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The diversity in the wild species forms the ‘gene pool’ from which
cultivated crops and domestic animals are developed over thousands of
years
Biodiversity
• Degree of variations amongst all life forms from all sources
including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems
• Types of Biodiversity
Genetic diversity
– variation of genes within species
– constitutes distinct population of the same species
Species diversity
– variety of species within a region.
– can be measured as number of species in a region
Ecosystem diversity
– Variety of ecosystems/ communities in various ecological
niches within an ecosystem.
– Examples for richest biodiversity.
Tropical Rain forests
Coral reefs
Genetic Diversity
Chihuahuas, beagles, and rottweilers
are all dogs—but they're not the same Chihuahua
because of their different genes &
combinations of genes.
Least visible & least studied
Beagle
Rottweilers
High genetic variation Least genetic variation
Diversity of species
• Different kinds of organisms, relationships among species
• Species richness- Assessed in terms of number of species
an area contains
• Tropical forests vs plantations
Commercial Returns
Sustainable returns
Co-evolution of species
• Social / ethical / moral value
– Natural environment provides many of
inspirational, aesthetic, spiritual and
educational needs of people, of all cultures.
– Appreciation of biodiversity through cultural
and religious sentiments
– Sacred groves are gene banks for wild plants
• Talakona – Tirumala
Hills, Chittor district,
AP
– The mean ± SD of
species richness in
the Sacred forest
(SF) sites was 51.2 ±
9.5 species per ha
whereas mean
species richness in
the surrounding
Reserve forest (RF)
sites was 37.8 ± 6.6
species per ha
• Aesthetic value
– Appreciation of inherent value & beauty
– Travel & Tourism – 5.6% GDP
– Employment, Exports
• Option value
– Keeping future possibilities open for their
use
– Which of our resources will be of greatest
use in future? Impossible to predict but
return to original wild types for
improvement of existing cultivars is
certain
Importance of Biodiversity
– Siltation of tanks
b) Hunting of pelicans
Illegal pet
wild life trade
• 10 billion US$ Annually
• 23 Metric tonnes of Ivory from
elephant tusk caught in a
single year
• Primates top grocers
• Others: Tortoises, exotic birds Twin Orangutans
Protection of endangered & endemic species
Wildlife Protection Act
• Passed in 1972, notification of wildlife sanctuaries &
national parks - Amendment in 2002
• State’s wildlife management - Protection to ecosystems as
a whole
• Community Reserves, Wildlife advisory boards
• Posts designated for wildlife management
• Prohibits hunting of animals in Schedule I to IV of the Act,
plants under Schedule VI
• Restricts commercial use of resources by local people
Implementation problems
• Enforcement
• Poaching
• Lack of infrastructure
Poaching
• Reserved forests
• Protected forests
• Village forests
• Control of deforestation/de-reserving of forest land
• Revenue generation focus shifted to soil
conservation, water regimes, use for local inhabitants
Conservation of biodiversity
• In situ conservation
– Conserving a species in its own habitat
(national parks and wildlife sanctuaries)
– Protect the whole ecosystem, not individual
species
– Depends on feeding habits of animals such as
elephant
Conservation of biodiversity
• In situ conservation
– Wildlife sanctuaries (500) & national parks (89)
– Great Himalayan National Park: Snow leopard
– Dachigam sanctuary: Kashmir stag
– Bharatpur: water-birds, Siberian crane
– Great & Little Rann of Kutch: Wild ass, Star tortoise
– Gir sanctuary: Asiatic lion
– Kanha National Park: Wild tigers, elephant
– Desert National park: thar desert – Blackbuck, nilgai,
chinkara
– Ranthambore: Tigers
Conservation of biodiversity
• In situ conservation
– Bandipur, Nagarhole, Periyar, Silent Valley,
Eravikulam: Elephant
– Coastal ecosystems:
• Chilka lake (Orissa),
• Point Calimere (Tamil Nadu),
• Sunderbans,
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Case study 3: Conservation
• In situ conservation
– Project Tiger
• Initiated in 1973 by Govt of India in
support with WWF
• Initiated in 9 tiger reserves &
extended to 23
• Appr. 1400 tigers (from 268 in 1972)
– Project Crocodile
• Initiated in 1975
• Restocking of natural water bodies
from crocodile breeding centers for
conservation Bank of America will
contribute $100 to
– Project Elephant
WWF for each
• Initiated in 1992
account opened &
• Implemented in 12 states activated.
Case study 4: In situ Conservation
• Olive Ridley turtles
– Gahirmatha & two other sites in Orissa
– Breeding season: December-April
– Mass nesting
– Largest nesting site in world
– One out of 1000 eggs matures into adult
– Threats:
• Shrinking nesting sites,Trawler fishing
• Roads & other infrastructure development activities
Conservation efforts:
– Notified as sanctuary (Bhitarkanika)
– Prohibition of trawling
– Turtle excluder devices
– No fishing season: January-May
Conservation
Ex situ conservation
• Conserving a species outside its habitat
• Botanical gardens & Zoological parks
• Breeding as part of conservation in zoos
• Case studies
– Madras Crocodile Trust Bank: from 10 to
8000 crocodiles
• Re-introduction into habitat determines success
– Beej bachao Andolan
• Conservation of seeds of hundreds of local rice
varieties, rajma, pulses, millets, vegetables,
spices, herbs
Ex-situ conservation - Biotechnology
• Cryopreservation
• Suspending life at sub zero temperatures –
- 1920C
• Germplasm storage
• Seeds
• Apical meristems / callus
• Microbes
• DNA
Convention on Biodiversity (CBD)
Adopted in 1992 & aims for
1. Biodiversity conservation
2. Sustainable use of components
3. Fair & equitable sharing of benefits
arising from utilization of biological
resources
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety