BIODIVERSITY:

Threats &
Conservation
BIODIVERSITYOFINDIA
Life+variety
species inhabiting the earth estimates vary from 8 to
14 million species
India, a megadiversity country with only 2.4% of the
land area, accounts for 7-8% of the recorded species
of the world
45,500 species of plants and 91,000 species of
animals
 Biodiversity
Bio (living) + Diversity (Variety) = “Biodiversity”
Biodiversity plays an important role in our existence
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms
within species, ecosystem or planet.
Biodiversity is generally described in terms of its three
fundamental:
i. Genetic diversity: It includes the genetic variations within
species.
• Example : different varieties of crops and fruits etc…

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Genetic diversity
 Biodiversity
ii. Species diversity: It includes full range of species from micro
organisms to varieties of plants and animals.
• Variation in species present in specific areas
• Example: Horses and donkeys, lions and tigers.

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Species Diversity :diversity among species
 Biodiversity
iii. Ecosystems diversity: It studies variation in the biological
communities in which species live, exist and interact.
• Diversity of habitats including the different life forms within
them
• e.g. Water, land and forest

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Ecosystem Diversity: diversity of habitats
Ecosystem diversity Genetic d i v e r s i t y

SPECIES
DIVERSITY

species = a particular type of organism;

 Includes diversity above
the species level.
Biologists have viewed
diversity above the
species level in various
ways. Some alternative ways to
categorize it include:
 Community
diversity
 Habitat diversity
 Landscape
diversity
a population or group of populations
whose members share certain
characteristics and can freely breed
with one another and produce fertile
offspring
› Species diversity = the number or
variety of species in a particular
region
› Species richness = number of
species
› Evenness, or relative abundance
= extent to which numbers of
different species are equal or
skewed
• Includes the differences
in DNA composition
among individuals
within a given species.
• Adaptation to particular
environmental conditions may
weed out genetic variants that
are not successful.
• But populations benefit from
some genetic diversity, so as
to avoid inbreeding or disease
epidemics.
•India is known for its rich heritage of biodiversity.
• India is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world.
•With only 2.4 % of the world‘s area, India accounts for 7–8 % of the world‘s recorded plant and
animal species.
•India‘s ten biogeographic zones possess an exemplary diversity of ecological habitats like alpine forests,
grasslands, wetlands, coastal and marine ecosystems, and desert ecosystems.
•Amongst the existing biota, 91,307 species of animals of which 2,557 Protista, 12,470 general
invertebrates, 69,903 arthropods, 4,994 vertebrates, and 45,500 species of plants as well as 5,650 microbial
species have been documented in its 10 bio-geographic regions.
•India has four out of thirty-four global biodiversity hotspots, which is an indicator of high degree of
endemism (of species) in India.
• About 5,150 plant species and 1,837 animal species are endemic to India.
•India‘s biodiversity includes wild relatives of agricultural crops and domesticated animals.
India has 16 major types and 251 subtypes of forests.
Indigenous medicine systems utilize nearly 6,500 native plants for both human and
animal healthcare.
India‘s diverse preponderance of native tribal and ethnic groups has contributed significantly in the conservation and
diversification of biodiversity. Its cultural and ethnic diversity includes over 550 tribal communities of 227 ethnic groups
spread over 5,000 forested villages. India proudly upholds the tradition of nature conservation.
In 252 B.C., the Emperor Asoka established protected areas (PAs) for mammals, birds, fish and forests through a
proclamation. Jim Corbett National Park covering an area of 325 sq km came into being as the India‘s first and world‘s
third National Park in 1936.
India has currently 4.79 % of total geographic area under an elaborate network of PAs, which includes 99 National Parks,
513 wildlife sanctuaries, 43 conservation reserves, 4 community reserves and 3 biodiversity heritage sites.
India has a National Wildlife Action Plan, which envisages 10 % of the geographical area of the country under PA
coverage.
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Biodiversity
Hotspots
An area which faces serious threat from human
activities and supports a unique biodiversity
 Criteria to be qualified:
Accordingly to the Conservation International
 Itmust contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants
(> 0.5 percent of the world’s total) as endemics, and
 Lost at least 70% of its original habitat.
 LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
• The loss of even a single species is considered as a tragedy as each form

of life is a natural storehouse of irreplaceable substances the genetic

materials.

• The loss of even a single species can alter a food chain/food web.

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Biodiversity loss and species extinction

• Extinction = last member of a species dies and the species vanishes forever
from Earth
• Extirpation = disappearance of a particular population, but not the
entire species globally

• These are natural processes.

On average one species goes extinct naturally every 500–1,000
years—this is the background rate of extinction.
• 99% of all species that ever lived are now extinct.
Recent extinctions (India)

Mammals- Indian / Asiatic Cheetah, Javan

Rhinoceros and Sumatran Rhinoceros
Birds- Pink- headed Duck (Rhodonessa
caryophyllacea) and the Himalayan Quail(Ophrysia
superciliosa)
Pink headed Duck Sumatran Rhinoceros Javan Rhinoceros

warbler Himalayan Quail Asiatic cheetah

Threats to Global Biodiversity
Habitat loss/degradation
Over-hunting /Poaching
Climate change
Resource mismanagement
Invasion of non-native /exotic species
Natural Calamities
Pollution
Overgrazing
 URBANIZ
POACHIN ATION
DEFOREST
G OF
ATION
WILDLIFE

AGRICULT
OVERGRA URAL
ZING EXPANSIO
N

ENVIRON
MENTAL EUTROFIC
POLLUTIO ATION
N

THREATS TO
BIODIVERSITY Global
WASTE
DISPOSAL climate
change

Invasion
CONSTRU by
CTION OF
DAMS introduce
species

EXPLOITA
TION OF Nature of
WATER legal
RESOURCE systems
S
FOREST
MINING
FIRES
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 Conservation of Biodiversity
• No use of undisturbed lands for setting up of industries or other developmental

activities.

• Establishment of gene banks

• Establishment of botanical gardens

• Measures to be taken to reduce environmental pollution

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In-situ Conservation
Conserving the animals and plants in their natural habitats
 National parks
 Sanctuaries

 Biosphere reserves

 Reserved and protected forests

 Project Tiger, Project Elephant

Ex-situ Conservation
Conserving the animals and plants away from theirnatural
habitat
 Seed banks

 Germplasm

 Botanical gardens

 Zoological parks
 Biodiversity
Conservation
In situ Ex situ

Biosphere Sacred plant

Sacred Reserves National home garden
groves parks, wildlife
and lakes sanctuaries

Seed Bank, Gene

Terrestrial bank,
Cryopreservation

Marine
Botanical
garden,
Zoological
garden,Aquaria

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 Botanical gardens

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Legislation
Environment Protection Act, 1986
Fisheries Act, 1897
Forest Act, 1927
Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972
Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 1991

National Forest Policy amended in 1988,

National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement for Environment and
Sustainable Development
National Agricultural Policy
National Land Use Policy
National Fisheries Policy
National Policy and Action Strategy on Biodiversity
National Wildlife Action Plan
Environmental Action Plan.