Biodiversity, a portmanteau of "biological diversity," generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth. According to the United Nations Environment Programmers, biodiversity typically measures variation at the genetic, the species, and the ecosystem level. Terrestrial biodiversity tends to be greater near the equator, which seems to be the result of the warm climate and high primary productivity. Biodiversity is not distributed evenly on Earth, and is richest in the tropics.

1. "Biodiversity of
India Special Focus on Telangana &
A.P."
Presented By
Sanja Devi(M.Sc student OU)
M.Kamraju (Researcher dept. of
Geography , Hyd)

2. INTRODUCTION
 Biodiversity, a portmanteau of "biological
diversity," generally refers to the variety and
variability of life on Earth.
 According to the United Nations Environment
Programmers, biodiversity typically measures
variation at the genetic, the species, and the
ecosystem level.
 Terrestrial biodiversity tends to be greater near the
equator, which seems to be the result of the warm
climate and high primary productivity. Biodiversity
is not distributed evenly on Earth, and is richest in
the tropics.

3.  These tropical forest ecosystems cover less than 10 per
cent of earth's surface, and contain about 90 percent of
the world's species.
 Marine biodiversity tends to be highest along coasts in
the Western Pacific, where sea surface temperature is
highest and in the mid-latitudinal band in all oceans.
 There are latitudinal gradients in species diversity.
Biodiversity generally tends to cluster in hotspots, and
has been increasing through time, but will be likely to
slow in the future.

4. DISTRIBUTION
 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
(biota) 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.
 Diversity consistently measures higher in the tropics and
in other localized regions such as the Cape Floristic
Region and lower in Polar Regions generally.

5.  Rain forests that have had wet climates for a long time,
such as Yasuní National Park in Ecuador, have
particularly high biodiversity.
 Terrestrial biodiversity is thought to be up to 25 times
greater than ocean biodiversity. A recently discovered
method put the total number of species on Earth at 8.7
million, of which 2.1 million were estimated to live in the
ocean.
 However, this estimate seems to under-represent the
diversity of microorganisms.

6. HOTSPOTS A biodiversity hotspot is a region with a high level of
endemic species that has experienced great habitat loss.
The term hotspot was introduced in 1988 by Norman
Myers.
 While hotspots are spread all over the world, the majority
are forest areas and most are located in the tropics.
 Brazil's Atlantic Forest is considered one such hotspot,
containing roughly 20,000 plant species, 1,350
vertebrates and millions of insects, about half of which
occur nowhere else.
 The island of Madagascar and India are also particularly
notable.

7. Biodiversity in India
 India is one of the world’s most biologically and culturally
diverse countries. It is also one of the poorest in terms of
per capita income.
 The existence of mass poverty on an enormous scale lies
upon two important facts:
 first that the country exports natural products that
command high prices in overseas markets, such as
basmati rice and Darjeeling tea, as well as products like
medicinal and aromatic plants that are major inputs in rap-
idly expanding industries; and
 second that India has achieved significant capabilities in
industrial chemistry and the life sciences.

8.  India is one of the world’s ‘mega diversity’ countries. It is
ranked ninth in the world in terms of higher plant species
richness.
 At the ecosystem level, India is also well-endowed, with
ten distinct biogeographic zones.
 It also contains two of the world’s 25 biodiversity
hotspots, because of their extraordinarily high levels of
species-richness and endemicity, and threatened status.

9.  India is considered to be the centre of origin for the
following crop species pigeon pea, egg plant cucumber,
possibly cotton and sesame.
 But for millennia, numerous other crop species have been
introduced to India and adapted to localised conditions.
 As a consequence of both the diversity of these conditions
and of the various ethnic populations living in India, the
country has become an important centre of diversity of a
great many domesticated species, including various
cereals, millets, legumes, vegetables, temperate and
tropical fruits, fibre crops, medicinal and aromatic plants.

10.  India’s biodiversity is threatened by the destruction and
degradation of ecosystems and by over exploitation of
species.
More specifically, the threats are inter alia due to the
following:
 1. Large-scale development projects such as mining and
dam and road construction.
 2. Conversion of biodiversity-rich ecosystems, such as
tropical forests to farmlands and industrial and residential
sites.
 3. Poaching of wildlife and over-harvesting of forest
products.

11. India as Mega Diversity Nation:
 India has tremendous biodiversity, genetic as well as of
species and ecosystems. It contains over 7 per cent of
the world’s biodiversity on 2.5 per cent of the Earth’s
surface.
 This diversity can be attributed to the vast variety of
landforms and climates resulting in habitats ranging from
tropical to temperate, and from alpine to desert.
 The number of plant species in India is estimated to be
over 45,523 representing about 11.8 per cent of the
world’s flora.
 These include over 17,500 flowering plants of which
4,950 species are endemic to the country.

12.  It is estimated that 32% of Indian plants are endemic to
the country and found nowhere else in the world.
 Among the plant species the flowering plants have a
much higher degree of endemism, a third of these are
not found elsewhere in the world.
 Among amphibians found in India, 62% are unique to
this country.
 Among lizards, of the 153 species recorded, 50% are
endemic. High endemism has also been recorded for
various groups of insects, marine worms, centipedes,
mayflies and fresh water sponges.

13.  India is also considered as one of the world’s eight
centers of origin of cultivated plants.
 India has 51 species of cereals and millets, 104 species
of fruits, 27 species of spices and condiments, 55
species of vegetables and pulses, 24 species of fiber
crops, 12 species of soil seeds, and various wild strains
of tea, coffee, tobacco and sugarcane.
 It is believed that the cultivated varieties of Citrus in India
were perhaps developed from this endangered species.

14. Our Common Plants:
 India is one of the countries with great
diversity of plants.
 Many of these have been domesticated as
crops of various kinds, fruit trees, ornamentals
and also medicinal plants. They have different
growth forms as trees, shrubs, herbs and
climbers.

15. Andhra Pradesh Biodiversity
 Andhra Pradesh is known for its rich heritage in biological
diversity distributed in 9 agro climatic regions.
 Among the flora, the state harbours a total of 2,800 taxa
belonging to 1,051 genera under 185 families.
 This accounts for 16% of the Angiosperms known from India.
 Of these, 2,071 species belonging to 150 families and 796
genera are Dicotyledons and 729 species belonging to 255
genera and 35 families are Monocotyledons.
 Gymnosperms like Cycas sphaerica,Cycas beddomei,
Gnetumula exist in the state. Cyathea gigantea (Tree Fern)is
the most prominent among the 86 species in Pteridophytes
(Ferns).

16.  Among the fauna, Andhra Pradesh is rich with 108
species of mammals that include Elephant, Tiger,
Leopard, Sloth Bear, Giant Squirrel, Hyena, Fox, Wild
Dog, Wild Boar, Indian Bison(Gaur), Spotted Deer,
Barking Deer, Black Buck, Four-horned Antelope, Blue
Bull, Sambar, Mouse Deer, Honey Badger, Civets,Jungle
Cats, Otter, Pangolin, Bats, Dolphins, Whales, Tree
Shrew, Common Langur, Slender Loris etc.

17. Key Components of Biodiversity of Andhra
Pradesh
Category No. of Species / Varieties
PLANTS
Total plant species 2800
Plants used in traditional medicine 1800
Rice (Vadlu) 150
Jowar (Jonnalu) 75
Bornyard millets (Odalu) 5
Italian millets (Korralu) 10
Little millets (Samalu) 7
Kodo millets (Arikelu) 10
Pearl millets (Sajjalu) 10
Proso millets (Varigelu) 2
Finger millets (Ragulu) 7
Gingelly (Nuvvulu) 15
Chickpea (Sanagalu) 8
Green Gram (Pesalu) 8
Black Gram (Minumulu) 10
Cowpea (Alasandalu) 10
Pigeon Pea (Kandulu) 15
Horse Gram (Ulavalu) 6

18. Key Components of
Biodiversity of Andhra Pradesh
ANIMALS
Annelids 163
Arthropods 1337
Mollusks 480
Marine & Estuarine
fish
600
Freshwater fish 180
Amphibians 23
Reptiles 103
Birds 486
Mammals 108
Native breeds of
live stock
5

19. Biodiversity Heritage Sites Biodiversity Heritage Sites are well defined areas that are
unique ecologically fragile ecosystems - terrestrial,fresh
water or marine having rich biodiversity comprising any
one or more of the components such as
 Species richness
 High endemism
 Rare, endemic and threatened species
 Keystone species
 Species of evolutionary significance
 Wild ancestors of domestic / cultivated species or land
races or their varieties
 Areas of fossil beds having cultural, ethical or aesthetic
values

20.  Andhra Pradesh is a prominent centre of diversity for
cultivated crop plants having more than 33 wild
ancestors and close relatives of cultivated plants still
growing under natural conditions.

21. Biodiversity park, Hyderabad
 Biodiversity park in Hyderabad has been established
during the Convention on Biological Diversity held in
2012.
 It was inaugurated along with a commemorative pylon by
the Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh.
 It was opened for the public at Gachibowli since 19
January 2015.
 The park was set up within the Telangana State
Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) layout at a
total cost of more than Rs. 2 crores.
 The Biodiversity park is 1.6 km from Raidurg metro
station.

22.  The biodiversity park covers an area of 13-acre land and
is divided into four sectors totally containing more than
200 different species of plants.
 Each of them is represented by a UNO-member country
and planted by a scientist participated in the summit
conference.
 It is currently taken care by the Telangana Forest
Department.

23. SIGNIFICANCE OF
BIODIVERSITY
 Biosphere is a life supporting system to the human race.
Each species in the biosphere has its own significance.
 It is the combination of different organisms that enables
the biosphere to sustain human race.
 Biodiversity is vital for a healthy biosphere.
 Biodiversity is must for the stability and proper
functioning of the biosphere.
 Besides these biodiversity is so important due to having
consumptive use values, productive use values, social
values, ethical values and aesthetic values.

24. Conclusion
 We benefit from other organism in many ways. Even
insignificant organisms can play irreplaceable roles in
ecological systems or the source of genes or drugs that
someday become indispensable.
 Food: Many wild plant species could make important
contributions to human food suppliers either as they are or as
a source of material to improve domestic crops. About 80,000
edible plants could be used by human.
 Drugs and medicine: Living organisms provides many useful
drugs and medicines.
 The United Nations Development Programme derived from
developing world plants, animals and microbes to be more
than $30 billion per year.

25.  Eg. For natural medicinal products Penicillin – fungus is the
source – Antibiotic Quinine – chincona bark - Malaria
treatment Morphine – poppy bark – Analgesic Twenty years
before, once the drugs were not introduced, childhood
leukemia was fatal.
 Now the remission rate for childhood leukemia is 99%.
Ecological benefits: Human life is inextricably linked to
ecological services provided by other organisms.
 Soil formation, waste disposal, air and water purification,
solar energy absorption, nutrient cycling and food production
all depend on biodiversity.
 In many environments, high diversity may help biological
communities to withstand environmental stress better and to
recover more quickly than those with fewer species.

26. Queries.????

27. Thank You