Biodiversity

At least 40 % of the world’s economy and 80 % of the needs of the

poor are derived from biological resources.

Kaushik Chanda Ph.D

Assistant Professor
Organic Chemistry Division, SAS,
VIT University, Vellore – 14.
 Biodiversity- An overview
Biodiversity:
• What is Biodiversity? Biodiversity Definition.
• Levels of biodiversity

• Genetic biodiversity: GM Crops

Species and Ecosystem diversity

• Values of biodiversity
• Bio-geographical Classification Of India

• Hotspots: Areas of High species richness and Endemism

• Threats to biodiversity: Case studies: Man-wildlife conflicts
• Conservation of biodiversity.
 What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity: The term coined by Water G. Rosen in 1986.
Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem,
biome, or for the entire earth.

• Refers to the numbers, variety and variability of living organisms in

ecosystem. (all plants, animals and microorganisms)

• Includes all terrestrial, marine and other aquatic organisms.

It is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems.

The biodiversity found on Earth today consists of

Many millions of distinct biological species,

• Covers diversity within species,

Between species and
Variations among ecosystems.
 Biodiversity: Definition
• Bio means ‘LIFE’ and diversity means ‘VARIETY’,

Biodiversity means the variety and variability among living organisms (all
plants, animals and microorganisms) and the ecosystem in which they
occur.

Biodiversity was coined by Water G. Rosen in 1986.

• Diversity can be defined as the number of different items and their
relative frequency.

No one knows exactly how many species occur in our planet.

• Scientists discovered that the total members of species on earth are in
between 10-50 million.

But, of which only 1.7 million species have been identified so far.
BIODIVERSITY : AN INTRODUCTION

Source: orgs.unca.edu/tulula/images/biodiversity.jpg
Dodo Passenger Pigeon
 Biomes:
Biomes:
Terrestrial biodiversity of the earth is called as biomes, which are the largest
ecological units present in different geographic areas and are named after the
dominent vegetation.

e.g; Tropical rain forests Desert Tundra

Biomes can be considered life zones, environments with similar climatic,

topographic, soil conditions and roughly comparable biological communities.

Some of these are

Aquatic ecosystem, Grass land ecosystem
Desert ecosystem, Forest ecosystem

The following 12 Mega-diversity Countries:

• Australia, Brazil, China, India, Colombia,
Ecuador, US, Indonesia. Madagascar,
• Mexico, Peru Democratic Republic of Cango.
 India among the 12 Mega-diversity countries of the world
Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India, records in 2000
• 47,000 different plant species & 81,000 animal species which is 7% and
6.5% respectively of global flora and Fauna.
• 18,000 flowering plants (out of 400 families, 315 in India)
• 16 different agro climatic zones
• 10 vegetative zones
• 2564 bryophytes
• 1022 Pteridophytes
• 64 Gymnosperrms

• 30 million micro-organisms
• 850 Bacteria, 23,000 fungi
• 1,600 lichens & 2,500 algae
• Birds: 1228
• Mammals: 372
 Biodiversity as National level:
Biodiversity as National level:
• India has rich biodiversity of flora & fauna.
• Overall 6% of global species are found in India.

• India ranks 10th among the plant rich country of the world.

• 11th in terms of number of endemic species of higher vertibrates.

• 6th among the centers of diversity & origin of Agricultural crops

•
• Flowering Plants: 1,70,000,Vertibrates: 30,000
Other group of species: 2,50,000.

Biodiversity as Regiona level ( Local)

 Why care about biodiversity?
• Economic
 Food, Fiber, Shelter, , Fuel etc.
 Pharmaceuticals: Penicillin, Cinchona, Digitalis, Vinca, Atropine etc
 Rubber, paper, Cotton.

• Evolutionary
Mass extinctions now limit the potential evolution of species
diversity in the future.

• Ethical
To what degree will we allow human activities to continue to
result in the extinction of other species?
 Importance of Biodiversity.
Biodiversity has contributed in many ways :
 To the development of human culture and,
 Human communities have played a major role in shaping the
diversity.

At least 40 % of the world’s economy and 80 % of the needs of

the poor are derived from biological resources.

Economic role of Biodiversity

Food, Fiber, Shelter, , Fuel etc.
 Goods: Timber, Paper,
 Pharmaceuticals: Penicillin, Cinchona, Digitalis,Vinca, Atropine
 Rubber, paper, Cotton.
 Recreation: Wild-life tourism,
Trekking nature photography,
 Functions of biodiversity
The two main functions of biodiversity are
• It is the source of species on which the human compete depends for
food, fiber, shelter, fuel, medicine etc

It depends on the biosphere, which in turn leads to the stability in

climate, water, soil, air and the overall health of biosphere.
 Types of Biodiversity
Essential to preserve ecological systems and functions
• Genetic diversity - Diversity of genes within a species as well as
between species, which are slightly differing from one another, either
in shape, size, product etc.

• Genetic diversity is all the different genes contained in all individual

plants, animals, fungi and micro organisms.
• These differences are due to slight variations in their genetic
organization.
Examples: Rice varieties, teak wood varieties.

• Species diversity- Diversity among species in an ecosystem.

• Species diversity is all the differences within and between species, as
well as between different species.

Biodiversity hotspots -Good example for species diversity.

 Types of Biodiversity
• Ecosystem diversity (diversity at a higher level of
organization in the ecosystem)

• Ecosystem diversity is all the different habitats, biological

communities, and ecological processes, as well as variation within
individual ecosystems.
• Eg: River ecosystem-includes fish, insects, and various plants.

Scientific Role of Biodiversity: Genetic resources:

• Biotechnology and genetic engineering use the genes of organisms

to make new crops and medicines.
• Each species can give scientist some clue as to how life evolved and
will continue to evolve.
 Values of biodiversity
Values of Biodiversity
• Defining and estimating the values of biodiversity is not an easy
process.

• The value of biodiversity is classified into two values.

a. Direct value b. Indirect value

The values of biodiversity have been classified as follows

 Consumptive value
 Productive value
 Social value
 Ethical value
 Aesthetic value.
 1. Consumptive value
Direct use values – Product harvested & consumed directly. e.g,
Food, Drugs, Fibre, Fuels.

• Food: Wild plants – Rice, Wheat, Vegetables etc

Wild animals: Coat, Sheep etc

• Drugs : Cinchona bark, Digitalis leaves, Vinca, Penicillin, Tetracyclin,

• Fuels:

• Coal, Petroleum and natural gas.

Firewood: Collected by individuals and not normally marketed, but

directly consumed by tribals & local villagers.
2. Productive Value:
3. Social value:
Examples: Holy plants : Tulsi, lotus, bael, peepal etc.,
Holy animals : Cow, snake, peacock, rat etc.

4. Ethical value:
Examples: 1. River Ganga is considered as Holy River.
2. We are not deriving anything directly from Kangaroo, Zebra,
but we feel that these should exist in nature.

5. Aesthetic value:
Examples: Eco-tourism:
People from far place spend a lot of time and money to visit the
beautiful areas, where they can enjoy the aesthetic value of
biodiversity. This type of tourism is known as eco-tourism.

The pleasant music of wild birds,

 Colour of butterfly,
 Colour flowers,
Colour of peacocks is very important for their aesthetic value.
 Major Factors for Loss /Reduction in Biodiversity
Major Factors Responsible for Loss/Reduction in Biodiversity:

 Overexploitation of natural resources & destruction of ecosystems for

meeting the human requirements of food, shelter, and comfort.

 Environmental pollutants like pesticides, heavy metals, chlorinated

hydrocarbons, acid rain, global warming etc.

 Eutrophication leading to promotion of growth of some specific

species suppressing others.

 Natural causes like earthquakes, floods, droughts, forest fires,

epidemics etc.

 Hunting for pleasure and poaching for commercial purpose of certain

animal species like, elephants, snakes, crocodile, etc.