population increases the chances that
some species will survive during changing
environmental conditions or during the
outbreak of disease.

11. 2.Species diversity - diversity between different
species
Example ; Felis tigris
Felis domestica

12. Species Diversity
The number of
different species
and the relative
abundance of each
species in a
biological
community is called
species diversity.

13. Species diversity
has two components:
1. Species richness: how many different
species are present in a habitat
2. Relative abundance: total number of
individuals of each species present

14. Number of
Living Species
of All Kinds of
Organisms
Currently
Known
Insects
54%
Other Animals 20%
Bacteria 4%
Fungi 5%
Algae 2%
Plants 18%
Protozoa 2%

15. What do we know?
Estimates of the # of species
More species are located in the tropical
regions of the world
 2/3rd – 3/4th of all species live in tropical rain
forests which cover only 7% of the earth’s
surface

16. Why do we know so little?
1. Not all species have been discovered
 #’s are biased toward animal species
 Know more about species in developed Nations
 Not all species are named as a result of unclear
species concepts in taxonomy
2. On-going extinction: species loss in tropical
forest is estimated at 6000/year,

17. There are-
An endangered species
 Is one that is in danger of becoming extinct
throughout its range
Threatened species
 Are those that are considered likely to become
endangered in the foreseeable future

18. 3.Ecosystem Diversity
The variety of ecosystems that are present
in the biosphere is called ecosystem
diversity.
An ecosystem is made up of interacting
populations and the abiotic factors that
support them.
All of the ecosystems on Earth support a
diverse collection of organisms.

19. Ecosystem diversity – diversity within a
region
Grassland Shola forest

20. Ecosystem Diversity
 Identifies the variety of ecosystems in the
biosphere
 Is being affected by human activity

21. Facts related to Biodiversity
 Total Land Area of Earth –
510,065,284 sq.km
 Forest Cover – 38.7 m. sq.km
(26%)
 40% of Global Forest Land is
in South America, Africa,
and South Asia.

22. Facts related to Biodiversity contd..
 There are 5 million to 100 million
species on earth.
 Only about 1.9 million species
have been catalogued so far.
 There are 34 recognised
“Hotspots” in the world.
 44.4% of Global Plant species and
35.3% of Vertebrate species are
present in Hotspots.

23. Total land area of India - 143 million.ha
India occupies 2.47% of the World’s geographical
area and has only 1% of the forest
Facts related to Biodiversity contd..
India has 16.1% of world human
population and 15.1% of cattle
population
Forest Cover in India –
23.57 %

24. India is sharing 12.53 % of
world’s biodiversity
India has 3.9 % of grasslands,
2.0 % of hot deserts, 4.1 m.ha
of wetland ecosystems.
India is the 7th largest country in
the world and one among the
17 mega diversity centers.
Facts related to Biodiversity contd..

25. Facts related to Biodiversity contd..
India recorded :
 45,000 + species of wild plants
 89,000 + species of wild animals
 At least 320 species of wild
relatives of crops have been
originated here.

26. Facts related to Biodiversity contd..
In India:
1,39,000 species of plants, animals
and microbes are recorded
More than 4 lakh species are yet to be
identified
There are three mega centers of
endemism and 26 micro centers of
endemism

27. PLANT SPECIES IN INDIA AND WORLD
Taxa Species
India World
Bacteria 850 4000
Viruses unknown 4000
Algae 6500 40,000
Fungi 14,500 72,000
Lichens 2000 17,000
Bryophyta 2850 16,000
Pteridophyta 1100 13000
Gymnosperms 64 750
Angiosperms 17,500 250,000

28. ANIMAL SPECIES IN INDIA AND WORLD
Taxa Species
India World
Insects 60,000 8,00000
Mollusca 5000 100000
Fishes 2,500 23,000
Amphibians 190 4,520
Reptiles 400 6,550
Birds 1,175 8,400
Mammals 872 4,231

29. Hotspots
1. Endemism-
(0.5% or 1500 species of the world’s 3
Lakh Plant species as endemics should
be present)
2. Degree of Threat
Hotspots of India – Four
1. Western Ghats
2. Eastern Himalayas
3. Indo-Burma region
4. Sundaland (Indonesia, Malaysia, parts
of India especially Nicobar Islands)

30. Threats to Biodiversity
1. Deforestation and overgrazing
2. Habitat destruction and fragmentation of the
area.

31. 3. Poaching and hunting for flesh, fur,
skin, horn, naiI and recreation.
4. Forest fires including smoking in the
woods.
5. Over-exploitation
of the resources.

32. 6. Natural calamities like floods, high wind
velocities, earthquakes, etc.,.
7. Pollution of various kinds and release of
toxic substances.
8.Soil erosion and loss of soil nutrients.

33. 9.Population pressure and unequal
distribution of the resources
10. Agricultural expansion
11.Spreading urbanization and establishment
of industries.
12.Construction of hydro-electric
power projects

34. 13. Climatic changes like depletion of ozone,
global warming, increased concentration
of carbon dioxide, etc,
14. Mining activities and quarrying.
15. Lack of awareness.

35. Threatened Species: The term is used in conservation
context for species which are in
one of the categories –
Endangered
Vulnerable
Rare
Indeterminate
RED DATA BOOK
IUCN categories
Extinct
A species not definitely located in
the wild and never sighted even
once in the last 50 years

36. Why Biodiversity is important?
Provides food, fodder, fruit, fuel, timber,
medicine
1.Commercial value :
Oil, Fertilizers etc. extracted from
species
of plants and animals.
2.Biological value:
Pollination
Soil formation
Nutrient enrichment

37. 3.Recreational Value:
Can not be measured in terms of
money.
4. Aesthetic Value:
Art, Poetry, Literature.
5.Scientific Value:
Gene Pool, Evolution,
Human Welfare, etc,.

38. The Importance of Biodiversity
There are direct and indirect economic,
aesthetic, and scientific reasons for preserving
biodiversity.
Domestic corn plant Teosinte plant Madagascar periwinkle

39. Natural Resources
Indestructible --- Air
Water
Destructible --- Renewable : Soil
Forest
Wildlife
Non-renewable : Minerals

40. Direct Economic Value
Humans depend on plants and animals to provide food,
clothing, energy, medicine, and shelter.
Genetic diversity in species that might be needed in the
future is important because…
 Most of the world’s food crops come from just a few species.
 Wild species serve as reservoirs of desirable genetic traits that
might be needed to improve domestic crop species (disease-
and insect-resistance).
 Many of the medicines that are used today are derived from
plants or other organisms.
 Scientists continue to find new extracts from plants and other
organisms that help in the treatment of human diseases.
 However, many species of organisms are yet to be identified,
especially in remote regions of Earth, so their usefulness in
providing extracts or useful genes is unknown.

41. Indirect Economic Value
A healthy biosphere provides many services to
humans and other organisms that live on Earth.
Green plants provide oxygen to the atmosphere
and remove carbon dioxide.
Natural processes provide drinking water that is
safe for human use.
Healthy ecosystems provide protection against
floods and droughts, generate and preserve
healthful fertile soils, detoxify and decompose
wastes, and regulate local climates.

42. Indirect Economic Value
It is difficult to attach an
economic value to the
services that a healthy
biosphere provides
humans.
An economic study
determined that restoring
the biodiversity in the
ecosystem (1.5 billion) that
filtered the water supply for
New York City was less
expensive than building a
new water filtration system
(6 billion).

43. Aesthetic and Scientific Value
It is difficult to attach a value to something
that is beautiful or something that is
interesting to study.
Perhaps it is best to consider how life
would be if all that was present on Earth
was a barren and desolate landscape.
The value of biodiversity and healthy
ecosystems would be more obvious to us
then.

44. Extinction Rates
The gradual process of species becoming extinct is known
as background extinction.
Mass extinction is an event in which a large percentage of
all living species become extinct in a relatively short period
of time.
Five Most Recent Mass Extinctions
1. Cretaceous Period - about 65 million years ago – Ammonite
2. Triassic Period – about 200 million years ago – Cynognathus
3. Permain Period – about 251 million years ago – Trilobite
4. Devonian Period – about 360 million years ago – Dinichthys
5. Ordovician Period – about 444 million years ago – Graptolites

45. Extinction Rates

46. Extinction Rates
The accelerated loss of species began several
centuries ago.
Many of the species’ extinction in the past have
occurred on islands.
Islands are particularly vulnerable to extinction
due to several factors.
 Many species evolved without the presence of natural
predators.
 Introduction of nonnative species with diseases.
 Islands have relatively small populations sizes

47. Impact of Loss Of Biodiversity
Global warming and climate change

48. Increased pollution
Soil erosion and loss of fertility
Decomposition rate
by microbes is altered
Nutrient cycling is altered

49. Reduces gene pool - affects speciation
Food chain is altered
Alteration in Hydrologic
Cycle

50. Conservation Measures:
1. Maintenance of the integrity
of the habitat and improvement
of habitat in productivity and
quality for the desired species
to grow and reproduce well.

51. 2 Prevention and control of
forest fires. Burning of
grasslands has to be controlled.
By controlling the forest fire,
protection can be given to wildlife.
3 Excessive cutting should
be eliminated and only mature
trees should be harvested. New
seedlings should replace the
harvested trees.

52. 4 Fragmentation of the forest area or wildlife
habitat, which decreases the biological diversity
(both genetic diversity and ecological diversity),
should be minimised.
5 Wise
management in
the control of
insects and
disease that
attack trees.

53. 6 Measures to check the velocity of wind in
deserted areas, planting 'wind
breaks' across the direction of wind is helpful.
Trees and shrubs may be
planted in several rows to check the blowing
away of the fertile top soil,
which determines the vegetational growth.
7 One should not smoke
in the woods. Camps fire
and trash fires should
be carefully tended and
thoroughly
extinguished.

54. 8 Grasses such as Cynodon dactylon
are utilised as erosion resisting plants.
Conservation of many such types of
grasses help in improving the soil
fertility of the region for luxuriant growth of the
plants.
9 Reforestation in degraded forest and agricultural
wastelands with suitable
strains of tree species,
which are viable, genetically
superior and disease resistant

55. 10.Protection of forest from illicit felling and
overgrazing.
11.Establishment and maintenance of
'germplasm banks' of wild species for future
genetic improvement and breeding
programme.

56. 12. The maintenance and preservation of
germplasm of vegetatively propagated
species is often a difficult task. Hence to
conseve these 'genepool' development
of tissues culture techniques should be
greatly emphasized.

57. 13. Improvement of the heredity
of trees and proper adoption of
breeding techniques.
14. The Management of natural
forests, which will ensure
future productivity and
environmental stability, should
be practiced.

58. 15. If the principles and procedures of
"Social Forestry" are followed, the
stress on the exploitation of renewable
forest resources can be minimised.

59. 16. Conservation of endangered and endemic species
in natural forests, which are the “guardians of
diversity”, should be given prime importance.
17. Proper utilization and management of non-wood
based resources and establishment of " Energy
Plantations".

60. 18. Implementation of effective and scientific
methods to minimise the pollution of water, soil
and air to ensure high productivity of the
biomass in this region. Prevention of water
pollution will protect the aquatic animal life.
19. Improper land degradation due to mining
activities should be stopped.

61. 20. Sensible and wise use of forest products and
the public awareness about the importance of
forest wealth to mankind and ecosystem can
promote the conservation
21. Control of soil erosion and establishment of
vegetative cover will provide fruit or browse for
wild animals.

62. 22. Efforts should be intensified
to curb the destructive
activities of poachers.
23. Stabilization of water levels
in pools, ponds and lakes
should be undertaken so
as to prevent seasonal
destruction of aquatic
life through evaporation.
24. Development of renewable
resources in an area according
to the need of organisms
in the same area.

63. 25. Prey - predator relation should be worked out
based on the carrying capacity of the habitat.
This will help in promoting the habitat
improvement.
26. Conservation also includes restoration of those
species, which can and should be restored.

64. 27. Establishment of National Parks, National
Sanctuaries are excellent areas for the
preservation of natural biotic communities.
28. Establishment of Biosphere Reserves.

65. 29. Development of electronics as a tool in the
conservation of wildlife should be given
prime importance as electronic devices are
helpful in aerial photography, data
collection of plants and animals, detection of
forest fires, educational programmes and
monitoring of animal movements.

66. 30. Implementation of educational programmes to
promote the knowledge of conservation and
preservation of wildlife (including flora and fauna)
should be done through literatures, scientific
exhibitions, audio-visual aids and conferences
stressing upon environmental conservation

67.  National Park
 Wildlife Sanctuaries
 Wetlands
 Mangroves
 Sacred Groves
 Protected Landscapes
 Ethnobiological Reserves
 Reserve and Protected Forests
 Preservation plots
 Biosphere Reserves

68. Factors that Threaten Biodiversity
The current high rate of extinction is due to the
activities of a single species—Homo sapiens.
Humans are changing conditions on Earth faster
than new traits can evolve to cope with the new
conditions.
Evolving species might not have the natural
resources they need.
Natural resources are all materials and
organisms found in the biosphere, including
minerals, fossil fuels, nuclear fuels, plants,
animals, soil, clean water, clean air, and solar
energy.

69. Overexploitation
Overexploitation, or
excessive use, of species
that have economic value
is a factor increasing the
current rate of extinction.
Historically,
overexploitation was the
primary cause of species
extinction.
 Bison
 Passenger Pigeons
 Ocelot
 Rhinoceros

70. Habitat Loss
If a habitat is destroyed or disrupted, the native species
might have to relocate or they will die.
Destruction of habitat - such as the clearing of tropical
rainforests, has a direct impact on global biodiversity.
Disruption of habitat - the declining population of one
species can affect an entire ecosystem.

71. Fragmentation of Habitat
The separation of an ecosystem into small
pieces of land is called habitat fragmentation.
 The smaller the parcel of land, the fewer species it
can support.
 Fragmentation reduces the opportunities for
individuals in one area to reproduce with individuals
from another area. (Genetic diversity decreases over
time)
 Carving the large ecosystem into small parcels
increases the number of edges—creating edge
effects.

72. Edge Effects
Edge effects are different environmental
conditions (abiotic factors) that occur
along the boundaries of an ecosystem.
Edge effects often make species more
vulnerable to predators and parasites.
Edge effects do not always create a
disadvantage for all species.
Some species find these conditions
favorable and they thrive.

73. Pollution - Biological Magnification
Pollution and atmospheric
changes threaten
biodiversity and global
stability.
Biological magnification is
the increasing concentration
of toxic substances in
organisms as trophic levels
increase in a food chain or
food web.
Pesticides - DDT

74. Pollution – Acid Rain
Sulfur and nitrogen compounds react with water
and other substances in the air to form sulfuric
acid and nitric acid.
Acid precipitation removes calcium, potassium,
and other nutrients from the soil, depriving
plants of these nutrients.
It damages plant tissue and slows their growth.
Sometimes, the acid concentration is so high in
lakes, rivers, and streams that fish and other
organisms die.

75. Pollution - Eutrophication
Eutrophication occurs when fertilizers, animal
wastes, sewage, or other substances rich in
nitrogen and phosphorus flow into waterways,
causing extensive algae growth.
The algae use up the oxygen supply during their
rapid growth and after their deaths during the
decaying process.
Other organisms in the water suffocate.
Eutrophication is a natural process, but human
activities have accelerated the rate at which it
occurs.

76. Introduced Species
Nonnative species that are either intentionally or unintentionally
transported to a new habitat are known as introduced species.
Introduced species often reproduce in large numbers because of a
lack of predators, and become invasive species in their new habitat.
Introduced species are a worldwide environmental problem. An
estimated 40% of the extinctions that have occurred since 1750 are
due to introduced species, and billions of dollars are spent every
year in an effort to clean up or control the damage caused by
introduced species.

77. 5.3 Conserving Biodiversity
Main idea: People are using many approaches
to slow the rate of extinction and to preserve
biodiversity
Objectives:
 Describe two classes of natural resources.
 Identify methods used to conserve biodiversity.
 Explain two techniques used to restore biodiversity.
Review vocabulary:
 Natural resources – materials and organisms found in
the biosphere.

78. Natural Resources
An increase in
human population
growth increases
the need for
natural resources
to supply the basic
needs of the
population.
The consumption
rate of natural
resources is not
evenly distributed.

79. Natural Resources
Resources that are replaced by natural
processes faster than they are consumed are
called renewable resources.
 Solar energy, agricultural plants, animals, clean
water, and clean air
Resources that are found on Earth in limited
amounts or those that are replaced by natural
processes over extremely long periods of time
are called nonrenewable resources.
 Fossil fuels, mineral deposits, and radioactive
uranium

80. Sustainable Use
Sustainable use means using resources at
a rate in which they can be replaced or
recycled while preserving the long-term
environmental health of the biosphere.
Conservation of resources includes
reducing the amount of resources that are
consumed, recycling resources that can
be recycled, and preserving ecosystems,
as well as using them in a responsible
manner.

81. Protecting Biodiversity
Many efforts are underway worldwide to slow the
loss of biodiversity and to work toward sustainable
use of natural resources.
Protected areas in the United States include national
parks and nature reserves. First national park –
1872 – Yellowstone National Park.
Currently, about seven percent of the world’s land is
set aside as some type of reserve.
The United Nations supports a system of Biosphere
Reserves and World Heritage sites.

82. Biodiversity Hot Spots
Locations around the world that are
characterized by exceptional levels of endemic
species – species that are only found in that
specific geographic area – and critical levels of
habitat loss.
 At least 1500 species of vascular plants are endemic.
 The region must have lost at least 70 percent of its
original habitat.
Approximately ½ of all plant and animal species
are found in hot spots.
 These hot spots originally covered 15.7 percent of
Earth’s surface, however, only about a tenth of that
habitat remains.

83. Corridors between Habitat
Fragments
Improve the survival of biodiversity by
providing corridors, or passageways,
between habitat fragments.
Advantage - creates a larger piece of land
that can sustain a wider variety of species
and a wider variety of genetic variation.
Disadvantage – Disease can easily pass
from one area to the next and the edge
effect increases.

84. Restoring Ecosystems
Given time, biological
communities can recover from
natural and human-made
disasters.
The length of time for recovery is
not related directly to whether the
disaster is natural or human-
made.
The size of the area affected and
the type of disturbance are
determining factors for recovery
time.
Ecologists use two methods to
speed the recovery process of
these damaged ecosystems
 Bioremediation
 Biological Augmentation

85. Bioremediation
The use of living organisms,
such as prokaryotes, fungi, or
plants, to detoxify a polluted
area is called bioremediation.
 Microorganisms can be used in
ecosystems to remove toxins
from soils that are contaminated
by accidental oil or fuel spills.
 Some species of plants are
being used to remove toxic
substances such as zinc, lead,
nickel, and organic chemicals.
From damaged soils.

86. Biological Augmentation
Adding natural predators to a degraded
ecosystem is called biological augmentation.
Ladybugs can be introduced into an ecosystem
to control aphid populations.

87. Legally Protecting Biodiversity
During the 1970’s, a great deal of attention was
focused on the destruction to the environment
and maintaining biodiversity.
Laws were enacted in countries around the
world and many treaties between countries were
signed in an effort to preserve the environment.
Since the 1970’s, many more laws and treaties
have been enacted and signed with the purpose
of preserving biodiversity for future generations.