State Level

Children Science Seminar

2006

Compiled by : Gaurav Jhamb (Class X)

Guide Teachers : Mrs. Amarpreet

: Mrs. Anuja Kaushal

Aids Used : Charts

Source Consulted/Tapped : Books

1. Our Valuable Heritage – The bio-diversity by Prof. M.A. Haque
2. National Level Children’s Science Congress–06
3. Trueman’s Elementary Biology Vol. II

Internet : http://static.teriin.org/biodiv/status.htm

B.C.M. ARYA MODEL SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL

Shastri Nagar, Ludhiana
Phone : 2457393, 2464444 Fax : 0161-2463480 Website : www.bcmeducation.org
 INTRODUCTION
BIODIVERSITY – as the word suggests bio means living and diversity means variety. So, bio-
diversity is the variety and differences among living organisms including terrestrial, marine and
other aquatic ecosystems. It represents all life. Out of the total bio-diversity present on Earth
only 20% is known to us and more than 80% of the world’s population is dependant on this small
share. The various plants, animals and micro organisms which contribute to this share are:

Algae 40,000
Fungi 72,000
Bacteria 4,000
Virus 1,550
Mammals 4,650
Birds 9,700
Reptiles 7,150
Fish 26,959
Amphibians 4,780
Insects 10,25,000
Higher Plants 2,70,000

CONTRIBUTION OF INDIA TO WORLD’S BIODIVERSITY

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Biodiversity is categorised into 3 levels.
GENETIC LEVEL :

It is the diversity in the numbers and types of genes as well as chromosomes present in
different species and the variations in the genes and their alleles in the same species. For e.g.

Bacteriophage 100 genes

Mycoplasma 450-700 genes
Drosophila melanogaster 13,000 genes
Oryza sativum 32,000-50,000 genes
Homo-sapiens 30,000-40,000 genes

It is useful in adaptation to changes in the environmental conditions. It helps in speciation or

evolution of new species.

SPECIES LEVEL:

It is the variety in the number and richness of the species of a region. The number of species
per unit area is called species richness. Number of individuals of different species are

It is the variety in the number and richness of the species of a region. The number of species
per unit area is called species richness. Number of individuals of different species are
representatives of species evenness or species equatability.

ECOSYSTEM LEVEL:

It is divided into three types:

Alpha Diversity : Diversity in a given community or habitat.

Beta Diversity : Diversity in a range of different communities or habitats.
Gamma Diversity : Diversity in a total landscape or geographical area.

India also contributes a good percentage share of plants, animals and various micro-
organisms to the world’s bio-diversity. It is one of the 19 Mega Bio-diversity centres in the world
and has 2 of the world’s bio-diversity hot spots located in W. Ghats and E. Himalayas. It has 7.7%
of the world’s bio-diversity. Wildlife Institute of India has divided India into 10 Biogeographical
Regions as follows:

1. Trans-Himalayan 4. Semi-Arid 7. W. Ghats 10. Islands

2. Himalayas 5. Gangetic Plains 8. Deccan Peninsula
3. Desert 6. North-East 9. Coasts
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 Text

Bio-diversity has variety of uses. It acts as:

Source of Food :

There are over 3000 species of food plants out of which 150 are commercialised. 85% of food
output is fulfilled by 20 species.

Drugs and Medicines :

Rosy Periwinkle yields alkaloids which are useful for treatment of leukemia. Morphine for
pains, Quinine for malaria, Taxol for cancer, Reserpine for blood pressure.

Aesthetic Value :

Eco-tourism, bird watching, wildlife, pet keeping and gardening are all rewards of aesthetic
value.

Cultural Benefits :

Majority of Indian homes have specimens of Ocimum sanctum considered sacred. Ficus
religiosa is also sacred. Many birds and snakes are considered sacred and worshiped.

Inspite of having so many advantages, bio-diversity is having a tough time to exist, rather
than getting extinct. This extinction of bio-diversity is divided into 3 types.

NATURAL :
It is a slow process of replacement of existing species with better adapted species due to
alternative evolution, changes in environmental conditions, predators and diseases.

MASS :
It is catastrophic destruction (god sent destruction). There have been 5 Mass Extinctions in
the past. The last one was 65 million years ago when dinosaurs disappeared.

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ANTHROPOGENIC :
This extinction is mainly caused by human activities which include:

Habitat Loss and Fragmentation :

Over-Population, urbanization and industrialisation require additional land every year. This
is fulfilled through fragmentation of natural habitats leading to loss of species.

Over-Exploitation :

It includes hunting, collection of medicinal plants, deforestation, over-fishing etc.

Shifting Cultivation :

Spread of agriculture is at the cost of wetlands, grasslands and forests. Shifting cultivation is
based on few high yielding varieties. As a result there is reduction in genetic diversity.

Introduction of Exotic Species :

Non-native species when introduced in a different habitat they drive away local species.
Island ecosystem is the most vulnerable.

Water Hyacinth :

It was introduced in Indian waters to reduce pollution but it has clogged water bodies
resulting in death of various aquatic plants and animals.

Nile Perch :

It was introduced in Lake Victoria in South Africa. It eliminated several native species of
Cichlid Fish.

CONSERVATION STRATEGIES
There are basically 2 strategies for the conservation of bio-diversity as follows :

IN-SITU :
It includes a network of protected areas. The WCMC has recognised 37,000 protected areas
in the world and 581 in India. It helps in maintaining genetic diversity, viable population of
native species, resilience in ecosystems etc. through the establishment of:

National Parks :

It is maintained by govt. and reserved without any human activity. There are 89 National

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 Parks in India. For. e.g. Jim Corbett National Park(1936).

Wildlife Sanctuaries :

There are 492 sanctuaries in the country. Here human interference is allowed. For e.g.
Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

Biosphere Reserves :

These are multipurpose protected area which are meant for Restoration, Conservation,
Development, Monitoring and Educational Research on bio-diversity. These are divided into
three zones.

1. Core 2. Buffer 3. Transition

MAB :
Man and Biosphere Programme is an international programme of UNESCO in1971 which
studies human interference in biotic and abiotic environment.

EX-SITU :
It is conservation of selected rare plants/animals in places outside their natural homes. It
includes

1. Offsite Collections :

They are live collections of wild and domesticated species in botanical gardens, zoos,
arboreta etc. Most of them have captive breeding programmes.

2. Gene Banks :

These maintain stocks of viable seeds, live growing plants(orchards), tissue culture and
Cryopreservation.

Seed Banks :

Seeds are of two types : orthodox and recalcitrant. Orthodox have a survival instinct and
power to withstand changes in atmosphere. Recalcitrant get killed on changes.

Orchards :

Litchi, Oil Palm, Rubber tree etc. recalcitrant seeds are grown.

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 Tissue Culture :

It is carried out through callus formation, embryoids, pollen grain culture and shoot tip
culture.

Cryopreservation :

Preservation at –196° (liquid N)

Apart from this, there are various national and international efforts as follows :

National :
National Forest Policy, Biological Diversity Act, IBWL, ICRISAT, National Bureau of Plant,
Animal and Fish Genetic Resources.

International :
I Earth Summit (1972, Sweden)

II Earth Summit (1992, Brazil)

World Conservation Union, WWF, Green Peace

But still, after undertaking so many conservation strategies, we are not able to preserve our
valuable diversity. Unbelievable na! Well, to prove myself I would like to tell you names of
some fascinating species like Dodo, Tasmania Wolf, Cheetah, Great Indian Bustard and many
more. All these are extinct or critically endangered species. A heart-breaking fact!

Another shocking fact is that we have wasted 25% of top soil, 20% of agricultural lands, 1/3rd
of forests, 45% of fresh water and hounded the species to extinction. But still all of us dream of
a better world in which people live in harmony with the environment. It is a fiction just to give
a satisfactory shape to the efforts which we have taken.

The bottom line is that there have actually been 5 Mass Extinctions
and we are on the way to no. 6.

Adding fuel to fire, every hour 4-5 species are getting extinct enough
for an awakening.
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 CONCLUSION
Earth is our mother! From junior classes we are hearing these words. But are we giving it that
respect which it deserves? Certainly not.

We have a lot of conservation strategies and suddenly we experience a downfall. Not fair. But
friends, there is still a way out.

All of us from kids to corporations should give a strong individual fight to preserve the
diversity. There is a saying in Hindi–

cw¡n&cw¡n ls lkxj curk gSA

and what we need is to inculcate that feeling within ourselves. For this we have to understand
that all national and international efforts will go waste until or unless we at individual level ignite
our minds and understand that–

A true Conservationist is a person who knows that the world is not given by his fore fathers but
borrowed from his children.

The worldwide changes have destroyed the legacy of diversity. So, Good Morning India!
Wake Up. If no, then Good Night forever because

Your Time is Now or Never!

Thanks