BIODIVERSITY

RISHAV SHARMA
3RD YEAR 5TH SEMESTER
 INTRODUCTION
The term biodiversity refer to the variety of life on earth at all its levels, from genes to
ecosystem. And can encompass the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes that
sustain life.
• Biodiversity includes not only species we consider rare or threatened, or endangered but
also every living thing—from humans to organisms we know little about, such as
microbes, fungi, and invertebrates.
• At the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, we include humans and human cultural
diversity as a part of biodiversity. We use the term “biocultural” to describe the dynamic,
continually evolving and interconnected nature of people and place, and the notion that
social and biological dimensions are interrelated. This concept recognizes that human
use, knowledge, and beliefs influence, and in turn are influenced, by the ecological
systems of which human communities are a part. This relationship makes all of
biodiversity, including the species, land and seascapes, and the cultural links to the places
where we live—be right where we are or in distant lands—important to our wellbeing as
they all play a role in maintaining a diverse and healthy planet
 IMPORTANCE
 Biodiversity is important to most aspects of our lives. We value
biodiversity for many reasons, some utilitarian, some intrinsic. This
means we value biodiversity both for what it provides to humans, and for
the value it has in its own right. Utilitarian values include the many basic
needs humans obtain from biodiversity such as food, fuel, shelter, and
medicine.
 Further, ecosystems provide crucial services such as pollination, seed
dispersal, climate regulation, water purification, nutrient cycling, and
control of agricultural pests. Biodiversity also holds value for potential
benefits not yet recognized, such as new medicines and other possible
unknown services. Biodiversity has cultural value to humans as well, for
spiritual or religious reasons for instance.
 The intrinsic value of biodiversity refers to its inherent worth, which is
independent of its value to anyone or anything else. This is more of a
philosophical concept, which can be thought of as the inalienable right to
exist. Finally, the value of biodiversity can also be understood through the
lens of the relationships we form and strive for with each other and the
rest of nature.
 GENETIC DIVERSITY
Each member of any animal or plant species differs widely from other
individuals in its genetic makeup because of the large number of
combinations possible in the genes that give every individual specific
characteristics. Thus, for example, each human being is very different from all
others.
This genetic variability is essential for a healthy breeding population of a
species. If the number of breeding individuals is reduced, the dissimilarity of
genetic makeup is reduced and in-breeding occurs. Eventually this can lead to
the extinction of the species.
The diversity in wild species forms the ‘gene pool’ from which our crops and
domestic animals have been developed over thousands of years. Today the
variety of nature’s bounty is being further harnessed by using wild relatives of
crop plants to create new varieties of more productive crops and to breed
better domestic animals.
Modern biotechnology manipulates genes for developing better types of
medicines and a variety of industrial products.
 SPECIES DIVERSITY
• The number of species of plants and animals that are present in a region
constitutes its species diversity. This diversity is seen both in natural
ecosystems and in agricultural ecosystems. Some areas are more rich in
species than others.
• A natural forest ecosystem provides a large number of non-wood products
that local people depend on such as fruit, fuel wood, fodder, fiber, gum,
resin and medicines. Timber plantations do not provide the large variety
of goods that are essential for local consumption. In the long-term the
economic sustainable returns from non-wood forest products is said to be
greater than the returns from felling a forest for its timber.
• At present conservation scientists have been able to identify and
catagerius about 1.8 million species on earth. However, many new
species are being identified, especially in the flowering plants and insects.
Areas that are rich in species diversity are called ‘hotspots’ of diversity.
India is among the world’s 15 nations that are exceptionally rich in
species diversity.
 ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY
• There are a large variety of different ecosystems on earth, which have
their own complement of distinctive inter linked species based on the
differences in the habitat. Ecosystem diversity can be described for a
specific geographical region, or a political entity such as a country, a
State or a taluka. Distinctive ecosystems include landscapes such as
forests, grasslands, deserts, mountains, etc., as well as aquatic ecosystems
such as rivers, lakes, and the sea. Each region also has man-modified
areas such as farmland or grazing pastures. An ecosystem is referred to as
‘natural’ when it is relatively undisturbed by human activities, or
‘modified’ when it is changed to other types of uses, such as farmland or
urban areas. Ecosystems are most natural in wilderness areas.
 BIOGEOGRAPHIC
CLASSIFICATION OF
INDIA
• Our country can be conveniently divided into ten major regions, based on
the geography, climate and pattern of vegetation seen and the
communities of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibia, insects and other
invertebrates that live in them. Each of these regions contains a variety of
ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, lakes, rivers, wetlands, mountains
and hills, which have specific plant and animal species.

INDIA’S BIOGEOGRAPHIC
ZONES
1. The cold mountainous snow covered Trans Himalayan region of Ladakh.
2. The Himalayan ranges and valleys of Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Assam and other North Eastern States.
3. The Terai, the lowland where the Himalayan rivers flow into the plains.
4. The Gangetic and Bhramaputra plains.
5. The Thar Desert of Rajasthan.
6. The Thar Desert of Rajasthan.
7. The semi arid grassland region of the Deccan plateau Gujarat, Maharashtra
Andra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
8. The Northeast States of India,
9. The Western Ghats in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.
10. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
11. The long western and eastern coastal belt with sandy beaches, forests and
mangroves
 GLOBAL SPECIES
DIVERSITY
GROUP NO. OF DESCRIBED SPECIES

Bacteria and blue green algae 4760

Fungi 46983
Algae 26900
Bryophytes 17000
Gymnosperm 750
Protozoans 250000
Sponges 30800
Corals and jellyfish 5000
Roundworms and earthworms 9000
Crustaceans 24000
Insects 38000
Arthropods and minor inverstebrates 7510000
Molluscs 132461
Starfish 50000
Fishes 6100
Amphibians 19056
Reptiles 4184
Birds 6300
mammals 4170
Total: 1,435,662 SPECIES
Threats to Biodiversity
• The loss of biodiversity is a significant issue for scientists and policy-makers and the topic
is finding its way into living rooms and classrooms. Species are becoming extinct at the
fastest rate known in geological history and most of these extinctions have been tied to
human activity.
• Habitat loss and destruction, usually as a direct result of human activity and population
growth, is a major force in the loss of species, populations, and ecosystems.
• Alterations in ecosystem composition, such as the loss or decline of a species, can lead to
a loss of biodiversity. For example, efforts to eliminate coyotes in the canyons of southern
California are linked to decreases in song bird populations in the area. As coyote
populations were reduced, the populations of their prey, primarily raccoons, increased.
Since raccoons eat bird eggs, fewer coyotes led to more raccoons eating more eggs,
resulting in fewer song birds.

• The introduction of exotic (non-native) species can disrupt entire ecosystems and impact
populations of native plants or animals. These invaders can adversely affect native species
by eating them, infecting them, competing with them, or mating with them.
• The over-exploitation (over-hunting, over-fishing, or over-collecting) of a species or
population can lead to its demise.
• Human-generated pollution and contamination can affect all levels of biodiversity.
• Global climate change can alter environmental conditions. Species and populations may be
lost if they are unable to adapt to new conditions or relocate.
PROTECT BIODIVERSITY
Nature preserves
Nature preserves are a form of government regulation and are often known as national park.
They protect a region and the organisms that live there from certain forms of development and
provide access for people to visit them. This is excellent because it protects the natural habitat
and is a place where people can view the ecosystem
Reducing amount of invasive species
Invasive species are sometimes introduced to an area on purpose, but also sometimes by
accident. To limit the number of invasive species moved by accident planes, ships, and cargo
must be thoroughly checked before it is offloaded in a new country.
Additionally, people should not bring new species of animals or plants to an area without
consulting ecologists knowledgeable on the region.
Habitat restoration
After an area is damaged by human impacts we can try to return to its natural state. This means
bringing back the plants and animals that are naturally found there. This has been shown to be a
promising way of returning biodiversity to a region.
Research
Understanding how species interact within their environment is crucial to protecting them. As
humans further understand species interaction we find new and more direct ways to help
protect organisms and maintain biodiversity.
One example is the use of wildlife corridors in urbanized areas. By researching many different
species we have found that this dramatically increase their populations . It reduces the number
of animals that come into direct contact with humans and provides areas for migratory animals
to move long distances.