Bio - diversity and it's Conservation

Bio- diversity and it's Conservation

Meaning:

Biodiversity is the short form of biological diversity.

It is the variability among the living organisms from all sources , including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and ecological complexes in which they are the part , and this includes diversity within species , between species and of the ecosystems.

The term biodiversity was coined by Walter G , Rosen in 1985 

Agro biodiversity: 

Is the subset of biological diversity which is related to the agriculture

There are three hurrachical levels of biodiversity 

1)Genetic Diversity:

The diversity in the genetic make up of a species is known as genetic biodiversity

2) Species diversity:

A species is a group of organisms genetically so similar to each other that they can interbreed and produce fertile offsprings 

• A species is usually the unit of classification in most of the Taxonomic works 

 Species diversity refers to the variety of species within a region

3) Community and Ecosystem diversity

Community:

A community is a group of populations of different species in a given area .

 It includes all the populations of plants , animals and microorganisms in that particular area . 

India ratified the international convection on biodiversity (CBD)in 1994 

Importance of biodiversity:

There are three major importance of biodiversity for the human race :-

A) Biodiversity serves as a valuable natural resources of our agriculture, livestock, forestry and fisheries.About 90% of all Indian medicines are obtained from plants . Biodiversity in the wild form is useful to agriculture in two ways viz..

A) As a source of new crop 

B) As a source of material for breeding improved varieties

B) Biodiversity is essential for stable and healthy ecosystem. 

C) Biodiversity has the great aesthetic & Cultural values . Examples of aesthetic values include ecotourism, bird watching, wild life , pet keeping, gardening 

Threat to Biodiversity:

These important factors are -

a) Destruction of habitat : 

It is the primary reason for the loss of biodiversity.

Population explosion, rapid industrialization, felling of trees , urbanization, commercialisation of agriculture are the various causes for the destruction of natural habitat of species.

The causal are the large industrial and commercial activities like mining , cattle ranching , fishing , forestry, plantation, manufacturing and dam construction

b) Pollution:

•Pollution of various degrees disturbs the balanced ecosystem.

•Eutrophication dhe to water pollution drastically reduces the species diversity.

• The most subtle form of habitat degradation is environmental Pollution due to pesticides, industrial chemicals & waters , emission from factories & automobiles

c) Natural Calamities:

 Earthquakes , forest fires , Volcanic eruptions , tsunamies , floods , drought , epidemics 

d) Exotic Species:

Three main factors i.e. European colonisation, horticulture and Agriculture, and accidental Transport are responsible for introduction of exotic species

✓Dodo , a flightless bird of Mauritius was wiped out due to destruction of their eggs by pigs introduced in the country 

✓Water hyacinth in India now causes a serious threat to the aquatic species in lakes and ponds 

✓ Due to Lantana camera indigenous plants are suppressed

e) Shifting cultivation/ Swidden Agriculture/ Jhum Cultivation

Extinction of species:

 Extinction is the natural process where species have disappeared and new ones have evolved over the long geographical history of our earth.

There are three types of extinction processes:-

A) Natural Extinction:

With the change in environmental conditions, some species are disappeared and some are evolved according to the changed condition some species were lost 

B) Mass Extinction:

There were several geological period of earth when a large number of species became extinct because of catastrophes .

C) Anthrophogenic Extinction:

Such Extinction is due to never ending human desires which deplete biodiversity severely

The species which are threatened with Extinction are categorised under:- 

a) Vulnerable species :means such species are facing a high risk of Extinction in the wild in the medium term future

b) Endangered species:

Means such species are facing a very high risk of Extinction in the wild in the near future

C) Critically endangered:

Such species are facing an extremely high risk of Extinction in the wild in the immediate future

D) Extinct in wild:

When exhaustive surveys are failed to record such species in wild 

E) Extinct : When the last surviving individual has died.

Red Data  Book :

World conservation union ( formely called international union for the conservation of nature and natural resources IUCN) with headquarter at Gland , Switzerland

 The red data book published by the survival service commission of IUCN in 1970 listed the endangered species of plants and animals 

There are five main conservation categories:

1) Extinct 

2) Endangered

3) Vulnerable

4 )Rare species

5) Insufficiently known species

BSI - Botanical Survey of India 

Biodiversity in India :

India is one of the twelve mega- biodiversity countries of the world.

In India , there are three mega endemic centres:-

a) Eastern Himalayas: 1808 endemic plants from approximately 6000 species

b) Western Himalayas: 1195 endemic plants from 5000 species

c) Western Ghats : 1500 endemic plants from 4000 species

Indiscriminate use of agro chemicals has reduced the microbial flora and fauna .

Hot Spots / Hotpot :

Biodiversity.   hot spots were originally identified by Norman Myers in 1990s .

It is the geographical zone or Ecological niche with a large no. of endemic plants *There are 20 hot spots of biodiversity all over the world

*  India has four hot spots viz.. North east , Eastern Himalayas, Western Ghats & Andaman and Nicobar Island 

Conservation of Biodiversity:

The method of conservation of Biodiversity is grouped into two heads:

a) In- situ Conservation:i.e the conservation in its natural habitat

b) Ex- situ Conservation:

i. e. The conservation outside the natural area 

a) In - situ Conservation:

Yellow Stone park (Y.S.P) is the first National Park of the world and established in 1872 in America

Hailey National Park is the First national park of India established in 1936 . 

The protected areas are 

A) Wildlife sanctuary

B) National parks 

C) Biosphere reserve

D) World Heritage sites 

Wildlife sanctuary: 

Is an area constituted by competent authority in which killing and capturing of any form of wild life is prohibited except with permission and the boundaries and chracter of which are sacrosanct  By the year 2000, there were 490 sanctuaries in India 

National Park : 

Is a  reserve of land , usually owned by a national government that is protected from the most human development and Pollution

.In india there were 88 National Parks (NP) by the year 2000 

Biosphere Reserve:

Is an   area of terrestrial and coastal ecosystems which are internationally recognised within the framework of UNESCO 's ( United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organisation) MAB- Man and Biosphere programme

Objectives of Biosphere Reserves:

1) To conserve diversity and integrity of plants , animals & micro organisms

2) To promote reasearch on ecological conservation & other environmental aspects

3) To provide facilities for education, awareness and training

4) To develop database and to make plans to conserve key species

5) To establish reaserch stations and to implement social welfare activities

Ramsar sites:

It  represents different aquatic habitats of international importance and is named so after the Ramsar convention held in 1971 to protect the ecosystem of wetlands ,aquatic species , specially the water birds , and to make wise use of the wetkands for the benefit of people.

In India 

In India a total of 16 Ramsar sites have been identified

National Monuments& Landmarks:

are often smaller areas designated to preserve unique areas of special national interest

Sacred Groves: 

Some ecosystems are considered sacred and preserved since ancient times as sacred forests groves , lakes , ponds , caves , mountains

A grove is a small area of land having particular type of trees . Such sacred Groves are Bamboo groves of Rajbanshi community of W.B. , Orans of West Rajasthan, Devrais of Maharashtra

Silent Valley:

It is protected area and reserved by the silent valley protected area act 1979. It is situated in the Kundali hills (Nilgiri western valley of Kerala 

B) Ex- situ Conservation:

It involves maintenance and breeding of endangered plant and animal species under partially or wholly controlled conditions in botanical garden, nurseries, zoos , Conservation stands and gene bank , seed bank , pollen bank  , tissue culture and DNA banks .

IPGRI: International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome 

One of the objectives of thus centre is to establish gene banks and improve the reproductive capacity of endangered animals by various assisted reproductive technologies like ekectro ejaculation,

IUI-  Intro - Uterine Insemination

IVF - In Vitro fertilization

GIFT - gamete intrafallopian tube transfer

ZIFT: Zygote intra fallopian tube transfer 

ET- Embryo transfer 

Mangroves: are  such plants who survive on high salinity , tidal extremes , strong winds  , high temperature and muddy anaerobic soil 

• Mangroves protect coastal communities from cyclones and coastal storms 

* India is the home to the best mangroves in the world

e.g. Sunderbans 

*Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 was passed to provide greater attention to conserve of wildlife

* Indian Forest Act was passed in the year 1865 in which there were provision of cultivation and grazing on forest land and protection of trees and prevention of forest fires 

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 Vaishnavi Nimkar 🌾🌱❤️