Biodiversity and Conservation

1 INTRODUCTION 2 BIODIVERSITY
m The rich variety of living organisms with which we share this planet m Immense diversity (or heterogeneity) exists not only at the species level but at all levels of biological organisation
never ceases to astonish and fascinate us. ranging from macromolecules within cells to biomes.
m There are more than 20,000 species of ants, 3,00,000 species of m The term 'Biodiversity' was popularised by the socio biologist Edward Wilson. The most important of them are
beetles, 28,000 species of fishes and nearly 20,000 species of GENETIC DIVERSITY SPECIES DIVERSITY ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
orchids. m A single species might show high m Diversity at the species level m At the ecosystem level
diversity at genetic level over its m E.g., Western ghats have a m E.g., India with its deserts, rain
distributional range. greater amphibian species forests, mangroves, coral reefs,
3 HOW MANY SPECIES ARE THERE ON E.g., Genetic variation shown by
m diversity than Eastern ghats. wetlands, estuaries and alpine
EARTH AND HOW MANY IN INDIA? Rauwolfia vomitoria in different meadows has a greater ecosystem
m According to IUCN (2004), the total number of plant and animal Himalayan ranges in potency diversity than a Scandinavian country
species described so far is slightly more than 1.5 million. and concentration of reserpine like Norway.
m For many taxonomic groups, species inventories are more complete
* India has more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice, and 1,000 varieties of mango.
in temperate than in tropical countries.
m Some extreme estimates range from 20 to 50 million, but a more
4 PATTERNS OF BIODIVERSITY
conservative and scientifically sound estimate made by Robert May
places the global species diversity at about 7 million. A. LATITUDINAL GRADIENTS
Interesting Aspects of Earth's Biodiversity: l Species diversity decreases as we move from equator towards the poles. LARGELY TROPICAL AMAZON
a. More than 70% of all species recorded are animals, while plants l Tropics (23.5° N to 23.5°S) harbour more species than temperate or polar R A I N F O R E S T I N S O U T H
(including algae, fungi, bryophytes, gymnosperms and areas. AMERICA- has greatest biodiveristy
Eg., Colombia Newyork Greenland India on Earth.
angiosperms) comprise no more than 22% of the total.
m 40,000 species of plants
b. Among animals, insects make more than 70% of total, i.e., out of Near Equator 41° N temperate 71°N poles Tropics
m 3,000 of fishes
every 10 animals on this planet, 7 are insects. 1,400 bird 105 bird 56 bird 1,200 bird
m 1,300 of birds
c. Number of fungi species is more than fishes, amphibians, reptiles species species species species
m 427 of mammals.
and mammals combined. l A forest in a tropical region like Equador has upto 10 times more vascular m 427 of amphibians
m Biologists are not sure about how many prokaryotic species there
plants, as a forest of equal area in temperate midwest of USA. m 378 of reptiles
might be, as conventional taxonomic methods are not suitable for l Scientists estimate that in the Amazon rain forests, there might be at least
identifying microbial species and many are not culturable under m More than 1,25,000 invertebrates
two million insect species waiting to be discovered and named.
laboratory conditions. Their diversity alone might run into millions.
m Although, India has only 2.4% of world's land area; its share of the Ecologists and Evolutionary biologists have proposed various hypotheses to explain greater biological
global species diversity is an impressive 8.1 percent. diversity at the tropics.
m India is one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world. Nearly a. Unlike temperate regions subjected to frequent glaciations in the past, tropical latitudes remained
45,000 species of plants and twice as many of animals have been undisturbed, having long evolutionary time for species diversification.
recorded from India. b. Constant, less seasonal tropical environments promote niche specialisation and lead to greater species
m If we accept May's global estimates, only 22 percent of the total diversity.
species have been recorded so far, then, India has more than 1,00,000 c. More solar energy in tropics contributes to higher productivity and might contribute indirectly to greater
plant species and 3,00,000 animal species yet to be discovered. diversity.
 Biodiversity and Conservation

B. SPECIES-AREA RELATIONSHIPS (by German naturalist Alexander Von Humboldt) 6 LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
l Species richness within a region increased with increasing explored area, but only up to a limit. m The colonisation of tropical pacific islands by humans led to extinction of
l The relation between species richness and area for a wide variety of taxa (angiosperms, birds, bats, more than 2,000 species of native birds. The IUCN red list (2004)
freshwater fishes) is a rectangular hyperbola. On a logarithmic scale, it is a straight line, described by the documents extinction of 784 species (including 338 vertebrates, 359
invertebrates and 87 plants) in the last 500 yrs.
equation
m The last 20 years alone witnessed disappearance of 27 species.
logS = logC + Z logA
m Amphibians appear more vulnerable to extinction.
where S = species richness; A = Area; Z = Slope of the line (regression coefficient); C = Y intercept.
m 15,500 species world-wide are facing threat of extinction.
l The value of Z lies in the range of 0.1 to 0.2 regardless of region or taxa.
m There were five episodes of mass extinction of species in the past,
l But, the slope of the line is much steeper in very large areas like the entire continents. e.g., for frugivorous
before humans appeared.
birds and mammals in tropical forests the slope is 1.15.
m The 'Sixth Extinction' presently in progress is 100 to 1000 times faster
than pre-human times and our activities are responsible for the faster
5 IMPORTANCE OF SPECIES DIVERSITY rates.
TO THE ECOSYSTEM m If the present trends continue, nearly half of all species on earth might
m Communities with more species, tend to be more stable than those with less species. A stable community be wiped out within the next 100 years.
should not show too much variation in productivity from year to year; it must be resistant or resilient to m Loss of biodiversity in a region may lead to (a) decline in plant
production, (b) lowered resistance to environmental perturbations like
occasional disturbances (natural or man-made), and it must also be resistant to invasions by alien species.
drought, and (c) Increased variability in plant productivity, water use and
m David Tilman's long-term ecosystem experiments using outdoor plots show that plots with more species pest and disease cycles.
showed less year-to-year variation in total biomass and increased diversity contributed to higher productivity.
m Rich biodiversity is essential for ecosystem health and imperative for the very survival of human race on this Recent Extinctions
1. Dodo – Mauritius
planet.
2. Quagga – Africa
m The 'rivet popper hypothesis' of Stanford ecologist Paul Ehrlich, puts the importance of a species in proper
3. Thylacine – Australia
perspective.
4. Steller's sea cow – Russia
AIR PLANE ECOSYSTEM 5. Three sub-species of tiger – Bali, Javan & Caspian
Rivets Species
Rivet on the wings Key species. Species Facing Threat of Extinction in World
(i) Popping a rivet (causing a species to become extinct) may not affect flight safety (proper functioning of 12% Birds
ecosystem) initially, but if more rivets are removed the plane will become dangerously weak. 23% Mammals
(ii) Loss of rivets on the wings (Key species, that drive major ecosystem functions) will be serious. So each 32% Amphibians
species is important for the ecosystem 31% Gymnosperms

7 CAUSES OF BIODIVERSITY LOSSES: THE EVIL QUARTET-FOUR MAJOR CAUSES

Habitat Loss and Fragmentation Over-Exploitation Alien Species invasions Co-Extinctions
m Most important cause. m When need turns to greed, there is over- m Nile perch introduced in Lake Victoria in m Seen in obligatory associations.
m Tropical rain forests once covered more than 14% exploitation. East-Africa led to the extinction of 200 sps m When a host species becomes
of earth's land, now it is just 6%. m In the last 500 years steller's sea cow, of Cichlid fish in the lake. extinct, its parasites meets the
m Amazon rain forest (lungs of the planet), being cut passenger pigeon became extinct due m Carrot grass (Parthenium), Lantana and same fate.
for soyabeans cultivation and grasslands for to over-exploitation. water hyacinth (Eichhornia) are invasive m Co- evolved plant-pollinator
raising beef cattle. m Marine fish populations are over weeds. mutualism is another example
m Mammals and birds requiring large territories and harvested, endangering commercially m African catfish Clarias gariepinus are
animals with migratory habits are badly affected, important species. posing threat to indigenous cat fishes.
leading to population declines.
 Biodiversity and Conservation

8 BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION Invertebrates Vertebrates

Other animal groups Mammals
Why should we conserve biodiversity?
Crustaceans Fishes
Narrowly Utilitarian Arguments Broadly Utilitarian Arguments Ethical Arguments Molluscs Birds

m Humans derive countless direct m Biodiversity plays a major role in m Philosophically or spiritually we
economic benefits from nature – many ecosystem services that nature have to understand that each Insects
Reptiles
food, firewood, fibre, construction provides. species has a intrinsic value.
material, industrial products and m Amazon rain forest produce approx m We have a moral duty to care for Plants Amphibians
medicinal products. 20% of total oxygen of Earth's their well-being. Ferns and
Mosses allies
m More than 25% drugs are derived atmosphere by photosynthesis. m We need to pass on our biological
from 25,000 sp. of plants. m Pollination by bees, bumble-bees, legacy in good order to future
m Nations endowed with rich birds and bats. generations.
biodiversity can reap enormous m Aesthetic pleasures of walking Fungi Angiosperms
benefits by 'bioprospecting' - through woods, watching spring
exploring molecular, genetic and flowers bloom, waking upto a bulbul's
species level diversity for products song etc. Algae Lichens
of economic importance. Representing global biodiversity

9 HOW DO WE CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY?

When we conserve and protect whole ecosystem, i.e., saving the entire forest to save the tiger it is called
m The historic Convention on Biological diversity (The Earth Summit) was held
in-situ (on site) conservation. And organisms facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild, in near future,
in Rio de Janeiro (1992) for biodiversity conservation and sustainable
needs urgent measures to save it from extinction, then ex-situ (offsite) conservation is desirable.
utilisation of benefits.
In-situ Conservation Ex-situ Conservation m World summit on sustainable development (WSSD) held in 2002 in
Johannesburg pledged for significant reduction in current rate of biodiversity
m Biodiversity Hot Spots: Regions with very high m Zoological Parks, Botanical gardens and
loss at global, regional and local levels by 2010.
levels of species richness and high degree of wild-life Safari parks serve this purpose.
m If the present trend of species extinction continues nearly half of all species on
endemism (species confined to a particular region & m Many animals have become extinct in the
not found anywhere else). wild but are maintained in zoological Earth might be wiped out within the next 100 years.
Total number are 25 (initially) +9 (added later) = 34. parks. m More than 1.5 m species have been recorded in the world, but there might still
Three of these – western ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo- m Cryopreservation- to protect and preserve be nearly 6 million species on earth waiting to be discovered and named.
Burma & Himalaya – Cover our country's regions. gametes of threatened species in viable m The group fungi has more species than all the vertebrate species combined.
They (all 34) cover less than 2% of Earth's land area and fertile condition. m Earth's fossil history reveals incidence of five mass extinctions in the past, but
and their strict protection could reduce the ongoing m Plants can be propagated using tissue the present rates of extinction, largely attributed to human activities, are 100
mass extinctions by 30%. culture methods. to 1000 times higher.
m 14 biosphere reserves, 90 National Parks and 448 m Seeds of different genetic strains, of m Earth's rich biodiversity is vital for the survival of mankind.
wild life sanctuaries provide legal protection in India. commercially important plants can be m Nearly 700 species have become extinct in recent times and more than
m Sacred groves in Khasi and Jaintia Hills of kept for long periods in seed banks. 15,500 species (of which >650 are from India) currently face the threat of
Meghalaya, Aravalli Hills (Rajasthan), Western extinction.
Ghats, Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar regions m In many cultures, tracts of forests were set aside, and all the trees and wildlife
(Madhya Pradesh) are the last refuges of rare and within were venerated and given total protection, they are sacred groves.
threatened plants. m Biodiversity hot spots are the regions of accelerated habitat loss.