This document summarizes information about biodiversity exploration, utilization, and conservation. It discusses that biodiversity includes genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity. India is one of the most biodiverse countries, containing 7.5% of the world's species within only 2.2% of its land area. Two regions in particular, the Eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats hotspots, contain thousands of endemic plant and animal species. The document outlines threats to biodiversity like habitat destruction and overexploitation. It emphasizes the importance of conservation efforts, traditional knowledge, and benefit sharing regarding biological resources.

1. FLORISTIC DIVERSITY: EXPLORATION, UTILISATION & CONSERVATIONInvited Lecture in National Seminar on Biodiversity- An Endless ExplorationSt. Aloysius College (Autonomous), MangaloreFebruary 22, 2010 Dr. M. JayakaraBhandaryDepartment of Botany G. A. S. College, KarwarKarnataka, IndiaEmail:jaikarb@yahoo.com

2. WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?Biodiversity is “the variability among all living organisms from all sources, including, inter-alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems”. CBD

3. TOTAL WEALTH OF LIFEON EARTH……PLANTS+ANIMALS+MICROORGANISMS+ECOSYSTEMS WHICH INVOLVE THEMGENES – GENETIC DIVERSITYSPECIES – SPECIES DIVERSITYECOSYSTEMS - ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY

4. ESTIMATES….GLOBALAPPROXIMATION -80 – 120 LAKH SPECIESDISCOVERED & DESCRIBED SO FAR –16 LAKH ONLYINDIA2.2% LAND AREA7.5% SPECIES(1.2 LAKH SPECIES)ONE OF THE 12 MEGADIVERSITY NATIONS

5. THE BIODIVERSITY SUPER POWERS!

7. GROUPGLOBAL DIVERSITYINDIAENDEMICS ProkaryotesFungiAlgaeAngiospermsInsectsMolluscsFishesAmphibiaReptilesBirdsMammals 4,80069,00026,9002,50,0008,00,00050,00023,0004,2006,3009,0004,000 85023,0002,50017,50060,0005,0502,5002044461,250372 ---5,750---1101877044SPECIES DIVERSITY….

8. RICH in ENDEMIC SPECIESSpecies restricted only to narrow regions 30% of Plants (5750 Species ?) 400 higher vertebrates, 44 mammals

9. 70 Birds, 187 reptiles, 110 amphibia …..Eastern Himalaya & The Western Ghats Treasures of Endemics under serious threats TWO among the 25 (Now 34)GLOBAL HOTSPOTS

10. GROUPEastern HimalayaWestern GhatsAndaman & Nicobar Islands Angiosperms Reptiles Amphibia Mammals 3,500 20 25 - 1, 720 91 84 7 144 23 2 -INDIAN CENTRES OF ENDEMISM…

11. Biodiversity HotspotsNorman Myers 1988, 2000 18/25/34?Centers of Diversity, endemism(1500spp) and threat (70% lost).1.4% Area, 60% Plants

12. The Western Ghats1700 plants, 84 amphibia, 16 birds, 7 mammals – Found no where else!213 spp of endemic plants occur in Dakshina Kannada & Udupi Districts.© Jayakara Bhandary

13. Some Western Ghats endemics© Jayakara Bhandary© Jayakara BhandaryGarcinia indicaArtocarpus hirsutaCalophyllum apetalumMyristica malabaricaVateria indica…Moullava spicata

15. KARNATAKA…Diverse Ecosystems(Forests, Grasslands, wetlands, Mangroves, agri fields, etc.)…Biologically Rich22,000 species ?4,500 plants, 500 birds, 800 fishes, 160 reptiles, 160 mammals, 70 amphibians …© Jayakara Bhandary

16. Floristic explorations – Pages from HistoryEarliest Records of Medicinal Plants in Materia medica (1000 – 0 BC)Samhithas – Charaka (600 plants), Sushruta (760 Plants)Vrikshayurveda Sarangadhara samhitha …

17. European Influence….Indian Botany reborn in the 16th century with the arrival of Portuguese.GARCIA DA ORTA – Physician, settled in Goa - OS COLOQUIOS in 1565 (observations on medicinal plants based on conversation with locals)

19. Heinrich van Rheede – Dutch Governor of Malabar – HORTUS MALABARICUS12 VOLUMES, 794 PLATESEmployed about 200 plant collectors, 15 local physicians, Artists, etc.Linnaeus used this work as a basis to name many Indian plants in his Species Plantarum (1753).

22. 18th Century…..Koenig – 1768 William Roxburgh (Army surgeon)FATHER OF BOTANY IN INDIA Plants of Coromandal CostHortus BengalensisFlora IndicaUnpublished Icones (2533 colour plates)

24. Flora of British India – J. D. Hooker 7 vols. 1872-1897Flora of Madras Presidency – Gamble 1915-1936Flora of Bombay Presidency – T. Cooke 1901-08 ….BSI, FRI, Universities etc continued explorations.. DIGITAL FLORAS…

25. Isoglossa variegata -discovered in the Princess of Wales Conservatory at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kewamong more than 250 new plant and fungus species discovered and described by the gardens' botanists in the past year. 20 new species were discovered in Brazil

26. Scientists have found over 350 new species in the Eastern Himalayas over the past ten years Impatiens namchabarwensis

27. Two new species each of bamboo and cinnamon and three species of ginger were among total 167 plants discovered by scientists in 2008 in the country.EndlessExploration…CinnamomumChartocerus

28. BIODIVERSITY LOSS….20% in next 30 years?

29. 50% by end of 21st century ?REASONS…..Natural extinction

30. Habitat destruction

31. Overexploitation …..

32. HIPPO (Wilson)

33. Exotic weed invasion…. Ipomoea carnea from S. AmericaEichornia crassipes

34. THREATENED PLANTS

35. DISAPPEARING PLANTSDIONEAPITCHER PLANTDROSERA

36. SPECIES BELIEVED TO BE EXTINCT ….RECENTLY RELOCATEDHUBBARDIA HEPTANEURON, From Jog Falls, Karnataka, India

37. WHY SHOULD WE WORRY ?© Jayakara BhandaryMATERIAL RESOURCES(Food, medicine, material needs…)ECOSYSTEM SERVICES(Climate, Water , soil….)ETHICS, AESTHETICS© Jayakara Bhandary© Jayakara Bhandary© Jayakara Bhandary

39. REASONS TO SAVEBiodiversity Ethical

40. Ecological

41. Economic

42. Aesthetic

43. EvolutionaryMEDICINAL PLANTS….© Jayakara BhandarySarpagandha© Jayakara Bhandary© Jayakara Bhandary© Jayakara Bhandary AkanayakaNela nelli

44. © Jayakara Bhandary© Jayakara Bhandary© Jayakara Bhandary© Jayakara BhandaryBIODIVERSITY in traditional livelihoods

45. ENCASHING DIVERSITY…..FUTURE POWERFUL TECHNOLOGIES GENE BASED.BIOTECHNOLOGICAL WORLD – BIODIVERSITY IS BASETHE BIODIVERSITY DIVIDE… DEVELOPED COUNTRIES TECHNOLOGY + ECONOMY.WANT EASY, CHEAP ACCESS TO BIODIVERSITY RESOURCES AND RELATED KNOWLEDGE CONCENTRATED IN TROPICAL DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.DEVELOPING COUNTRIES RIGHTS + RETURNS.

46. INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS…..CONVENTION ON BIODIVERSITY (CBD) – 1992 More than 170 signatories Objectives: Biodiversity conservation, Sustainable exploitation & Equitable sharing of profits.2002 December – Biodiversity Act of IndiaSOVEREIGN RIGHTS OVER BIODIVERSITY ESTABLISHEDBiodiversity management responsibilities -National B.D. Authority – National Authority State B. D. Boards – at State levels &Local B. D. Management committees – at Local body levels

47. WHAT IS BIOPROSPECTING?Exploration of biodiversity for commercially valuable genetic and biochemical resources.

48. Eisner 1989, Reid et al, 1993.

49. The systematic search for genes, natural compounds, designs and whole organisms in wild life with a potential for product development by biological observation, and biophysical, biochemical and genetic methods without disruption to nature.

50. Nicolas Mateo et al., 2001.BIOPROSPECTINGGene ProspectingGenetic engineering Crop development Fermentation Cell cultureChemical ProspectingDrugs and pharmaceuticals Pesticides Cosmetics Food additives Other industrially valuable Chemical products

51. CONSERVATION

56. PA’S OF KARNATAKA5 National parks21 Wildlife sanctuariesTotal 6447 sq. kms 3.6% geographical area17.5% of the Forest area© Jayakara Bhandary