BIODIVERSITY

By
Suditi
Department of computer science
DAV Institute of Engineering and technology
CONTENTS:
 Biodiversity
 Types of Biodiversity
 Values of Biodiversity
 Hotspots of Biodiversity
 Threats to Biodiversity
 Importance of Biodiversity
 BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity is the variation among living organisms from different
sources including terrestrial, marine and desert ecosystems, and
the ecological complexes of which they are a part.
 Biodiversity includes the number of different organisms and their
relative frequencies in an ecosystem. It also reflects the
organization of organisms at different levels.
 Biodiversity holds ecological and economic significance. It provides
us with nourishment, housing, fuel, clothing and several other
resources. It also extracts monetary benefits through tourism.
Therefore, it is very important to have a good knowledge of
biodiversity for a sustainable livelihood.
Types Of Biodiversity
• Community and Ecosystem
Diversity (different habitat ,
species interactions)

• Species Diversity (different

kinds of organisms relationships
among species)

• Genetic Diversity (different

genes and combinations of genes
without population)
Community and Ecosystem
Diversity
 Community diversity, also called ecosystem diversity, defines
a community of interacting groups from different
species living in a single habitat. The combination of a region's
climate, vegetation, and terrain makes up a habitat. There are
many different types of habitats on the earth. Examples of
habitats in an environment include corals, grasslands, wetlands,
deserts, mangroves, and tropical rain forests. Every species
adjusts to a specific type of environment. The species that are
most adapted to a changing environment become more prevalent.
As a result, the ecosystem's features influence the variety or
diversity of species present.
Species Diversity
 Species diversity is defined as the number of species and
abundance of each species that live in a particular location. The
number of species that live in a certain location is called species
richness. If you were to measure the species richness of a forest,
you might find 20 bird species, 50 plant species, and 10 mammal
species. Abundance is the number of individuals of each species.
For example, there might be 100 mountain beavers that live in a
forest. You can talk about species diversity on a small scale, like a
forest, or on a large scale, like the total diversity of species living
on Earth
 Genetic Diversity
“Genetic diversity is defined as genetic variability
present within species.”

Genetic diversity is the product of recombination of genetic

material in the process of inheritance.
It changes with time and space.
Sexual reproduction is important in maintaining genetic
diversity as it gives unique offspring by combining genes of
parents.
Mutation of genes, genetic drift and gene flow are also
responsible for genetic diversity.
Values Of Biodiversity
 Hotspots of Biodiversity
 The word “hotspot” describes regions with a high priority for conservation
because of their abundant biodiversity, high endemism, and significant
vulnerability. Hotspots for biodiversity are places with a high concentration
of indigenous species.
 According to Conservation International, a region must fulfill the
following two criteria to qualify as a hotspot:
1. The region should have at least 1500 species of vascular plants i.e., it should
have a high degree of endemism.
2. It must contain 30% (or less) of its original habitat, i.e. it must be
threatened.
India has 4 main regions:
3. The Himalayas
4. Indo-Burma Region
5. The Western Ghats
6. Sundaland
 Threats to Biodiversity
1. Changes in the climate-Long-term changes in temperature and weather
patterns are referred to as climate change.
2. Changes in Habitat- Natural occurrences such as droughts, illnesses, fires,
hurricanes, mudslides, volcanoes, earthquakes, small changes in seasonal
temperature or precipitation, etc. can cause habitat alteration.
3. Pollution and nutrient loading- When too many nutrients, primarily nitrogen
and phosphorus, are added to water bodies, they can function as fertilisers and
encourage an excessive amount of algae growth.
 Overexploitation- When a renewable resource is harvested to the point of
diminishing returns, it is referred to as overexploitation. Overexploitation that
continues could eventually cause the resource to disappear
 Importance of Biodiversity
1. Pollution Management: Biodiversity plays a very vital role in controlling pollution.
As the trees and other vegetation absorb pollutants such as excessive nitrogen dioxide,
ozone, and particulate matter, it thereby helps to improve air quality.
2. Nutrient Recycling: Biodiversity plays a significant role in recycling nutrients. For
example, plants take nutrients from the soil and the air, and these nutrients can then
form the basis of food chains, which is used by a wide range of other life forms.
3. Source of Knowledge: Biodiversity is very important as a source of knowledge. Many
ecologists and scientists do their research about ecosystems based on the structure of
biodiversity.
4. Reduction of risk from Natural Disasters: Healthy biodiversity is very important in
risk reduction from a natural disaster. By preventing deforestation and controlling soil
erosion, we can reduce the risks from natural disasters and climate shocks.
THANK YOU