INTRODUCTION

The term Biodiversity was first coined by Walter G. Rosen in 1986.

The biosphere comprises of a complex collections of innumerable organisms, known as the Biodiversity, which constitute the vital life support for survival of human race.

Biological diversity, abbreviated as biodiversity, represent the sum total of various life forms such as unicellular fungi, protozoa, bacteria, and multi cellular organisms such as plants, fishes, and mammals at various biological levels including gens, habitats, and ecosystem .

Bio =

BioBiodiversitydiversity

What does “Bio” means?

BioBiodiversitydiversity

Diversity = Variety

What does “Diversity” means?

CONCEPT AND TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity is the variety of life forms on earth and the essential interdependence of all living things.

As defined in convention on Biological diversity singed at Rio De Jenerio (Brazil) in 1992 by 154 countries, the Biodiversity defined as “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic eco-systems and the ecological complexes of which the area part- this include diversity with in species, between species and of ecosystem.”

According to IUCN in 1998, “the variety and variability of species of their population, the variety of species of their life forms, the diversity of the complex association with species with their interaction and their ecological process which influences perform.”

There are three types of biodiversity

Diversity of Species

Diversity of Ecosystem

Diversity of Genes

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

•Species = a particular type of organism; a population or group of populations whose members share certain characteristics and can freely breed with one another and produce fertile offspring Figure 15.2

Ecosystem diversity

•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

Figure 15.2

Genetic diversity

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.

Figure 15.2

DISTRIBUTION OF BIODIVERSITY

Flora and fauna diversity depends on-

Climate Altitude Soils Presence of other species Most of the biodiversity

concentrated in Tropical region.

BIODIVERSITY AND BALANCE OF NATURE

Tropic Level: Elimination of species from tropic level can cause destruction of ecosystem as well as biodiversity.

Complex Ecosystem: In a complicated ecosystem having several tropic levels, loss of one or more spices do not cause any serious problem because the alternative available.

Keystone Species: Loss or addition of species causes detectable changes in ecosystem rates i.e. species make unique contribution to ecosystem functioning.

Niche Complementary: Difference among species in their requirements for different resources will cause complementary interaction so that a species could obtain more resources.

Facilitation and Mutualism: Plants may also benefit from their neighbors through amelioration of the physical

and biotic environment.Portfolio Effect: Species richness increases the temporal

stability of the entire community while the biomass is stabilized.

Insurance Hypothesis: Biodiversity buffers ecosystem against environmental changes such as global warming.

Benefits of biodiversity•Preserving biodiversity preserves ecosystem services, and directly provides things of pragmatic value to us.

– • Food, fuel, and fiber– • Shelter and building materials– • Air and water purification– • Waste decomposition– • Climate stabilization and

moderation– • Nutrient cycling– • Soil fertility– • Pollination– • Pest control– • Genetic resources

Benefits of biodiversity: Food security

Many species not now commonly used for food could be. .Genetic diversity within crop species and their relatives enhances our agriculture and provides insurance against losses of prevalent strains of staple crops.

Figure 15.11

Benefits of biodiversity: Medicine•Many species can provide novel medicines; we don’t want to drive these extinct without ever discovering their uses.

•Ten of our top 25 drugs come directly from wild plants; the rest we developed because of studying the chemistry of wild species.

Figure 15.12

Forest and their Uses

General Use

Maintaining the water supply

Maintaining the water supply

Forest:• Enable water to be collected and stored

within a water catchment• Eg: Bukit Timah Nature Reserve• Consists of 4 reservoirs surrounded by forests

Maintaining the water supply

• Forest forms part of the water cycle:– Process of evapo-transpiration– Water released into the atmosphere– Encouraging Cloud formation, condensation and

rain– Rain falls replenishes the water in rivers and

reservoirs– Leaves/branches intercept water and water seeps

into the ground as groundwater– Reducing surface-runoffs

Maintaining water quality

• Supports natural filteration • Makes its possible for drinking and supporting

life• As the water flows seeps into the ground, soil

particles trap impurities and filters the water• Less run-offs reduce erosion of soil and

deposited in reservoirs and rivers

• Keeps the soil fertile

Maintains the Nutrient cycle

Replenishing Oxygen and Removing Carbon Dioxide

• Forest as Green Lungs of the Earth:– During photosynthesis,

trees and plants give off oxygen and take in carbon dioxide to make food

– Reduction in carbon dioxide content prevents rising global temperatures

Nutrients on the forest floor

Form of Habitat for People

Pollination and Seed Dispersal

• Many flowering plants depend on animals for pollination to produce food.

• 30% of human crops depend on free services of pollinators; replacement value estimated billions of dollars/year in US alone

Source: Spector© AMNH-CBC

Source of Inspirationor Information

• Biomimicry

• Applied Biology

• Medical Models

• Education and Scientific Research

Source: Brumbaugh © AMNH-CBC

Form of habitat for plants and animal species

As a Resource

• For timber: – For industries

Recreation and eco-tourism

Aesthetic Value

Source: Brumbaugh © AMNH-CBC

Camping and hiking

Education and

Research

-Species go extinct at more than 100 times the normal rate. -The average abundance of species has declined by 40% in thirty years. -Two of three ecosystem services are declining

Loss of nature – loss of life

Should we be concerned about biodiversity?

What we know: The Earth is losing species at an alarming rate

• Some scientists estimate that as many as 3 species per hour are going extinct and 20,000 extinctions occur

each year. • when species of plants and animals go extinct, many

other species are affected.

Bio geographical Classification Of India

The study of biota with regard to their origin,environmental interrelationships and distribution is calledBiogeography. There are about ten biogeographical areas in India are as follows:-1.Trans–Himalaya 2. Himalaya 3. Desert (Kutch and Thar) 4. Semiarid 5. Western Ghats 6. Deccan Penninsula7. Gangetic Plains 8. Marine Coast 9. North East 10. Indian Islands

Biological Diversity At National Level

India has a rich biological diversity of flora and fauna.Over all 6% of the global species are found in India.

India ranks 10th among the plant rich countries of the world, 11th in terms of number of endemic species of

higher vertebrates and 6th among the centres of diversity and origin of agricultural crops.

India as a Mega diversity NationIndia is one of the 12 Mega diversity countries in the world.

Hot Spots Of BiodiversityAreas which exhibit high species richnees as well as high

species endemism are termed as hot spots of biodiversity.

The term was introduced by Myers(1988). There are 25 hot spots of biodiversity on a global level out of which 2 are present in India, namely the Eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats. An area is designated as a hot spot when it contains at least 0.5% of the plant species as endemics.

Conservation approaches: Biodiversity hotspots

•Global map of biodiversity hotspots, as determined by Conservation International

Figure 15.19

Global hot spots of Biodiversity1. Tropical Andes 2. Mesoamerican forests3. Caribbean 4. Brazil's Atlantic Forest 5. Darien of Panama Western Ecuador 6. Central Chile 7.Brazil's Cerrado 8. Madagascar 9.California Floristic Province10. Eastern Arc and Coastal Forest of Tanzania/Kenya11.Western African Forests12. Cape Floristic Province13. Succulent Karoo 14. Mediterranean Basin

15. Caucasus 16. Sundaland 17. Wallacea 18. Philippines19. Indo- Berma Eastern Himalayas20. South- central China21. Western- Ghats Sri Lanka22. South- western Australia23. New Caledonia24. New Zealand25. Polynesia/Micronesia

•Endangered golden lion tamarin, endemic to Brazil’s Atlantic rainforest, which has been almost totally destroyed

Figure 15.18

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

Natural causes: Narrow geographical area Low population Low breeding rate Natural disasters

Anthropogenic causes: Habitat modification Overexploitation of selected

species Innovation by exotic species

Pollution Hunting Global warming and climate

change Agriculture

Causes of species extinction

•Primary causes spell “HIPPO”:

– • Habitat alteration

– • Invasive species

– • Pollution

– • Population growth

– • Overexploitation

“HIPPO”: Habitat alteration•The greatest cause of extinction today

•Accounts for 85% of population declines of birds and mammals

•Habitat change hurts most organisms because they are adapted to an existing habitat.

•Alteration due to:

• Forest clearing, Urban development

• Agriculture, Global climate change etc….

“HIPPO”: Invasive species•Accidental or intentional introduction of exotic species to new areas

•Most do not establish or expand, but some do—likely because they are “released” from limitations imposed by their native predators, parasites, and competitors.

•In today’s globalizing world, • invasive species have become perhaps the second- worst threat

to native biota.

“HIPPO”: Invasive species•Examples:

–• Mosquito fish–• Zebra mussel–• Kudzu–• Asian long-

horned beetle–• Rosy wolfsnail–• Cane toad–• Bullfrog

• Gypsy moth• European

starling• Indian

mongoose• Caulerpa

algae• Cheatgrass• Brown tree

snake

Figure 15.10

“HIPPO”: Pollution

•Air and water pollution; agricultural runoff, industrial chemicals, etc.

•Pollution does serious and widespread harm, but is not as threatening as the other elements of HIPPO.

“HIPPO”: Population growth•Human population growth exacerbates every other environmental problem.

•Magnifies effects of the other elements of HIPPO: • More people means more habitat change, more invasive

species, more pollution, more overexploitation.

•Along with increased resource consumption, it is the ultimate reason behind proximate threats to biodiversity.

“HIPPO”: Overexploitation•Two meanings:

• Overharvesting of species from the wild

• (too much hunting, fishing…)

• Overconsumption of resources

• (too much timber cutting, fossil fuel use…)

•Usually overexploitation is not the sole cause of extinction, but it often contributes in tandem with other causes.

Illegal Killing and Trading of Wildlife

• Poaching endangers many larger animals, rare plants

• Over two-thirds die in transit• Illegal trade $6–$10 billion per year• Wild species depleted by pet trade• Exotic plants often illegally gathered

White Rhinoceros Poached for Its Horn

Elephant is poached for teeth

CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity inventories Conserving Biodiversity in protected Habitats-

• In situ conservation

• Ex situ conservation Seed Bank, Gene Bank, Pollen Bank, DNA

Bank

Gene Bank

zoo

Bandhavgarh National Park

Restoration of Biodiversity Imparting Environmental Education Enacting, strengthening and enforcing Environmental

Legislation Population Control Reviewing the agriculture practice Controlling Urbanization Conservation through Biotechnology

Conservation approaches

• In-situ• Involves protection of

natural areas with high biodiversity.

• Ex-situ• here we conserve

biodiversity in an artificial setting.

www.indiantiger.org www.plantlife.org

Insitu conservation• At present we have 8 major Biosphere reserves, 88 National parks , 490 sanctuaries .• The Biosphere reserves conserve some representative ecosystems as a whole for long- term in –situ conservation. Within the Biosphere reserves we may have one or more National parks.•EX. Nilgiri Biosphere reserve has two National parks Bandipur and Nagarhole National Park. Few Examples of Biosphere reserves

Nilgiri Tamil Nadu, Kerala and KarnatakaNanda Devi UttaranchalNokrerk MeghalayaManas AssamSunderbans West Bengal

The national parks and sanctuaries

A National Park is an area dedicated for the conservation of wildlife along with its environment. A national park has a defined boundary, through which no person can get into the park without an approval. Only an approved person can enter into a national park, either via paying a visitor ticket or an approved letter from the governing body .EX. Gir National Park , Gujarat (Indian Lion) Bandipur National Park , Karnataka (Elephant) Kanha National Park , M.P. (Tiger)

A wildlife sanctuary is a declared protected area, where killing, shooting, hunting or capturing of animals is completely. The ownership of this type of protected area could lie in the hands of either a government or in any private organization or person, provided the regulations are governed by the government. However, it is not physically fenced to restrict the public from entering and roaming inside a wildlife sanctuary for research, educational, inspirational, and recreational purposes.EX. Ghana Bird Sanctuary ,Rajasthan. (Major wild life –birds) Mudamalai Wild life Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu. (Tiger, elephant, Leopard) Jaldapara Wild life Sanctuary, W.Bengal. (Rhinoceros, Tiger, elephant)

Involves taking an animal or plant out of its habitat and placing it in human care

This term covers old methods such as zoos, as well as new methods such as seed banks and gene banks

Ex-situ conservation may not be the ideal method but often the only answer

Introduction to ex-situ conservationIntroduction to ex-situ conservation

Zoos, parks and botanical gardens

Seed banks

Gene banks

NBAGR (National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources, located at Karnal,Haryana)

NBPGR (National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, located in New Delhi)

The sides to ex-situ conservationThe sides to ex-situ conservation

Cryopreservation Rapid progress madeGreat potential for conservationUsing liquid Nitrogen at -1960C

Seed Bank

BIODIVERSITY IN INDIA

Categories No. of Indian Species

% of Indian species Evaluated

Species Threatened In India

Mammals 386 59 41%

Birds 1219 _ 7%

Reptiles 495 73 46%

Amphibians 207 79 57%

Freshwater Fish 700 46 70%

Source- Based on Kumar et.al 2000

CONCLUSION Biodiversity is our life. If the Biodiversity got lost at

this rate then in near future, the survival of human being will be threatened. So, it is our moral duty to conserve Biodiversity as well our Environment. Long-term maintenance of species and their management requires co-operative efforts across entire landscapes. Biodiversity should be dealt with at scale of habitats or ecosystems rather than at species level.