CHAPTER 4 STUDY PLAN

BIODIVERSITY AND ITS CONSERVATION

4.1 INTRODUCTION-DEFINITION: GENETIC, SPECIES AND ECOSYSTEM

BIODIVERSITY (Article)

4.1.1 Biogeographical Zones of India (Article)

http://www.slideshare.net/GhassanHadi/session-9-biogeographical-classification

4.1.2 Biodiversity patterns and Hotspots of Biodiversity

(Article)

https://www.slideshare.net/nidhiraid/patterns-of-biodiversityintroduction

http://www.slideshare.net/DevikaAntharjanam/seminar-11507892?next_slideshow=1

4.2 INDIA AS A MEGA-DIVERSITY NATION (pdf)

4.2.1 Endangered and Endemic Species of India

(Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VokqA4cuwtc

4.2.2 Endemic species of India

https://www.slideshare.net/amuthameera/endangered-and-endemic-species

4.3 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY (Article)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA3xNMJnFuo

4.3.1 Human Wildlife Conflicts in Indian Context (Article)

http://www.walkthroughindia.com/wildlife/the-deadly-human-wildlife-conflict-in-india-
people-and-wildlife/

4.3.2 Conservation of Biodiversity: In Situ and Ex Situ Conservation of

Biodiversity (Article)

http://www.slideshare.net/akhilkollipara7/biodiversity-and-its-conservation

4.4 ECOSYSTEM AND BIODIVERSITY SERVICES (pdf)

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tgNamjTRkk

https://www.slideshare.net/anniesminu/value-of-biodiversity-29353926

https://www.slideshare.net/muskokee/ecosystem-services

4.1 INTRODUCTION-DEFINITION: GENETIC, SPECIES AND ECOSYSTEM

BIODIVERSITY

Biological diversity refers to the variety and the number of living organisms present
in an ecosystem. Biodiversity refers to that part of nature which includes all forms of life
such as plants, animals and microorganisms. These life forms vary in shape, size and color.

The Convention on Biological Diversity defines biodiversity as:"the variability among living
organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic
ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity
within species, between species, and of ecosystems." Diversity is a rule of nature and the
policy of the habitat. So, there is difference of genes within and between the species and also
diversity of ecosystems. It is impossible to have a species with nil diversity.

The diversity can be divided into:

(i) Genetic diversity

“The genetic variation existing within a species is called genetic diversity”. Each species of
living beings store an immense amount of genetic information. The number of genes present
in a species differs from those present in another species. For eg. The number of genes in
Eschirichia coli (colon bacteria) is about 4000, 13000 in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly),
32000-50000 in Oryza sativa (rice) and 35000-45000 in Homo sapiens (man).A population is
able to adapt to its environment and respond to its natural selection due to its genetic
diversity. A species with more genetic diversity can adapt better to the changing
environmental conditions. A species with lesser genetic diversity results into uniformity.

(ii) Species diversity

Species diversity refers to the variety of species within a region. It includes the full range of
species in the region, from microorganisms to macro organisms. Species are distinct units of
biodiversity, each of which have specific role in an ecosystem. Therefore, loss of a species
affects the ecosystem as a whole.

(iii) Ecosystem diversity

Ecological diversity or ecosystem diversity is the variety of biological communities, such as

forests, deserts, grasslands and streams that interact with one another and with their physical
and chemical (nonliving) environments. It relates to the different forms of life which are

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present in any one particular area or site, in more precise terms, it concerns the different
species of a particular genus which are present in an ecological community.

4.1.1 BIOGEOGRAPHICAL CLASSIFICATION OF INDIA

http://www.slideshare.net/GhassanHadi/session-9-biogeographical-classification

Biogeographic classification of India is the division of India according to biogeographic

characteristics. Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species (biology), organisms,
and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. The biogeographic zones of
India are as follows:

(i) Trans-Himalayan Region:.

(ii) The Himalayas
(iii) The Desert
(iv) Semi-Arid region
(v) Western Ghats
(vi) Deccan Peninsula
(vii) North Eastern region
(viii) The Gangetic plain
(ix) Islands
(x) Coasts

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 Fig. Biogeographic classification of India

4.1.2 HOTSPOTS OF BIODIVERSITY

https://www.slideshare.net/nidhiraid/patterns-of-biodiversityintroduction

http://www.slideshare.net/DevikaAntharjanam/seminar-11507892?next_slideshow=1

The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in
“The Environmentalist” (1988 & 1990), revised after thorough analysis by Myers and others
in “Hotspots: Earth’s Biologically Richest and Most Endangered Terrestrial Ecoregions”. To
qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers 2000 edition of the hotspot-map, a region must
meet two strict criteria:

1. It must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics, and
2. It has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.

BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS IN INDIA

1. Himalaya: Includes the entire Indian Himalayan region (and that falling in Pakistan, Tibet,

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Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar)

2. Indo-Burma: Includes entire North-eastern India, except Assam and Andaman group of

Islands (and Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and southern China)

3. Sundalands: Includes Nicobar group of Islands (and Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore,

Brunei, Philippines)

4. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka: Includes entire Western Ghats (and Sri Lanka)

4.2 ENDANGERED AND ENDEMIC SPECIES OF INDIA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VokqA4cuwtc

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has
categorized wild flora and fauna into the following categories:

Summary of 2006 IUCN Red List categories

The list containing these categories is known as the Red List. The data recorded in the Red
Data Book is updated every 4 years. According to the Red Data Book, a threatened species is
one whose natural habitat is disturbed.

As per Schedule I, of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India, a species is considered
endangered when its number reduces to a critical level. Species are classified by the IUCN
Red List into nine groups, set through criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area of
geographic distribution, and degree of population and distribution fragmentation.

 Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.

 Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized
population outside its historic range.
 Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
 Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
 Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
 Near Threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future.
 Least Concern (LC) – Lowest risk. Does not qualify for a more at risk category.
Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

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  Data Deficient (DD) – Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of
extinction.
 Not Evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

Endemic species: Species that have very restricted distribution and are found over relatively
small ranges are called endemic species. Endemic species once lost, it is a loss of biodiversity
of these species forever. In India there are about 1272 species of endemic angiosperms out of
3800 species occurring in Kerala, which is 33.5% of its flora. Out of 5725 endemics in India,
endemics of Kerala constitute 22.6% of Indian endemics.

There are 44 endemic species of mammals, confined to a small range within the Indian
Territory. The Western Ghats have been identified as the abode of four of these endemic
species:

(i) Lion Tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus)

(ii) Nilgiri Leaf Monkey (Trachypithecus johnii)
(iii) Brown Palm Civet (Paradoxurus jerdoni)
(iv) Nilgiri Tahr ( Hemitragus hylocrius)

4.2.2 Endemic species of India

https://www.slideshare.net/amuthameera/endangered-and-endemic-species

4.3 THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA3xNMJnFuo

The major threats to the biodiversity are:

(i) Habitat destruction

Habitat destruction has played a key role in extinctions, especially related to tropical forest
destruction. Factors contributing to habitat loss are: overpopulation, deforestation, pollution
(air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination) and global warming or climate change.

(ii) Introduced and invasive species

Introducing new species often leaves endemic and other local species unable to compete with
the exotic species and unable to survive. The exotic organisms may be predators, parasites, or
may simply outcompete indigenous species for nutrients, water and light. At present, several
countries have already imported so many exotic species, particularly agricultural and
ornamental plants, that their own indigenous fauna/flora may be outnumbered.

(iii) Environmental pollution

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Loss of biodiversity due to pollution is very common nowadays. When resources are
consumed, only the biodegradable waste gets broken down slowly and gets recycled. But the
non-biodegradable waste remains in the environment and enters our food chain. This waste
travels through the food webs, gets biomagnified and reaches the tissues of all the living
species. These wastes are very toxic and their toxicity increases with time. Ultimately
pollution is responsible for global climatic changes and extinction of most of the species.

(iv) Over exploitation of resources

Overexploitation occurs when a resource is consumed at an unsustainable rate. This occurs on

land in the form of overhunting, excessive logging, poor soil conservation in agriculture and
the illegal wildlife trade. About 25% of world fisheries are now overfished to the point
where their current biomass is less than the level that maximizes their sustainable yield.

(v) Climate Change

Polar bears reside on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean, near the North Pole. Climate change has
started affecting bear populations. Global warming is also considered to be a major threat to
global biodiversity. For example coral reefs -which are biodiversity hotspots-, will be lost in
20 to 40 years if global warming continues at the current trend. Scientists feel that 35% of the
world’s existing terrestrial habitat may face extinction due to global warming due to the
accumulation of green house gases.

(vi) Poaching of wildlife

Poaching is an illicit wildlife trade. It is the illegal killing of wildlife for sale in the
international trade market. The animals are killed not only for their meat but also for their
hides, and different parts of their body that are used as clothing, for food, to make folk
medicine, or jewellery or as trophies. Some people poach just for thrill of it, while others
poach for trade. Violations of hunting laws and regulations are normally punishable by law
and, collectively, such violations are known as poaching.

4.3.1 HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICTS IN INDIAN CONTEXT

http://www.walkthroughindia.com/wildlife/the-deadly-human-wildlife-conflict-in-india-
people-and-wildlife/

The growing human population, deforestation, loss of habitat and decline in their prey species
are few major reasons behind the Human wildlife conflict in India. Natural wildlife territory
overlaps with the human’s existence and various forms of human–wildlife conflict occur with
various negative results.

Leopard attacks on humans are regularly reported only in India. The Panthera pardus or the
leopards kill more humans in India than all other carnivores. Human–leopard conflict regions

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of the country are West Bengal, Maharashtra and Assam where most of the deadly leopard
attack incident happened.

Most of the Tiger attacks in India appeared in the Sundarbans mangrove forest National Park
of West Bengal. Sundarbans host largest population of tigers in the world due to its densely
covered mangrove forests and climate.

Elephant is one of the holy animals in India, especially in Kerala but due to elephant attack
some 500 people are killed by each year. There are many incidents of elephant attacks
occurred in the villages of Kerala and other parts of India.

Bear attacks are very common in Indian states like Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where
most of the incident occurred.

Natural wildlife territories where most of human wildlife conflict occurred by elephants
in Kerala, man-eaters leopards in Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand), man-eaters tigers
in Sundarbans National Park (West Bengal and Bangladesh).

Reason behind the Human Interaction

Deforestation
Loss of Habitat
Decline in Prey
Injured or Old Animal
Growing Human Population

Results of Human Wildlife Conflict

Crop Damage
Animal Deaths
Loss of Human Life
Injuries to People
Injuries to Wildlife
Livestock Depredation

Solutions to Reduce Human Interaction and Wildlife Conflict

Fencing
Land-Use Planning
Livestock Protection
Avoid stepping out After Dark

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4.3.2 Conservation of Biodiversity: In Situ And Ex Situ Conservation of Biodiversity

http://www.slideshare.net/akhilkollipara7/biodiversity-and-its-conservation

Conservation is the protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and

natural resources such as forests and water. Through the conservation of biodiversity the
survival of many species and habitats which are threatened due to human activities can be
ensured.

(A) In-situ: The basic principle of in-situ conservation is the protection and management of
components of biological diversity through a network of protected areas in their natural
habitat. In-situ conservation is a cheap, convenient and natural way of conservation. The
species is allowed to grow in their own habitat with the protectors playing an important
role in the whole process. The species actually face the natural calamities such as floods,
rain, droughts and snowfall etc and thereby get a better adaptation in the long run. For this
reason, the wild species are more resistant to the changing environmental conditions than
the domesticated or the hybrid ones.

Drawback – The only drawback of in situ conservation is that it requires a large area for the
complete protection of biodiversity.

National parks: These are the small reserves for the protection and conservation of a few
species in their habitat. A national park has a well defined boundary.

Wildlife Sanctuaries: These are the small reserves that are meant for the protection of the
wildlife in their natural habitat. Sanctuaries do not have a well defined boundary and tourists
are allowed inside a sanctuary.

Biosphere reserves: These are large, protected areas where the entire biotic spectrum of the
climatic zone is preserved. The Indian government has established 18 Biosphere Reserves of
India, which protect larger areas of natural habitat (than a National Park or Animal
Sanctuary), and often include one or more National Parks and/or preserves, along buffer
zones that are open to some economic uses. A biosphere reserve is classified into 3 zones:

 Core zone- it is meant for the conservation of biodiversity and is totally secured.
 Buffer zone- This zone surrounds the core zone and is used for activities such as
environmental research, education, monitoring and recreation etc.
 Transition zone- It surrounds the buffer zone and may be used for agricultural
activities, settlement of tribal people, cultural people, local people and government
authorities for the sustainable development of the region’s resources and other
purposes.

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Ramsar Sites: The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, called the Ramsar
Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action
and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their
resources. The Ramsar Convention is the only global environmental treaty that deals with a
particular ecosystem. The treaty was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and the
Convention's member countries cover all geographic regions of the planet.

(B) Ex-situ: The conservation of elements of biodiversity out of the context of their natural
habitats is referred to as ex-situ conservation. Zoos, botanical gardens, nurseries,
laboratories and seed banks are all example of ex-situ conservation. In-situ conservation
is not always possible as habitats may have been degraded and there may be competition
for land which means species need to be removed from the area to save them.

Drawback – Ex-situ conservation is rarely enough to save a species from extinction. It is to

be used as a last resort or as a supplement to in-situ conservation because it cannot recreate
the habitat as a whole.

4.4 ECOSYSTEM AND BIODIVERSITY SERVICES (pdf)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tgNamjTRkk

https://www.slideshare.net/anniesminu/value-of-biodiversity-29353926

https://www.slideshare.net/muskokee/ecosystem-services

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Main Values of Biodiversity

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/biodiversity/8-main-values-of-biodiversity-
explained/30156/

Some of the major values of biodiversity are as follows:

1. Environmental Value

2. Social Value

3. Ecosystem Services

4. Economic Value

5. Consumptive use value

6. Productive Use Value

7. Ethical and Moral Value

8. Aesthetic Value.

Biodiversity is the most precious gift of nature mankind is blessed with. As all the organisms
in an ecosystem are interlinked and interdependent, the value of biodiversity in the life of all
the organisms including humans is enormous. The role of biodiversity in providing
ecosystem services is twofold.

Firstly, biodiversity is directly used as a source for food, fibre, fuel and other extractable
resources. Secondly, biodiversity plays an important role in ecosystem

processes providing the regulating, cultural and supporting services.

For example, vegetation cover protects the soil from erosion by binding soil particles and
minimizing the effects of water runoff. Likewise, cultivation of crops is to a large extent
dependent on the availability of pollinating insects.

Biodiversity has a fundamental value to humans because we are so dependent on it for our
cultural, economic, and environmental well-being. Elements of biodiversity can contribute to
cultural identity, and many ecosystem characteristics are frequently incorporated into cultural
traditions. Other facts of human well-being, such as health and economic and political
security, can influence the value of biodiversity. Many arguments to increase efforts to
conserve diversity often emphasize the value of the “unmined riches” that has yet to be
discovered.

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 Unit 4 Lecture 5

India as a megadiverse nation

Megabiodiversity is a concept first proposed in a paper at the Smithsonian’s 1988

biodiversity conference. This approach looks at biodiversity priorities by political units,
in this case sovereign nations, rather than by ecosystems. It recognizes that a very small
number of units (17 countries out of a global 200+) are home to an inordinately large
share of world’s biodiversity (USA, Mexico, Columbia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru,
Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, India, Madagascar, Malaysia,
Indonesia, China, Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Australia). Most of the
megadiversity areas are large, but several, such as those in Madagascar, the Philippines
and Ecuador pack high diversity into relatively small land areas. They have enormous
responsibility at the same time, they should consider the biodiversity to be one of their
most important long term economic assets.

INDIA

India is the seventh largest country in the world and has the second largest population.
There is much diversity in the geographical features: the towering Himalayas and the
extensive river plains in the north, the Thar desert in the west, the Deccan Plateau in the
centre and the south, the coastal plains to the east and west and the numerous islands. The
country has 26 states and 6 union territories.

The rising population has forced the rural poor to borrow against the future by depleting
the natural resources. It was reported that the population reached one billion people in
2000, comprising about 16% of the world's population. The problem is further
compounded by the high cattle population, estimated to be 450 million; most of these
animals have a very low productivity but are allowed to graze freely in forest areas,
causing the degradation of forests. It was estimated that the cattle population was 18% of
the cattle population in the world. This has led to severe erosion, loss of soil, and floods
in the lower plains, in addition to the destruction caused by shifting cultivation. As a
result, the demographic and economic landscape of the country is plagued with poverty
and underemployment. Agricultural productivity is only 1 ton per ha against the actual
capability of 4 ton per ha. How to achieve the optimum land use, including soil and
moisture conservation measures, are the main challenges confronting the policy and
decision-makers. To reverse the process of degradation and for the sustainable
development of forests, the Government has prepared the National Forestry Action
Programme (NFAP).

Sixty percent of the forests are located in ecologically sensitive zones. These forests need
to be managed in a way to ensure that they are ecologically protected and maintained, as
well as sustained at the highest productivity level to meet the growing population's
burgeoning demands for fuel, food, fodder, and timber.

Dr. Joydeep Mukherjee 1

India is one of the 17 mega diversity countries, commanding 7% of the world's
biodiversity and supporting 16% of the major forest types, varying from alpine pastures
in the Himalayas to temperate, sub-tropical, tropical forests, and mangroves in the coastal
areas. But nearly half of the country's area is degraded, affected by the problems of soil
degradation and erosion. The most common forms of degradation are wind and water
erosion, and salinity. About 146 million ha are affected by wind and water erosion, and 7
million ha have become degraded due to excessive salts. About 8.5 million ha are under
water logging and about 10 million ha are affected by shifting cultivation.

According to the Government statistics, nearly 22%, or 65 million ha, of the country's
land have been recorded as forests, but only 19.5% have forest or tree cover, which is
much less than the goal of 33% set by the National Forest Policy, 1988.

As a result of the National Forest Policy, 1988, the mechanism of Joint Forest
Management (JFM) was legalised in 1990. Its principal aim is to ensure environmental
stability and maintenance of the ecological balance through the preservation and
rehabilitation of forests, while providing for fuel wood, fodder, Non-Wood Forest
Products (NWFPs), and small timber needs. The JFM has since been institutionalised by
most of the States.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest is a cabinet ministry in the government of India,
responsible for overseeing environmental policy and procedures, as well as
administration of the national parks of India. It also controls the conservation and survey
of the flora and fauna of India, forests and other wilderness areas, the prevention and
control of pollution and the afforestation and regeneration of degraded areas. India has
worked on creating ‘landscape conversion’ which include wildlife reserves, communal
forest, some private land. India has launched specific programmes, known as Tiger
project and Project Elephant to safeguard the Bengal tiger and the elephant. One of the
major mega diversity countries in the world, India houses a good number of wildlife
species found nowhere else on the globe. India is an exciting place to be for wildlife
enthusiasts and nature lovers from around the world. The reasons are simple but exciting.

India currently has 80 National Parks. These National Parks in turn houses largest
number of tigers found in the world, largest number of one-horned rhinos found in the
world, now almost extinct Asiatic Lions, and a large percent of elephants. These wildlife
animals are but only a part of more than 500 species of mammals that have made India
their natural home. Apart from the mammals, India is also blessed with over 2000 species
of birds, over 500 species of reptiles and amphibians and around 30000 species of insects
including colorful butterflies.

Dr. Joydeep Mukherjee 2