Seminar on

IMPACT OF GMO’S ON
BIODIVERSITY
By

Divya P Dalabhanjan
M.Sc 4th semester
V S K U Bellary
 contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. WHAT IS GMO
3. EXAMPLES OF GMO
4. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
OF GMO
5. IMPACT OF GMO ON BIODIVERSITY
6. CASE STUDIES ON IMAPACT OF GMO’S
7. CONCLUSION
 INTRODUCTION

• Modern biotechnology offers new means of threatening

biodiversity ,genetically modified organism is one among them .
• in 2013, an estimated 18 million farmers in 27 countries grew
GM crops ,over 90% of them small farmers in developing
countries.
• The fable that GMO’s are feeding the world let to large scale
destruction of biodiversity and farmer’s livelihood.
• It is threatening the very basic of our freedom to know what we
eat and to choose what we eat.

Continued……..
• A major concern of genetically modified organisms is that
they will cause reduced genetic diversity of plants and
animals in the environment.
• Genetic diversity is directly related to biodiversity ,the
variability in the traits of organisms that makeup an
ecosystem.
• Maintaining genetic diversity is important for the
environment and agriculture because increased variability
in DNA will provide a better opportunity for organisms to
adapt to a changing environment.
 What ARE GMO`s
 Genetically modified
organisms are any organisms
whose genetic material has
been altered using genetic
engineering techniques.
Herbert Boyer and Stanley
Cohen in 1973 develop genetic
engineering by inserting DNA
from one bacteria into
another.
 GMO’s are commonly used
in foods and medicines.
 In 1982 FDA approves the
first consumer GMO product
,human insulin to treat
diabetes
Genetic engineering is a process that involves;
Identifying the genetic information or gene that gives an
organism(plant ,animal or microorganism)a desired trait

Copying that information from the organism that has the

trait
Inserting that into the DNA of another organism
Then growing the new organism
 ADVANTAGES OF GMO’S

GM CROPS
Desired charecteristics of food are achieved and in a shorter time
Tolerance to herbicides
 Resistance to plant viruses
 Resistance to insect damage so reduces use of pesticides and other
toxic chemicals
 High adaptability to changing environment
Affordable price
 Improves nutritional values
Best solution to the problem of world hunger.
GM ANIMALS
 Advance human health
 Enhance food production and quality
 Mitigate environmental impact
 Optimize animal welfare
 Improve industrial production
 DISADVATAGES OF GMO’S

 Health Risk
 Threats to Environment
and Biodiversity
 Economical issues
 Ethical and Social
issues
 Side effects on GM
animals
 IMPACT ON BIODIVERSITY

GM crops could not compete or breed with wild

species. GM crops harm biodiversity through a reduction in
the insects that serve as a source of food for another kind
of wildlife such as birds .
The research found that ,when monarch butterflies feed on
leaves that are covered in pollen from GM corn their
growth was slower and they were more likely to die.
another study that investigated pink bollworms fed on GM
cotton found similar results.
Another study involved aphids that consume GM
potatoes food was found to have a detrimental effect
ladybirds that fed on aphids.
 Genetically modified potatoes
 In 1800s Ireland was heavily dependent on potatoes for
neutrition,and the type of potatoes they cultivated were not grown
from seeds instead, they planted sections from a parent potato.
 the lack of genetic variability in these potato crops proved
detrimental when an invasive pathogen ,P.infestans ,wiped out the
entire population. Bacause there were no populations of potatoes
with favorable traits that allowed them to evade P.infestans.
CASE STUDIES ON THE IMPACT OF GM CROPS ON
BIODIVERSITY
HERBICIDE-TOLERANT CROPS ;
Herbicide –tolerant cotton has been rapidly adopted since
its introduction in 1994. In the USA ,80% of growers making fewer
tillage pass on 75% are living more crop residue. In former
survey ,71%of growers responded that herbicide- tolerant cotton
had the greatest impact on soil fertility related to the adaption of
reduce tillage or no-till practice. In case of soybean growers of
glyphosate-tolerant soybean plant higher percentage there
acreage using no till reduce tillage practices than grower of
conventional soybeans. 54% of growers cited the introduction of
glyphosate-tolerant soybeans are the has the factor which had
the greatest impact towards the adoption of reduce tillage or no
till (American Soybean Association, 2001).
Several imp reviews have been published ; They all report
positive story regarding the overall impact of herbicide tolerant
crops and impact on the agricultural environment.
 IMPACT OF BT MAIZE ON NON-TARGET ORGANISMS

In recent study on environmental impact of Bt maize , scientific

studies dealing with non target organisms which could harmed by
cultivation of Bt maize
 In maize , analysis revealed a large reduction
of parasitoids in Bt fields . There was no significant
affect on other parasitoids , but Macrocentrus grandii
abundance was severely reduce by Bt maize.
 In maize, the abundance of predators and member
of mixed functional guild were higher in Bt maize compared to
insecticides sprayed control because insecticides differentially
affects predator population . Specifically ,application of the
pyrethroid insecticides lambda- cyhalothrin ,cyfluthrin and bifenthrin
in non Bt control fields
Resulted in comparatively fewer predators within these treated
control plots.
IMPACT OF GM HERBICIDE- TOLERANT CROPS ON FARMLAND BIRDS

GM HT crops are likely to reduce seed resource for many species of

farmland birds.
The scientists said the effects on overall bird populations by GM
crops is not due to genetic changes but because killing weeds
means less food for birds.
The effects on invertebrates are substantially less obvious than for
weeds However , given that weed population are likely to reduce
substantially more in the long term over 28 years on GMHT oil seed
rape and beet , it naturally follows that there may be ,as yet
undetected long term effects on invertebrates.
 CONCLUSION

Assessing the impact on biodiversity requires knowledge.this

knowledge must be constantly updated so the state can assess the
effects of future GMOs on biodiversity . A major ecological
research programm , ERGO aimed to amass ecological
knowledge,for example ,on the impact of new GMOs on their
environment .this research was coordinated by the Netherlands
organization for scientific research(NOW).
Overall, the review found that currently commercialized GM
crops have reduced the impacts of agriculture on biodiversity
through enhance adoption of conservation tillage practices
,reduction of insecticide use and use of more environmentally
benign herbicides and increasing yields to alleviate to convert
additional land into agricultural use.
Public opinion is more concerned with animal welfare.there is no
fully satisfactory answer for animal welfare problem. To limit the
use of experimental animals, the 3R rule –Replacement,
Refinement and Reduction of animals in research is currently being
applied.
REFERENCES:
 http://www.omicsonlin.org
 http:sitn.hms.harvard.edu
 Environmenmental Impact of Genetically Modified
crops –Natalie Ferry And Angharad M.R Gatehouse
 Acta horticulturae-Carpenter J.E
 www.elsevier.com/locate/foodchemtox
 http;//www.tandfonline.com
 Gm animals;Biodiversity and Bioethical concerns-Diana
Caballero -hermandez
THANK YOU