The document discusses biodiversity loss and conservation efforts. It notes that the current extinction rate is 100-1000 times faster than historical rates due to human activities. The four main causes of extinction are habitat loss, overexploitation, invasive species, and co-extinction. Conservation efforts aim to protect biodiversity through both in situ and ex situ methods. In situ approaches include biodiversity hotspots, sacred groves, and protected areas like national parks and sanctuaries. Ex situ involves zoos, botanical gardens, gene banks, and cryopreservation. International agreements like the Earth Summit and World Summit address conservation goals.

1. BIODIVERSITY AND
CONSERVATION
BY MINAXI PATIL
PART 2

2. LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY IMPACT
The IUCN Red List (2004) documents the extinction of
784 species (including 338 vertebrates, 359 invertebrates and
87 plants) in the last 500 years.
Examples: The dodo (Mauritius), quagga (Africa), thylacine (Australia),
Steller’s Sea Cow (Russia) and three subspecies (Bali, Javan, Caspian) of
tiger.
The last twenty years alone have witnessed the disappearance of 27 species

3. Steller's sea cow
12 % of bird, 23 %of mammal,
32 % of amphibian and %
gymnosperm face the threat of
extinction
27 species disappeared
in the last 20 years
> 15,500 species face the
threat of extinction

4. The current species extinction rates is 100 to 1,000 times faster than in
the pre-human times and our activities are responsible for the faster
rates.
if this trends continue, nearly half of all the species on earth might be
wiped out within the next 100 years.

5. Loss Of Biodiversity Impact
(a)decline in plant production,
(b) environmental
perturbations such as drought
(c) increased variability in
ecosystem processes such as
plant productivity, water use,
and pest and disease cycles.

6. Loss Of Biodiversity causes
1) Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation
2) Over exploitation
3) Alien species invasion
4) co-extinction
“THE EVIL QUARTET”
The accelerated rates of species extinction are due to human activity.
There are 4 major causes,

7. 1) Habitat loss and habitat fragmentation (deforestation)
Most important cause, driving animals and plants to extinction.
e.g. Tropical rain forest (loss area of earth’s surface from 14 % to 6 %).
They are being destroyed fast (1000 hectors within an hour).
The Amazon rain forest (the ‘lungs of the planet’) is being cut for cultivating
soya beans or for conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle.

8. Fragmentation due to
various human activities,
they requiring large
territories and migratory
habits are badly affected,
leading to population
Declines.

9. 2) Over exploitation (excess use / cut)
Many species extinctions in the last 500 years were due to
overexploitation by humans.
e.g. Steller’s sea cow, passenger pigeon.
Presently many marine fish are endangered.

10. 3) Alien species invasion
Alien species cause decline or extinction of indigenous species.
e.g.
1) The Nile perch introduced into Lake Victoria in east Africa caused to the
extinction of > 200 species of cichlid fish in the lake.
cichlid fish
Nile perch

11. 2) Invasive weed species like carrot grass (Parthenium), Lantana and
water hyacinth (Eichornia).
caused damage to our native species
carrot grass (Parthenium) Lantana
water hyacinth (Eichornia)

12. 3) The illegal introduction of the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) for
aquaculture is posing a threat to the indigenous catfishes in our rivers.

13. 4) co-extinction (mutualistic species)
When a species becomes extinct, the other species associated with it also
become extinct.
Extinction of parasites when host fish species becomes
In case of a coevolved plant-pollinator mutualism extinction of one leads to
the extinction of the other
plant-pollinator
plant-pollinator parasites-host parasites-host

14. Type of extinction of species
1) Natural extinction – Due to
change in environmental
condition.
2) Mass extinction – Due to
catastrophes.
3) Anthropogenic extinction – Due
to human activity like hunting,
deforestation etc.

15. BIODIVERSITY
CONSERVATION

16. REASONS FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
1) Narrowly Utilitarian
Arguments
2) Broadly Utilitarian
Arguments
3) Ethical Arguments

17. 1) Narrowly Utilitarian Arguments
Humans derive economic benefits from nature
such as,
food (cereals, pulses, fruits), firewood, fiber,
construction material,
industrial products (tannins, lubricants, dyes,
resins, perfumes ) and medicines.
> 25 % of the drugs are derived from plants
25,000 species of plants medicinally used.

18. 2) Broadly Utilitarian Arguments
Biodiversity plays a major role in many ecosystem services, e.g.
Amazon forest produce 20 % of the total oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere.
Pollination is another service, provide through pollinators – bees,
bumblebees, birds and bats.
The aesthetic pleasures of walking through thick woods, watching spring
flowers in full bloom or waking up to a bulbul’s song in the morning.

19. 3) Ethical Arguments
Philosophically or spiritually, every species has an intrinsic value, even if
it may not be of current or any economic value to us.
We have a moral duty to care for their well-being.

20. TYPES OF CONSERVATION
1. In situ conservation
(on site)
2. Ex situ conservation
(off site)
There are 2 types of conservation

21. 1. In situ conservation
(on site)
This type of conservation performs inside the natural habitat or man made
ecosystem. And are,
1) Biodiversity hotspots
2) Sacred groves
3) Protected areas

22. 1) Biodiversity hotspots
HIMALAYA
INDO-BURMA
WESTERN GHAT &
SHRILANKA
Biodiversity hotspots’ regions with very high
levels of species richness and high degree of
endemism.
e.g. kangaroo (Australia), nilgai (Gir forest)
25 biodiversity hotspots 9 more have been
added to the list, total number of biodiversity
hotspots in the world to 34.
3 hotspots in India.
2% earth land area – biodiversity hotspots.
Hotspots could reduce the ongoing mass
extinctions by almost 30%.

23. 2) Sacred groves
e.g. Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, Khasi and Jaintia Hills in
Meghalaya, Western Ghat region of Karnataka, Maharashtra &
the Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar areas of Madhya Pradesh.
In Meghalaya, the sacred groves are the last refuges for a
large number of rare and threatened plants.
It is a tribe area given by govt., controlled by those peoples.
Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya Western Ghat Maharashtra
Chanda and Bastar areas of MP

24. 3) Protected areas
In India, ecologically unique and biodiversity-rich regions are legally
protected as,
1) Biosphere reserves
2) National parks
3) Sanctuaries
India now has 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife
sanctuaries.

25. BIOSPHERE RESERVE
OF INDIA
Area of land or costal
ecosystem for
conservation and
sustainable use.

26. NATIONAL PARKS OF INDIA
Strictly reserve for the
welfare of the wildlife
where private
ownership, cultivation,
grazing etc are
prohibited.

27. WILDLIFE SANCTUARY OF
INDIA
Here protection is given
only to the animals
Collection of timber, minor
forest products, private
ownership are allowed so
long as they do not harm
the animals.

28. 2. Ex situ conservation
(off site)
Conservation of organisms outside their habitats.
Animals and plants are taken out from their natural habitat and they can be
protected and given special care.
Examples
Zoological parks Cryopreservation
Botanical gardens Genetic resource centres
Wildlife safari parks Gene bank

29. Zoological parks
It is a facility in which animals are placed
within enclosures, cared for, displayed
to the public, and may be used for the
study.
Botanical gardens
It is a garden with a documented
collection of living plants for the
purpose of scientific research,
conservation, display, and education.

30. Wildlife safari parks
It is a park in which wild animals
move around freely and are
watched by people from their
vehicles.
Cryopreservation
Gametes of threatened species can be
preserved in viable and fertile condition for long
periods using cryopreservation techniques,
in a deep freeze at -196°C temperatures, in liq.
N2. eggs can be fertilized in vitro, Plants can be
propagated using tissue culture methods.

31. The maintenance of germplasm
outside their place of origin in
the long, medium or short term
Genetic resource centres Gene bank
Seeds of different genetic strains of
commercially important plants can
be kept for long periods in seed
banks.

32. 1. The Earth Summit (Rio de Janeiro in 1992), Brazil
International efforts for conserving biodiversity
Objectives of world summit
 conservation of
biodiversity.
 sustainable utilization of
biodiversity.
 Sharing benefits arising
from genetic resources.

33. World Summit on Sustainable Development held in 2002 in
Johannesburg, South Africa, 190 countries pledged their commitment
to achieve by 2010.
2. The world Summit (Johannesburg in 2002), South Africa