INTRODUCTION

MEANING OF BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity is that part of nature which includes the differences in genes among the
individuals of a species, the variety and richness of all the plant and animal species at
different scales in space, locally, in a region, in the country and the world, and various
types of ecosystems, both
terrestrial and aquatic, within a defined area.

The word BIODIVERSITY originates from the Greek word BIOS: LIFE and Latin word
DIVERSITAS: VARIETY or DIFFERENCE. The whole word BIO-DIVERSITY
generally therefore means: VARIETY OF LIFE.
Values of Biodiversity

The value of biodiversity is difficult to define and is often impossible to

[Link],biodiversity provides a variety of environmental services from its
species and ecosystems that are essential at the global, regional and local levels.

Fig. Values of Biodiversity

 Consumptive Values

These include utilization of timber, food, fuel wood and fodder by local
communities. For example, fisher-folks are completely dependent on fishes and know
where and how to catch them and other edible aquatic animals and plants.

 Productive Value

The genetic properties of microbes, plants and animals are used biotechnologically to
develop better varieties of crops for use in farming and plantation programs or to develop
better live stock.
Biodiversity, to industrialist, is a rich storehouse from which to develop new products.
Biodiversity, to pharmacists, is the raw material from which new drugs can be developed
from plant or animal products. The commonly used modern drugs derived from plant
sources are given in Table below.

Fig. Commonly used modern drugs derived from plant sources

 Social Value

The social values are linked to consumptive and productive value of biodiversity.
‘Ecosystem people’ or traditional societies value biodiversity as a part of their livelihood,
as well as through cultural and religious sentiments. Cultivation of rice and many other
cereals are linked to certain social culture and customs.

Fig. Social Values of Biodiversity

 Ethical and Moral Values

There are several cultural, moral and ethical values which are associated with the sanctity
of all forms of life. Nature in Indian civilization has been preserved for hundreds of
generations through local traditions and customs. Tribal people in several states of our
country have a number of sacred groves or ‘derails’ around ancient sacred sites and
temples. This acts as gene banks for several wild plants.

 Optional values

There are various type of values are shown in Table below.

Types of Biodiversity
 Genetic Diversity

Within each member of any animal or plant species there are often found a number of
varieties or races or strains which slightly differ from each other in one, two or a number
of characteristics such as shape, size, resistance to insects, pests and diseases, ability to
withstand adverse conditions of environment, etc.
These differences result as individual differ widely from others of its own species in its
genetic make-up, owing to the large number of combinations possible in the genes that
give every individual its specific characteristics. This diversity in the genetic make-up of
a species is referred to as genetic diversity.

Fig. Genetic Diversity

 Species Diversity

In any ecosystem the biotic component is composed of a few species only or a large
number of microbe, plant and animals species. These species react and interact with each
other and with the abiotic factors of the environment. The diversity related to the
numbers and relative abundance of species within a community are referred to as species
diversity.

 Components of species diversity

 Alpha diversity:

This is the local diversity which is expressed as the number of species in a small
area of more or less uniform habitat, Alpha or local diversity is, thus, sensitive to habitat,
area and intensity of sampling effort.

 Beta diversity:

The difference in species from one habitat to the next is referred to as beta
diversity. The greater the turnover or difference of species between habitats, the
greater is the beta diversity.

 Gamma diversity:

Gamma or regional diversity is the total number of species observed in all habitats within
a region or geographic area that includes no significant barriers to dispersal of organisms.
The boundaries of a region thus depend on which organisms we consider. The
distribution of species within a region reflects their selection of suitable habitats rather
than their inability to disperse to a particular locality.
Factors Affecting Biodiversity
 Site Selection

 Ecological Environment and Social Impact

 Climate

 Soil

 Irrigation and Drainage

 Plant Maintenance and Protection

There is a wide variety of naturally derived drugs which still serve as important
The rapies in medicine today. Many substances have been derived from traditional
medicine, e.g., digitalis (from Fox glove), ergotamine (from contaminated rye), quinine
(from Cinchona), etc. More recently, many antibiotic, antifungal and anticancer agents
have been derived from bacteria, fungi, plant and ani mal sources.
The conservation of biodiversity throughout the world is of significance for the mankind
and indeed to the constancy of the whole world. The vast genetic variety available in
terrestrial plants, animals and micro-organisms offers a wealth of possibilities for the
betterment of mankind in the production of foods and medicines.
Causes of Reduction in Biodiversity

 Destruction of natural ecosystems

The expanding human establishments has contributed largely to the rapid decline in
biodiversity.

The destruction of natural eco-systems are :

 The Boreal Coniferous forests of the north are probably the modest as far as losses of
biological diversity is concerned.
 Temperate and Sub-tropical regions consisting of coniferous forests are now reduced
to isolated patches of forest and woodland, standing amidst vast stretches of plains,
the grass prairies of North America, Cedar groves of Lebanon and the hardwood
forests of Europe are fast disappearing. Only 12.3 million hectares out of the original
31 million hectares has been left.
 Tropical regions comprising of developing countries (often designated as mega
diversity countries) are endowed with the richest flora and fauna of the world.

 Adverse changes in environment

Biotic and abiotic factors of environment may undergo unfavorable changes resulting in
reduction of biodiversity.
These changes are :

 Environmental pollution.
 Over-exploitation of selected species.
 Natural calamities.

Fig. Biodiversity Loss Projection

Hotspot of Biodiversity:
The biodiversity of the earth is unevenly distributed and is concentrated in specific
ecological regions. The biodiversity hotspots were originally identified by Dr. Norman
Myers. There are more than a thou sand major eco-regions in the world, of which 200
Eco regions are said to be the richest, rarest and most distinctive natural areas.
These areas are said to be the ‘Global 200’.

The important facts which were taken into consider were :

 Very high total species numbers

 Endemicity, whether of common or unusual lineages
 Unusual combinations, characters tics of communities

hotspot areas, other characteristics were :

 These areas should be already threatened or under threat.

 The site should include a diverse range of habitat.
 Specialist species should be of adequate amount and adapted to specific edaphic
conditions.
These criteria’s of biodiversity fall into three contrasting types :

 Continental hotspots which are sites of very high diversity, often with un usual
endemic species, sometimes called mega, hyper and super diversity centers.
 Large islands, also called continental islands that have diverse distinctive
faunas which include relict faunas long extinct on the main continents.
 Oceanic islands which are often low in total species numbers but with high
proportions of endemics, unusual combination of species and peculiar
evolutionary lineages.

Critiques of Hotspots :

Biodiversity hotspots do not address the concept of cost. The purpose of biodiversity
hotspots is not just to identify regions that are of high biodiversity value, but also to
direct available funds to such small land areas of the world. This was the main point
behind the initial exposition of the idea — that a majority of the world’s biodiversity
could be protected by conserving a small amount of land. Subsequently, hotspots became
known as “Silver bullet solution”.

Threats to Biodiversity
Natural causes

 Narrow geographical area

 Low population
 Low breeding rate
 Natural disasters
Fig. Threats to Biodiversity
Anthropogenic causes

 Habitat modification
 Overexploitation of selected species
 Innovation by exotic species.
 Pollution
 Hunting
 Global warming and climate change
 Agriculture
 Domino effect
Degeneration of Biological Diversity

During the course of organic evolution, a number of species disappeared. Biological

extinction is a natural phenomenon which has taken place in a balanced way.
Before man’s interference the rate of extinction was one species per thousand
years.
However, due to the pressure of human activity in a span of three hundred years the
world has lost about 30 species of higher animals, which accounts for one species per
year. However, the situation is much graver as these higher animals constitute about 2-
3% of the known species of living organisms.

Role of Biodiversity in Agriculture

India is a center for crop diversity. It is the homeland for 167 culriveted species and 320
wild relatives of crop plants. India is considered to be the center of origin of 30,000-
50,000 varieties of rice, pigeon pea, mango, turmeric, ginger, sugar cane, gooseberries
etc. In terms of contribution to world agriculture India ranks seventh.

Mega-Diversity Zones

The zone between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn is warm and humid. This
wide belt around the globe is provided with a rich and diverse plant, animal and
microbial life. It is here that more than half of the total number of species present in our
planet occurs. Countries which occur in this belt are referred to as megadiversity
countries.

The mega- diversity countries are groups of countries in which less than 10% of the
global land surface has more than 70% of the lands biodiversity. Mega-diversity
countries are unusually rich in all forms of biodiversity, although data for such
categorization relies on higher vertebrates, plants and a few insect groups.
At present the number of mega-diversity countries has increased to 17 by the UNEP
World Conservation Monitoring Centre (2007), with the inclusion of Democratic
Republic of Congo, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, South Africa, U.S.A., and
Venezuela.

Biodiversity Profit of India

India contains a great wealth of biological diversity with a wide spectrum of habitats
from tropical rain forests to alpine vegetation and from temperate forests to coastal
wetlands. India is blessed with two hot spots – the Western Ghats and the Eastern
Himalayas from among 18 biodiversity hot spots in the world-study carried out in the
eighties.
India is also bestowed with 26 recognized endemic centers that are home to nearly a third
of all the flowering plants identified and described to date. India, with a mere 2.4% of the
world’s area, accounts for 7.31% of the global faunal total with a faunal species count of
89,451 species.

Conservation of Biodiversity

Being one of the so-called mega diversity countries, India has a broad range of ecosystem
terms that contain a vast array of flora and fauna. The loss of biodiversity is occurring
worldwide and in India, too, this trend pre sent a clear threat.
India is committed to biodiversity conservation. It has developed an extensive system of
parks and sanctuaries covering more than 4 percent of its land areas.
 CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY THROUGH ECO-DEVELOPMENT

India’s Forest Research Education and Extension Project (FREEP) have enlisted
local communities to preserve its precious biodiversity through a strategy known
as eco-development.

Eco-development involves developing alternative resources and sources of income

for the many thousands of poor people who depend on pro tested natural habitats for their
livelihood. This has initiated groups of villagers to take responsibility for conserving
natural resources in nearby forests.

India has traditionally relied on policing to safeguard its protected areas. They have used
walls, gates, guards and guns to protect parks, sanctuaries etc., which have proved
ineffective in preventing exploitation of these areas by local communities.
It has often led to confrontation between wildlife authorities and villagers.
FREEP has launched a long-term initiative to strengthen India’s forestry research system,
improve forestry education and expedite the use of research findings in forestry
extension.
The biodiversity censer ovation activities of FREEP have provided experience that has
proved useful for their program, the Eco-development Project, financed by International
Development Association (IDA) and the Global Environment Facility Trust Fundaental

BIODIVERSITY LOSS AND SPECIES EXTINCTION

 Extinction: last member of a species dies and the species vanishes
forever from Earth
 Extirpation: disappearance of a particular population, but not the
entire species globally