ENVIRONMENT STUDIES NOTES
4. BIODIVERSITY & IT’S CONSERVATION
INTRODUCTION:
Since the human species first became fully conscious of the natural world, nature
has usually seemed un oassessable and abundant with plant and animal life, from mountains, to
oceans, to plateaus and grasslands. Over the course of the twentieth century, however, this view
has changed. Man’s power over nature, assisted by machines, has grown, and human population
has increased exponentially. For centuries, nature has been in retreat in face of human settlement,
but in the last 50 years, destruction of the natural world has picked up speed as never before.
Since beginning of agriculture, human survival has been based on the
domestication for food purpose of wild plants and animals, yet many wild species of plants are
continuously destroyed in the wild, before their food or medicinal value can be assessed. The term
BIODIVESITY was coined in 1985. It is important as well as artificial ecosystem. It deals with
nature’s variety, the biosphere. It refers to variabilities among plants,animals and microorganisms
species.
Biodiversity holds ecological and economic significance. It provides us with
nourishment, housing,fuel,clothing and several other resources.Therefore, it is very important to
have a good knowledge of biodiversity for a sustainable livehood.
DEFINATION:
BIODIVERSITY word made by two word BIO (Biological) living,DIVERSITY
(Variety) Earth is known to be the only living planet due to the it supports.
Biodiversity refers to the variety of living organisms within a given area.(different plants, animals,
organisms, terrestrial, aquatic)
The biodiversity is broadly described in three levels.
1) Genetic diversity:
This is the diversity represented in the organisms in the basic hereditary
information units “Genes” within a species, which are passed down to generations. Every
individual of a particular species differs from each other in their genetic constitution. That is why
every human looks different from each other rice,wheat,etc..
2) Species diversity:
Species diversity refers to the variety of different types of species found in a
particular area. It is the biodiversityat the most basic level. It includes all the species ranging from
plants to different organisms. No two individuals of the same species are exactly similar.
For example...Humans show a lot of diversity among themselves.
3) Ecosystem diversity:
‘Ecosystem’ concept includes living organisms (plants,animals, micro-
organisms) and non living things (air, soil, water, minerals etc.) in a given area, with exchange of
material and interaction between them. Ecosystem diversity is therefore the diversity of
“habitats”. Habitat is a place or site where an organism or a population of organisms naturally
occur.
Hot Spot of Biodiversity (जैवववववधतेचे संवद
े नशिल प्रदे ि):
A biodiversity hotspot is a region with a high number of species that are found
nowhere else on earth and that also threatened by the loss of its natural vegetation. The concept of
biodiversity hotspot was first introduced in the late 1980s and since then,it has been used as a tool
for identifying areas of high conservation priority.
Biodiversity hotspots are critical for a healthy ecosystem. In
biodiversity there are two major concepts of ‘megadiversity’ and ‘biodiversity hot spots’.
Megadiversity concept covers the broad frame of biodiversity concept which emphasizes more
on species richness, threatened species, and endemic species. Where as the hot spot concept
emphasizes more on the exponential concentration of endemic species besides the eminent
threats of habitat destruction. Megadiversity phenomenon of at least 70% of all being
confined to 17 megadiversity countries in the tropics.
The Hot spots, originally 18 and now 25 in number, provide a means of
focusing on those areas where threats to biodiversity are most extreme and conservation efforts
are urgently needed. In 1980’s the 18 localised biodiversity hotspots were identified on the basis
of endemism and threats.
The Hot spots, originally 18 and now 25 in number, provide a means of
focusing on those areas where threats to biodiversity are most extreme and conservation efforts
are urgently needed. Fourteen of the hotspots are in the in tropical moist forests and 4 in the
Mediterranean type zone. Out of these hotpots two are in India, in one the Western Ghats or
Sahyadri and other being the north eastern Himalayas.
Conservation of Biodiversity (जैव ववववधतेचे संवधधन/ जतन):
There are different views and priorities about conservation of biodiversity. However,
there is no difference of opinion that biodiversity must be conserved. Some feel it
should be conserved as a matter of principle, others feel it should be protected as a matter of
survival while some feel it should be as a matter of economic benefit.
There are immediate causes as well as ultimate causes.
Immediate causes: Being over exploitation ,habitat degradation, destruction.
Ultimate Causes: The ultimate causes,even if not directly visible,are equally important.
1) Inequities in the distribution of power,
2) Information and resources,
3) Effects of global market forces and market failures,
4) That miss-value natural resources,
5) Separation of environmental conservation and economic development.,
6) Decline of the indigenous systems of resource management,
7) Unsustainable levels of resource demand at global level,
8) Lack of ethical commitment to sustainability,
9) Inequities within and between societies and countries.
The biodiversity can normally be conserved in two ways i. e. in-situ
conservation and ex-situ conservation. Both the methods have own merits and limitations in the
present situation.
In-situ conservation
A action taken at the place where the biodiversity loss has occurred.
In–situ conservation is referred to as conservation of flora and fauna,
particularly wild, in their natural habitats. India has a long history of in-situ conservation in the
form of the concepts ‘Abhayaranya’ (wildlife sanctuary) and ‘Devraai (sacred groves). These
concepts of conservation have been practiced by the local communities for centuries. The present
wildlife management practice of ‘Protected Areas” for wildlife conservation has been
implemented in the country since independence. The country today has over 520 national parks,
wildlife sanctuaries, project tiger area. National Parks are granted high degree of protection and
no human interference is allowed in the protected area. Sanctuaries are accorded a lesser level of
protection and activities such as grazing, habitation, private holding, fire wood collection, minor
forest produce etc. are allowed for locals.
Biosphere reserve is another concept of in-situ conservation. The idea of
UNESCO, suggested in 1973, is to declare a vast area as a reserve where wildlife would be
protected when local communities would be allowed to continue to leave and pursue their
traditional activities within the reserve / protected area. Industries and environment damaging
commercial, developmental projects would not be allowed. However, there are certain
controversies in the concept particularly when now it is proved that some major traditional
practices of land use are detrimental to biodiversity conservation.
Project Tiger is another concept to conserve in-situ the entire food
chain of tiger along with the associated flora and fauna, there are 23 tiger reserves in India thus
giving total protection to several wild species of plants and animals. The recent mass scale
poaching of tigers even within the project tiger areas have raised serious questions about their
effectiveness in conserving biodiversity.
Ex-situ conservation
A action taken away from such a actual place or either in closed
environment.
The ex-situ conservation of plants and animals (i.e. preserving them / gene
pool away from their natural habitat) is being carried out as a last alternative to in-situ
conservation, however, this can never be the substitute to it. The collection and preservation of
genetic material of wild varieties of crops, domestic animals, economic and medicinal species,
etc. is done in several national institutes and laboratories / bureaus of genetic material for germ
plasm. The idea of ex-situ conservation is to protect the germ plasm of the endangered
species, or from an endangered habitat for reintroduction to another near natural suitable habitat.
However, in absence of such suitable habitats, for example in case of Asiatic lion or
cheetah, the ex-situ conservation has limited success.
The loss of biodiversity is due above all to economic factors, especially
the low values given to biodiversity and to the ecological functions such as watershed protection,
nutrient cycling, pollution control, soil formation, photosynthesis and evolution-upon which
human welfare depends. Therefore. Virtually all sectors of human society have an interest in the
conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of biological resources.
