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MODULE - 5

Biodiversity Conservation

Environmental
Conservation

15

Notes

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
A wide variety of living organisms including plants, animals and micro-organisms with
whom we share this planet earth makes the world a beautiful place to live in
...
They vary in their habit and behaviour, shapes, sizes and colour
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In this lesson we shall learn the ways humans are causing loss of biodiversity and the
efforts that are being taken or need to be taken to protect and conserve the biodiversity
...
;

•

describe the importance of national parks, sanctuaries and biosphere reserves;

•

legal measures adopted by national and international bodies
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1 WHAT IS BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

Notes

Sum total of all the variety of living organisms on earth constitute biodiversity
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e
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e
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e
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15
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1 Genetic diversity
Each species, varying from bacteria to higher plants and animals, stores an immense amount
of genetic information
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Escherichia coli) , 13,000 in Fruit-fly (Drosophila melanogaster);
32,000 – 50,000 in rice (Oryza sativa); and 35,000 to 45,000 in human beings (Homo
sapiens sapiens)
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If a species has more genetic variation, it can adapt better to
the changed environmental conditions
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This homogeneity is desirable in producing uniform quality
of grain
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With the above background, genetic diversity refers to the variety of genes contained
within species of plants, animals and micro-organisms
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For instance, two brothers differ
in their structure, although their parents are the same
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The amount of genetic variation (gene pool)
present in an inter-breeding population is shaped or decided by the process of natural
selection
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This forms the basis of adaptation among the
living organisms
...

15
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2 Species diversity
Species diversity refers to the variety of species within a geographical area
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Biodiversity Conservation
(b) Species abundance – refers to the relative numbers among species
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(c) Taxonomic or phylogenetic diversity – refers to the genetic relationships between
different groups of species
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When taxonomically unrelated
species are present in an area, the area represents greater species diversity as compared
to an area represented by taxonomically related species
...
Fig
...
1

Sample Area A

Sample Area B

Sample Area C
Fig
...
1: The different sample areas showing species diversity
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(species richness is same)
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Observe that sample C has the highest
species diversity as it is represented by taxonomically unrelated species}
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MODULE - 5
Environmental
Conservation

Notes

Environmental Science Senior Secondary Course
At the global level, an estimated 1
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It has been currently estimated that the
total number of species may vary from 5 - 50 millions
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The overall richness of species is concentrated in equatorial
regions and tends to decrease as one moves from equatorial to polar regions
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The other
factors that influence biodiversity are amount of rainfall and nutrient level in soil
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India is a country of vast diversity (Fig
...
2) and it is among the 12 “mega-diversity”
countries in the world
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15
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1
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For instance, the tropical south
India with rich species diversity will have altogether different structure compared to the
desert ecosystem which has far less number of plant and animal species
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So such variations at ecosystem
level are termed as ecosystem diversity
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India has very diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems ranging
from ice-capped Himalayas to deserts, from arid scrub to grassland to wetlands and
tropical rainforests, from coral reefs to the deep sea
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The
most diversity-rich are western-ghats and the north-eastern region
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e
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The endemics are concentrated mainly in
north-east, western-ghats, north-west Himalaya, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands
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Indian region is
also notable for endemic fauna
...

15
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4 Hot spots of biodiversity
Biodiversity is not uniformly distributed across the geographical regions of the earth
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We call such areas as “mega diversity
zones”
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For example, India accounts for only 2
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Norman Myers, a British Ecologist, developed the concept of hot spots in 1988 to designate
priority areas for in situ conservation
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The criteria for determining a
hot spot are:
i)

The area should support >1500 endemic species,

ii) It must have lost over 70 % of the original habitat
Twenty-five biodiversity hot spots have been identified in the world
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For example the total area of
these 25 hot spots cover 1
...
(Refer to the Fig
...
3)
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Environmental Science Senior Secondary Course

Environmental
Conservation

Notes

Fig
...
3: The terrestrial biodiversity hot spots
Among the 25 hot spots of the world, 2 are found in India namely western ghats and the
eastern Himalayas
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The eastern Himalayan hot spot extends to the north – eastern India and Bhutan
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Many deep and semiisolated valleys are exceptionally rich in endemic plant species
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These forests at low elevation
(500 m above mean sea level) are mostly evergreen, while those at 500- 1500 m height
are generally semi-evergreen forests
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1
1
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List the various levels of biodiversity
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Name the two hot spots in India
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Name the most abundant (i) group of plants and (ii) group of animal recorded in India
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2 WHY IS BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IMPORTANT
Humans depend for their sustenance, health, wellbeing and cultural growth on nature
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The enormous diversity of life is of immense value, imparting resilience to
ecosystems and natural processes
...


Notes

The value of biological diversity
The various benefits of biological diversity can be grouped under three categories: a)
ecosystem services, b) biological resources, and c) social benefits
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2
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Thus biodiversity is essential for the maintenance and
sustainable utilization of goods and services from ecological system as well as from individual
species
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Vegetation removal results in siltation of
dams and waterways
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ii) Soil protection: Biological diversity helps in the conservation of soil and retention of
moisture and nutrients
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Root
systems allows penetration of water to the sub soil layer
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iii) Nutrient storage and cycling: Ecosystem perform the vital function of recycling
nutrients found in the atmosphere as well as in the soil
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Nutrients in the soil, in turn, is replenished by dead or waste
matter which is transformed by micro-organisms; this may then feed others such as
earthworms which also mix and aerate the soil and make nutrients more readily available
...
Some ecosystems, especially wetlands have the ability to breaking
down and absorb pollutants
...
Excessive quantities
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MODULE - 5
Environmental
Conservation

Notes

Environmental Science Senior Secondary Course
of pollutants, however, can be detrimental to the integrity of ecosystems and their
biota
...

Growing evidence suggests that undisturbed forests help to maintain the rainfall in the
vicinity by recycling water vapor at a steady rate back into the atmosphere
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Cooling effect of vegetation is a
common experience which makes living comfortable
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vi) Maintenance of ecological processes: Different species of birds and predators
help to control insect pests, thus reduce the need and cost of artificial control measures
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Some habitats protect crucial life stages of
wildlife populations such as spawning areas in mangroves and wetlands
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15
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2 Biological resources of economic importance
i) Food, fibre, medicines, fuel wood and ornamental plants: Five thousand plant
species are known to have been used as food by humans
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A large number of plants and animals materials are used for the treatment of various
ailments
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C
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It is estimated
that at least 70 % of the country’s population rely on herbal medicines and over 7000
species of plants are used for medicinal purposes
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Fire wood is the primary source of fuel widely used in third world countries
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Plants are the traditional source of fibre such as coir, hemp, flax, cotton, jute
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Genetic material or genes of wild crop plants are used to develop new
varieties of cultivated crop plants for restructuring of the existing ones for improving
yield or resistance of crops plants
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Biodiversity Conservation
iii) Future resources: There is a clear relationship between the conservation of biological
diversity and the discovery of new biological resources
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Many presently under-utilised food crops have the potential
to become important crops in the future
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MODULE - 5
Environmental
Conservation

Notes

15
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3 Social benefits
i) Recreation: Forests, wildlife, national parks and sanctuaries, garden and aquaria
have high entertainment and recreation value
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ii) Cultural values: Plants and animals are important part of the cultural life of humans
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The natural environment serves the inspirational, aesthetic, spiritual and educational
needs of the people, of all cultures
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15
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4 Research, Education and Monitoring
There is still much to learn on how to get better use from biological resources, how to
maintain the genetic base of harvested biological resources, and how to rehabilitate degraded
ecosystems
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INTEXT QUESTIONS 15
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Name the three important categories under which the uses of biodiversity can be
described
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Mention two examples of ecosystem services
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List any two ways by which biodiversity contributes towards cleaner environment
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3 UNIQUENESS OF INDIAN BIODIVERSITY AND
ASSOCIATED REGIONAL SPECIFICITY
Notes

India is uniquely rich in all aspects of biodiversity including ecosystem, species and genetic
biodiversity
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India has the widest variety of ecosystems
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4% of the land area, India
accounts for 7-8 % of the recorded species of the world
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India is also one of the eight
primary centers of origin of cultivated plants and has a rich agricultural biodiversity
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The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and Black-necked Crane
(Grus nigricollis) are found here
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North-east India is one of the richest regions of biodiversity in the country
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India is also rich in coral reefs
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The threat to mangroves trees (growing in marshy lands) and coral reefs comes from the
biotic pressure such as extraction for market demands, fishing, land-use changes in
surrounding areas, and from pollution of water etc
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4 CAUSES OF BIODIVERSITY DEPLETION
Loss of species is a serious cause of concern for human survival
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Nearly 1500 species of plants are endangered in India
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•

Indirect ways: Loss or modification of the natural habitats, introduction of exotic
species, pollution, etc
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Among these causes, habitat destruction and over-exploitation are the main
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This way the natural habitats of organisms are changed or destroyed
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Fragmentation of large forest tracts (eg
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Apart from
the direct loss of species during the development activities, the new environment is
unsuitable for the species to survive
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MODULE - 5
Environmental
Conservation

Notes

ii) Introduction of exotic species: Seeds catch on people’s clothes
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When such species land in new places, they breed extra fast
due to absence of any enemy and often wipe out the native species already present
there
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A few examples are(i) Parthenium hysterophorus (Congress grass- a tropical American weed) has invaded
many of the vacant areas in cities, towns and villages in India leading to removal of
the local plants and the dependent animals
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(iii) Water hyacinth clogs lakes and riversides and threatens the survival of many aquatic
species
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(iv) Lantana camara (an American weed) has invaded many forest lands in various
parts of India and wiped out the native grass species
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Water pollution kills fishes and
other aquatic plants and animals
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Oil spills kill coastal birds, plants and other marine animals
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It is easy to see how pollution is a big threat to biodiversity
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Each year,
90 million more people are added
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Need of the poor and often greed of the rich
generate continuous pressure resulting in over-exploitation and loss of biodiversity
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These categories are defined
below in Table 15
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Environmental Science Senior Secondary Course

Environmental
Conservation

Table 15
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Extinct in the wild

A taxon is extinct in the wild when exhaustive surveys in known and/or
expected habitats have failed to record an individual
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Endangered

A taxon is endangered when it is not critically endangered but is facing
a very high risk of extinction in the wild in near future
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Lower risk

A taxon is lower risk when it has been evaluated and does not satisfy
the criteria for critically endangered, endangered or vulnerable
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Not evaluated

Notes

Definition

A taxon is not evaluated when it has not yet been assessed against the
above criteria
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The 2000 Red
List is the latest available
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The 2000 Red List contains assessment
of more than18,000 species; 11,000 of which are threatened (5,485 animals and 5611
plants)
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According to the Red List, in India, 44 plant species are critically endangered
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Amongst animals, 18 are critically endangered, 54
endangered and 143 Vulnerable
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3: Examples of threatened species in India
Category

Plant species

Animal species

Critically endangered

Berberis nilghiriensis

Sus salvanius, (Pigmy hog)

Endangered

Bentinckta nicobarica

Allurus fulgens , (Red Panda)

Vulnerable

Cupressus cashmeriana

Antilope cervicapra, (Black buck)

15
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It also includes wise use of natural resources in such a way
that the needs of present generation are met and at the same time leaving enough for the
future generations
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Notes

INTEXT QUESTIONS 15
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Which region in India has the richest wild sheep and goat community in the world?
______________________________________________________________
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______________________________________________________________
3
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______________________________________________________________
4
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List the three zones of a biosphere reserve and which one of them allow settlements
etc
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List the three objectives of convention of biological diversity signed during the earth
summit-1993
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Expand IUCN
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Howe many animals and how many plants in India are listed as critically endangered in
red list
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6 CONSERVATION STRATEGIES
Conservation efforts can be grouped into the following two categories:
1
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Protected areas are land or sea dedicated
to protect and maintain biodiversity
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Ex-situ (off-site) conservation of plants and animals outside their natural habitats
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MODULE - 5
Environmental
Conservation

Notes

Environmental Science Senior Secondary Course
15
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1 In-situ methods
i) Protection of habitat: The main strategy for conservation of species is the protection
of habitats in representative ecosystems
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67 million hectares or
4
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Twenty one wetlands, thirty mangrove
areas and four coral reef areas have been identified for intensive conservation and
management purposes by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt
...

• National parks and sanctuaries
India is unique in the richness and diversity of its vegetation and wildlife
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Wildlife sanctuaries
in India attract people from all over the world as the rarest of rare species are found here
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Some of the main sanctuaries in India are:
The Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve- Uttaranchal, Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh,
Bandhavgarh National Park- Madhya Pradesh, Ranthambhor National Park-Sawai
Madhopur, Gir National Park-Sasangir (Gujarat) etc
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In wesern Himalayas, one can see birds like Himalayan monal pheasant, western
tragopanm koklass, white crested khalij pheasant, griffon vultures, lammergiers, choughs,
ravens
...
While the
national parks and sanctuaries in South India, too
...
g
...

Many National Parks and Sancturies have been established to preserve wildlife in their
natural environment
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•
•

Manas sanctuary (Assam) – Wild buffaloes

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Gir forest (Gujarat) – Lions, chital, sambar, wild bears

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Kelameru bird sanctuary (Andhra Pradesh) – Pelicans and marine birds

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Dachigam sanctuary (Jammu and Kashmir) – Kashmir stags, Himalayan tahr, wild
goats, sheep, antelopes
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•

Jaladpara sanctuary (West Bengal) – Rhinoceros

Environmental
Conservation

Bharatpur bird sanctuary (Rajasthan) – Ducks, herons

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MODULE - 5

Notes

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) India in association with other NGO partners and
tribal people, is making every possible effort to develop new models of wildlife conservation
to preserve India’s most treasured fauna and to protect the environment
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km
...
shown in Figure 15
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Fig
...
4: The Biosphere reserves in India
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MODULE - 5
Environmental
Conservation

Notes

Environmental Science Senior Secondary Course
The concept of Biosphere Reserves (BR) was launched in 1975 as a part of UNESCO’s
Man and Biosphere Programme, dealing with the conservation of ecosystems and the
genetic material they contain
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(a) The core zone is fully protected and natural area of the Biosphere Reserve least
disturbed by human activities
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Destructive sampling for scientific
investigations is prohibited
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(c) the transition zone, the outermost part of the Biosphere Reserve, is an area
of active cooperation between the reserve management and the local people, wherein
activities like settlements, cropping, forestry , recreation and other economic that are in
harmony with the conservation goals
...


Core Area
Human settlement
Buffer zone

Transition zone

Fig
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5: Human Settlement (A terrestrial BR – Biosphere reserve)
The main functions of the biosphere reserves are:
•

Conservation: Long term conservation of representatives, landscapes and different
types of ecosystems, along with all their species and genetic resources
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•

Scientific research, monitoring and education- Support conservation research,
monitoring, education and information exchange related to local, national and global
environmental and conservation issues
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Project Tiger, Project Elephant
and Project crocodile are examples of focusing on single species through conserving
their habitats
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As a result tiger
population within the country declined drastically from estimate of 40,000 at the turn of
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Biodiversity Conservation
century to 1200 by the 1970
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In 2007, there were more than 40
Project Tiger wildlife reserves covering an area of 37,761 km²
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However,
a 2008 census held by Government of India revealed that the tiger population had dropped
to 1,411
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Elaborate management plans are made for each of the
tiger reserves for tiger habitat improvement and anti -poaching measures
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The project is being implemented in twelve states viz
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• Crocodile breeding and management project
This project was started in 1976 with FAO - UNDP assistance to save three endangered
crocodilian species, namely, the fresh water crocodile, salt water crocodile and the rare
gharial
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Captive breeding and reintroduction or
restocking programmes involved careful collection of eggs from the wild
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Eleven sanctuaries have been declared specially for crocodile
protection including the National Chambal Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh
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These are small forest patches protected by tribal communities due to
religious sanctity
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Sacred forests are located
in several parts of India i
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Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Meghalaya , Similarly,
several water bodies for example, Khecheopalri lake in Sikkim, have been declared
sacred by the people, leading to protection of aquatic flora and fauna
...
6
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To complement in-situ conservation efforts, ex-situ
conservation is being undertaken through setting up botanic gardens, zoos, medicinal
plant parks, etc by various agencies
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Other important botanical gardens are in Ooty, Bangalore
and Lucknow
...
The main objectives of this garden
are –
• ex-situ conservation and propagation of important threatened plant species,
• serve as a Centre of Excellence for conservation
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MODULE - 5
Environmental
Conservation

Notes

Environmental Science Senior Secondary Course
A number of zoos have been developed in the country
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They have also played an important role in the conservation of endangered
animal species such as the Manipur Thamin Deer (Cerus eldi eldi) and the White
winged Wood Duck (Cairina scutulata)
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(ii) Gene Banks : Ex-situ collection and preservation of genetic resources is done through
gene banks and seed banks
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(iii) Cryopreservation: (“freeze preservation”) is particularly useful for conserving
vegetative propagated crops
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Cryopreservation has been successfully applied to
meristems, zygotic and somatic embryos, pollen, protoplasts cells and suspension
cultures of a number of plant species
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Cloned DNA
and material having DNA in its native state can all be used for genetic conservation
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Legal measures : Market demand for some body parts like bones of tiger, rhino
horns, furs, ivory, skins, musk, peacock feathers , etc results in killing the wild animals
...
India is also a signatory to the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
...
In addition to this, India is also a
signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which it signed on 29th
December, 1993 at Rio de Janeiro during the Earth Summit
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Conservation of biological diversity,
2

Sustainable use of biodiversity and

3
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The CITES and the CBD are international initiatives
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Biodiversity Conservation
Biological Diversity Act, 2002
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All foreign nationals organizations require prior approval of NBA for obtaining biological
resources and/or associated knowledge for any use
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The SBB may prohibit the import if found to violate the objectives of conservation,
sustainable use and benefit sharing
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•

While granting approvals, NBA will impose terms and conditions to secure equitable
sharing of benefits
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•

The monetary benefits, fees and royalties, as a result of approvals by NBA are to be
deposited in National Biodiversity Fund which will be used for conservation and
development of areas from where the resource has been accessed, in consultation
with local self government
...


•

MODULE - 5

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and World Conservation Union supports
projects to promote conservation and appropriate development of Biosphere Reserves
...
4
1
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Name two important tiger reserves
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Expand WCS
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What are the main functions of biosphere reserve?
______________________________________________________________
5
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NBPGR ii
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CITES, iv
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CBD, vi
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MODULE - 5

Environmental Science Senior Secondary Course

Environmental
Conservation

WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT
•

Biodiversity refers to the totality of genes, species, and ecosystems of plant, animals
or micro-organisms in a region
...
It has many medicinal,
commercial, economic and scientific uses
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•

Biodiversity also provides valuable services like water conservation, clean air, soil
conservation and improvement of soil fertility, pollution break-down, aesthetic needs
and so on
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8 million species have so far been described
...
In India, 70 % of the country’s area has been surveyed and around 45,000
species of microorganisms and plants; and 81,000 species of animals have been
described till date
...

Species are distinct units of diversity and each species plays a specific role in a ecosystem
...
Species
diversity refers to the variety of species within a region
...


•

Habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation, environmental pollution, climate
change and introduction of exotic species pose major threat to biodiversity
...


•

The IUCN Red list is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global
conservation status of threatened plant and animal species
...


•

Conservation strategies include in-situ (on-site)and ex-situ (off-site) approaches
...
The Protected Area Network for
habitat protection includes national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves,
sacred groves or sacred forests
...


Notes

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MODULE - 5

Biodiversity Conservation

•

Areas that need immediate protection for conservation of biodiversity are called
Biodiversity Hot Spots
...


•

Convention on Biodiversity is an important international instrument promoting
biodiversity conservation globally
...
The Wildlife Protection Act (1972) and Biodiversity Act
(2002) at the national level and The CITES and The Convention on Biodiversity at the
international level regulate the trade in biodiversity and promote its conservation and
sustainable use
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What is biodiversity? Why has it become important in recent years?
2
...

3
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Write short notes on : a) Cryopreservation, b)
...

5
...

6
...
Write a brief note on biodiversity conservation efforts in India
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Match the words in column I with those in Column II
Column I

Column II

i) 13000 genes

(a) Lantana camara

ii) Exotic species

(b) Drosophila melanogaster

iii) Transition zone

(c) Red List

iv) Endangered

(d) Biosphere Reserve

9
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What is an approximate percentage of endemic vascular plants in India?

ANSWER TO INTEXT QUESTIONS
15
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Sum total of all the variety of living organisms on earth constitute biological diversity
...
Genetic, species and ecological biodiversity
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Environmental
Conservation

Environmental Science Senior Secondary Course
3
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(i)Angiosperms (ii) Arthropods
15
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Ecological services, biological resource, aesthetic and cultural values
...
Pollination, protection of soil, climatic control
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Reduce pollutants, maintenance of gaseous composition of air, degradation of wastes
...
3
1
...
• Its tropical location
• Varied physical features and climatic situations
• Meeting of three major biogeographical realm
3
...
New species entering a geographical region or exotic species and may cause
disappearance of native species through changed biotic interaction
...
Core zone, buffer zone and transition zone; transition zone
...
Conservation of biological diversity; sustainable use of biodiversity and fair and equitable
sharing of benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources
...
International Union for Conservation of nature and Natural Resources
8
...
4
1
...
In-situ and ii
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Jim Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal, Kanha National Park, Bandhavgarh National
park
...
Wildlife Conservation Society
...
It consists of core, buffer and transition zone
5
...
Conservation, 2
...
i
...
National Botanical Garden
iii
...
The international Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
...
Convention on Biological Diversity
vi

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