Module IV
Module IV
CONSERVATION
DEFINITION
Biodiversity refers to variety and variability among all
groups of living organisms and the ecosystem
complexes in which they occur.
Biodiversity can be defined as the occurrence of different
types of genes, gene pools, species, habitats and
ecosystem in a given region.
LEVELS OF BIODIVERSITY
.
• 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.
• Species Diversity - diversity among species in an
ecosystem. “Biodiversity hotspots" are excellent
examples of species diversity. The number of
species of plants and animals that are present in
a region constitutes its species diversity. Some
areas are more rich in species than others.
For example, the Western Ghats have a greater
amphibian species diversity than the Eastern Ghats.
• Ecosystem Diversity - diversity at a higher level of
organization, the ecosystem.
• Ecosystem diversity can be described for a specific
geographical region, or a political entity such as a
country, a State. Distinctive ecosystems include
land scapes such as forests, grasslands,
deserts, mountains, etc., as well as aquatic
ecosystems such as rivers, lakes, and the sea.
• For example, India with its deserts, rain forests,
mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, estuaries and
alpine meadows has a greater ecosystem diversity.
Global species diversity means total species present on the earth.
•i) According to IUCN (2018) the total number of plant and animal
species is slightly more than 1.5 million.
(ii) For many taxonomic groups, species inventories are more
complete in temperate than in tropical countries.
(iii) A more conservative and scientifically sound estimate by
Robert May, places the global species diversity at about 7 million.
(iv) More than 70% of all the species recorded are animals, while
plants comprise no more than 22% of the total.
(v) Among animals, insects are most species rich-taxonomic
group, making about 70% of the total. It means, out of every 10
animals, 7 are insects on the earth.
India’s Major Biographic Habitats
S
.
Total Area
N Biogeographic Zone Biotic Province
(Sq. Km)
o
.
1 Trans Himalayan Upper Regions 186200
North-West Himalayan 6900
West Himalayas 720000
2 Himalayan
Central Himalayas 123000
East Himalayas 83000
Kutch 45000
3 Desert Thar 180000
Ladakh NA
Central India 107600
4 Semi Arid
Gujarat – Rajwara 400400
Malabar Coasts 59700
5 Western Ghats
Western Ghat Mountains 99300
→Eco-tourism
→ Tropical Andes
→ Mesoamerican Forests
→ Caribbean
→ Brazil’s Atlantic Forests
→ Darien of Panama Western Ecuador
→ Central Chile
→ California Floristic Province
→ Madagascar
→Eastern Arc and Coastal Forest of
Tanzania.
→ Western Africa Forests.
→ Cape Floristic Province
→ Succulent Karoo
→ Mediterranean Basin
→ Caucasus
→ Sundal Land
→ Wallacea
→ Philippines.
→ Indo-Burma Eastern Himalayas
→ South Central China
→ Western Ghats of India
→ South Western Australia
→ New Caledonia
→ New Zealand
→ Polynesia/Micronesia
Threats to Biodiversity
→Extinction or elimination of a species is a natural
process of evolution.
→However, the rate of loss of species has been a
slow process.
→The process of extinction has become
particularly fast in the recent years of human
civilization.
→One of the estimates by E O. Wilson puts the
figure of extinction at 10,000 species per year.
Major causes for loss of Biodiversity
→Loss of Habitat – Destruction and loss of natural
habitat is the single largest cause of biodiversity
loss.
→Billions of hectares of forests and grasslands
have cleared over the past 10,000 years.
→Sometimes the loss of habitat is in installments
so that the habitat is divided in to small and
scattered patches – Habitat fragmentation.
→Poaching – Illegal trade of wildlife products.
→Man-Wild Life Conflicts
In Sambhalpur, Orissa 195 humans were killed in the last
five years by Elephants. In retaliation the villagers killed
98 elephants and badly injured 30 others.