Biodiversity

 Variety and variability of plant, animal and microorganism living on the earth
 Richness and variety of life on the earth

Types of Biodiversity

1.Species biodiversity:
 Variety of different types of species found in a particular area.
2.Genetic biodiversity:
 Variation of genes within species
 Each member of species differ widely from other individual due to
different genetic makeup.
 Essential for healthy breeding
 If number of breeding individual reduced, the dissimilarity of
genetic makeup reduced and inbreeding occur. This leads to genetic
anomalies and eventually extinction of particular species.
3. Ecosystem biodiversity: Variety of ecosystem in a particular region

Importance of Biodiversity

1. Consumptive use:
 Direct utilisation of resources
Examples: Food, fodder, fruits, medicine, Timber, building material
 Animal products like tusk of elephant, musk from musk deer, silk from silk
worm. Lac from lac insect supports large number of industries.

2. Productive use:
 Crop development (Disease resistant, drought resistant, frozen resistant)
 Development of better domestic animal by breeding

3. Environmental value
 Nutrient recycling
 Water recycling
 Control air pollution and global warming
 Prevent soil erosion
4. Social value: Value associated with customs, religions.

5. Aesthetic Value: Natural beauty

6. Ethical Value: All life form must be preserved

7. Optional Value: Potential of biodiversity that are currently unknown and

required exploration.
 Threat to the Biodiversity

 Approximately 10 million species present on the earth

 0.2- 0.6% species are being lost every year
 Many more species have gone extinct than exist on the earth at present

1. Habitat loss:
 Deforestation
 Industrialization
 Wetland converted into agricultural land
 Burning of the forest

2. Human wildlife conflict

 Industrialization
 Forest and grassland have been converted into agricultural land
 Monoculture plantation

3. Exotic species (Alien species, foreign species)

 Introduced species
 May be invasive species
 Predator
 Competition for the resources
 Pathogen
 Hybridization
Example: Lantana , Congress grass in India, Mallard in North America

4. Poaching:
Tiger, Rhinoceros, elephant

5. Over-exploitation
 Increasing population

6. Pollution
 Chemical contaminants

7. Hybridization
 Endemic Species

 Species which are found locally and not found any other place in the
world
 High endemism found in North-East India, Western Ghats, Andaman &
Nicobar islands, Himalayan region.
 Approximately 5150 plant, 42 birds , 110 amphibians, 187 reptiles are
endemic to the country.
 Examples: Lion tailed macaque, Nilgiri Langur, Brown palm civet, Nilgiri
Tahr, Kashmir stag (Hangul)

Biodiversity Hotspot

 A biogeographical region with significant levels of biodiversity and is under

threat from human activity.
 Rich in endemic and threatened species
 Region must meet following two criteria to qualify as biodiversity Hotspot
(I) Area must contain 0.5% ( 1500 species) species of Vascular plant
(II) 70% of vegetation should have lost

 Term Hotspot was coined by Dr. Norman Myer

 Total Hotspot in the world = 34
 Hotspot in India = 4
I. Western Ghats
II. Sundaland ( A & N)
III. Eastern Himalaya
IV. Indo-Burma
 Threatened species

Criteria
1. Population reduction rate
2. Geographical range
3. Population size
4. Probability of extinction
1. Critically Endangered Species
 Population has declined between 80-90% in last 10 years
 Area of occupancy less than 10 square KM
 Mature individual less than 250 individual
 Mature individuals less than 50 ( area of occupancy not considered)
 Probability of extinction 50% within 10 years or 3 generation.
 Examples: Gharial, Snow leopard, Asiatic Cheetah, European Mink, Malabar large
spotted civet, Pigmy hog, Gary whale, Great Indian bustard
2. Endangered species
 Population has declined between 50-70% in previous 10 years
 Area of occupancy is less than 500 square KM
 Mature individuals less than 2500
 Mature individual less than 250 (area of occupancy not considered)
 Probability of extinction 20% within 20 years or five generation
 Examples: Asiatic Lion, Bengal Tiger, Nilgiri Tahr, Nilgiri Langur, Blackbuck, Lion
tailed macaque
3. Vulnerable Species
 Population has declined in between 30 and 50% in last 10 years
 Area of occupancy less than 2000 square KM
 Mature individual less than 10,000
 Probability of extinction 10% within 100 years
 Examples: Polar bear, Mugger Crocodile, Pig nosed turtle, gold striped
salamander,
 Conservation of Biodiversity

1. In-Situ Conservation:
 On-site conservation ( Conservation at natural habitat)
 Most appropriate
 Examples:
1. Sanctuary (553)
2. National Park (101)
3. Biosphere Reserve (18)

2. Ex-Situ Conservation:
 Off-site Conservation ( Away from Natural habitat)
 Examples:
1. Botanical Garden
2. Zoo
3. Tissue culture
4. Seed Bank
5. Sperm/Ovum Bank
Sanctuary National Park Biosphere Reserve

Species oriented Hitched to the habitat for Not hitched to anyone, Two
particular wild animal or more species,
species Whole ecosystem
Tourism permissible Tourism permissible Normally not permitted

Limited human activity Limited Timber harvesting, fishing,

grazing, hunting of small
animals are allowed for
local public
No research and scientific No Provide support for
management research and education

Transition Zone of biosphere maintained by active cooperation of reserve management

and local people
 Biosphere Reserves of India

Name State
Nilgiri B.R TN, Kerala, Karnataka
Nanda Devi B.R UK
Nokrek Meghalya
Sunderban W.B
Rann of kutch Guj
Cold Desert H.P
Great Nicobar A&N
Panna B.R M.P
Pachmarhi M.P
Manas B.R Assam
Dibru-Saikhowa Assam
Simlipal Odisha
Achnakamar-Amarkantak M.P & Chhatisgarh
Gulf of Mannar TN
 Sanctuary of India

Sanctuary State
Chilka Lake Bird sancuray Odisha
Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary Goa
Okhla Bird Sanctuary U.P
Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary Haryana
Mount -Abu Wildlife Sanctuary Rajasthan
Sita Mata wildlife Sanctuary Rajasthan
Asola Bhatti Wildlife sanctuary Delhi-Haryana
Dadra and Nagar Haveli Wildlife Dadra and Nagar Haveli
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary Kerala
Ken Ghariyal Sanctauary M.P
Askot Musk deer sanctuary UK
Great Indian Bustard Sanctuary Maharashtra
 IUCN Red list

IUCN: International Union for conservation of Nature

 Established in 1964
 It provides information about population size, range, habitat and ecology, use
and/or trade, threats, and conservation actions that will help inform necessary
conservation decisions.
 It divides species into nine categories: Not Evaluated, Data Deficient, Least
Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically
Endangered, Extinct in the Wild and Extinct.
 Project Tiger

 Launched in April 1973

 Started with 9 Tiger reserves
I. Bandipur N.P, Karnataka
II. Jim Corbett N.P, UK
III. Kanha N.P, M.P
IV. Melghat N.P, Maharashtra
V. Palamau N.P, Jharkhand
VI. Ranthambore N.P, Rajasthan
VII. Simlipal N.P, Odisha
VIII. Sunderban N.P, W.B
IX. Manas N.P, Assam

Year No. of Tiger

1973 268
1997 1500
2006 1411
2011 1706
 Year No. of Tiger
2014 2,226
2018 2967

 India has 80% of world’s tiger population

 As of 2019, There are 50 Tiger reserves in India
 Tiger Reserves are declared by National Tiger Conservation Authority via Wild
Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 under centrally sponsored scheme
called Project Tiger.
 Project Elephant

 Launched in February 1992

 Objective : Protection of elephants, their habitats and elephant corridors.

Aim

 Develop and promote scientific and planned management strategies for Elephant
conservation.
 Prevent illegal trade of ivory and ensure elephant protection from hunters and
poachers.
 To facilitate veterinary care for proper breeding and health care of domesticated
elephants
Year Number
2005 21,200
2007 27,670
2012 30,000
2017 27,312
 India is the home for 60% of world’s Asian elephant
 As of 2018, There are 30 elephant reserves in India

Silent Valley Movement

 Silent valley situated in Kerala

 Movement started in 1973 by NGO to save silent Valley reserve forest from
being flooded by hydro-electric project (Dam construction)
 To save Lion tailed macaque
 Hydro-electric Project was approved by GOI in 1978
 National Park declared in 1984
 Dominated by Lion tailed macaque (Macaca silenus)
 Absence of Cicadas insect
 Keystone species
 Species which have an extremely high impact on particular ecosystem relative to its
population
 Critical for overall structure and function of an ecosystem

Examples
1. Savannah grassland
Keystone species : African elephant
 Savannah grassland is a home to many herbivores such as such as Zebra, Buffaloes,
antelopes.
 Elephants consumes young saplings of tree
 Without African elephants grassland will turn into woodland

Grassland Ecosystem

Primary Consumer
Grass (Deer, Mouse, Goat, Wolves
Termites, Insects)

 Wolves acts as a keystone species

 Flagship Species

 Species which is selected to act as an icon or symbol or ambassador for a

defined habitat, issue or campaign
 It helps in attracting society’s attention and raising awareness about the
protection and conservation of these species.
 They may or may not be a keystone species
 Examples: Bengal Tiger, Giant panda, Asian elephant, African elephant etc. have
been used as a flagship species by World wildlife fund (WWF)
 Generally endangered species
 Umbrella Species

 Umbrella Species refer to wildlife species that indirectly protect many other
species in the wild

 Umbrella species are usually keystone species who have a large species range
and need a large habitat, and thus, their conservation covers the protection of a
wide range of habitats and indirectly helps the ecology of the habitat.

 Protecting tiger habitats is also protecting other large mammals that have
similar habitat requirements like elephants, monkeys, leopards

 Another successful umbrella species is the spotted owl, whose conservation

protected old-trees, and thus many Mollusca species that were endemic to only
that region.
 Indicator species ( Bio-indicator species)
 An organism that is very sensitive to environmental changes in its ecosystem.
 It is immediately affected by the changes to the ecosystem and can give early
warning that a habitat is suffering.
 Changes such as water pollution, air pollution or climate change first appear in
indicator species
 An indicator species is a species whose presence, absence or abundance, and
changes therein, can indicate certain environmental conditions. Changes in
indicator species populations are used to monitor changes in particular
ecosystems.
 Examples
1. Worms: Number of earthworm in soil indicates the health of the soil.
High number indicates fertile soil.
2. Lichen: Sensitive to air pollution
Lichen needs clean air to flourish so are a good indicator of air quality of
the surrounding area.
3. Algae:
 Algal bloom indicate high content of nitrate and phosphate in lake and river
4. Microorganism:
 Indicator of presence of toxins in ecosystem.
 Some microorganisms produces stress protein if exposed to certain pollutants.
By measuring the levels of stress protein, we can get an idea of level of
pollution present in the ecosystem.
 Crocodile Conservation

 Launched in Odisha, 1975

 To save Three species: Gharial, Mugger and salt water crocodile
 The funds and technical support for the project came from UNDP/ FAO through the
Government of India
UNDP: United Nations Development Programme
FAO: Food and agriculture organization of the united Nations

Great Indian Bustard Project

 Critically endangered species

 Population: less than 150 individual
 Launched by Rajasthan Government on 5th June 2013
 Protected Area
1. Desert National park, Rajasthan
2. Naliya sanctuary, Gujarat