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AN INTRODUCTION TO BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

CONTENTS

• DEFINITION AND TYPES • DEPLETION • STRATEGIES • METHODS

PREFACE

Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single , coherent field. This book contains an introduction about the biodiversity conservation. Most of the content are written in an easy dialogue style and attach appropriate pictures and diagrams for your study easy. We expect the text book to be help full for you in learning. Aswathy babu Natural science

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BIODIVERSITY

DEFINITIONS • Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth • . Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level. • Biodiversity is the natural world around us, and the variety of all of the different kinds of organisms - the plants, animals, insects and microorganisms that live on our planet

FIG 1.1

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TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY There are the following three different types of biodiversity: Genetic Biodiversity. Species Biodiversity. Ecological Biodiversity. • • •

• GENITIC BIODIVERSITY • It is basically the variety of species expressed at the genetic level by each individual in a species. • No two individuals belonging to the same species are exactly similar. • For example, in the species of human beings, each human shows a lot of diversity in comparison to another human. • People living in different regions show a great level of variation.

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Species diversity • It is the biodiversity observed within a community. • It stands for the number and distribution of species. • The number of species in a region varies widely depending upon the varied environmental conditions. • For example, it is usually observed that civilizations residing beside water bodies show more species than the one compared to the areas away from water bodies

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Ecological diversity • • It defines the diversity observed among the ecosystems in a particular region. • Different ecosystems like mangroves, rainforests, deserts, etc., show a great variety of life forms residing in them.

Fig 1.3

Did you know ????

#1 . About one million plant and animal species face the threat of extinction!!!!

# 2 .At least 680 vertebrate species have gone extinct since the 16th century!!!!

# 3. The majority of native species in land-based habitats have fallen by a minimum of 20% since the 1900s!!!

Activities 1.MATCH THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF DIVERSITY

Genetic biodiversity Species biodiversity Ecological biodiversity

EXAMPLES

More than 20000 different species of ants existing on earth

Presence of deserts, alpine meadows, r forests, mangroves, etc. in India

1000 different varieties of mangoes fo India

2. ODD ONE OUT GENETIC DIVERSITY

SPECIFIC DIVERSITY

SPECIES DIVERSITY

ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

3. PREPARE A ALBUM BASED ON VARIOUS KINDS OF BIODIVERSITY?

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BIODIVERSITY DEPLETION

FIG 2.1

WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY LOSS ?????

Biodiversity loss refers to the decline or disappearance of biological diversity, understood as the variety of living things that inhabit the planet, its different levels of biological organisation and their respective genetic variability, as well as the natural patterns present in ecosystems.

CAUSES OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS Climate change impacts biodiversity at various levels: species distribution, population dynamics, community structure and the functioning of the ecosystem. Pollution

When we talk about pollution, we may think of car exhaust fumes billowing into the atmosphere, but biodiversity is not only affected by this type, it is also affected by noise pollution and light pollution

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Destruction of habitats Soil pollution and changes in its uses due to activities such as deforestation have a negative impact on ecosystems and the species that make them up. Invasive alien species Invasive alien species are the second biggest cause of loss of biodiversity in the world, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). They act as predators, compete for food, hybridise with native species, introduce parasites and diseases, etc.

Overexploitation of the natural environment The overexploitation of natural resources, that is, their consumption at a speed greater than that of their natural regeneration, has an obvious impact on the planet's flora and fauna.

EFFECTS OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS Extinction of species The alteration and destruction of habitats puts thousands of species in danger of extinction

Threat to human beings Biodiversity loss endangers human well-being by affecting soil and water, which are fundamental to food production. Proliferation of pests For example, imbalances in ecosystems can lead to the emergence of pests that damage crops. Increase in CO2 emissions The capacity of forests and oceans to absorb CO2 decreases if their ecosystems are adversely affected

FACTS

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ACTIVITIES 1. Explain the major causes of biodiversity depletion? 2. What are the main effects of biodiversity depletion? 3. How biodiversity loss affects climate? 4. Name some of the extinct species ?

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STRATEGIES

FIG 3.1

Strategies for biodiversity conservation 1. Biodiversity use and conservation education: ▪

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Forest resources are rich in medicinal and food plants, other non-wood forest products, timber, fodder, fuelwood, thatch-grass, sabia-grass, etc. People directly or indirectly depend on these products. If we talk about majority of people, their main priority is harvesting the resources whereas conservation always remains the second priority. People should be aware about the direct and indirect benefits from the forest and their change in attitude is needed.

2. Integrated health care: ▪

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After documentation of traditionally used plants, and selection of plants that are safe, effective and easily available or cultivated, these plants may be integrated into modern health care system. Fansworth under a joint UNICEF/WHO study investigation for health needs of developing world concluded that the combination of traditional with modern system health care is truly effective and affordable for low income groups.

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3. Agroforestry: ▪ It combines growing trees along with agriculture or livestock or both on the same piece of land side by side. ▪ International Center for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) defines agroforestry as collective name for land-use systems and practices where woody perennials are deliberately integrated with other crops or animals on the same land management unit. m4. Afforestation: ▪ Multipurpose tree including legumes are marvelous, multipurpose resources that can protect and stabilize the soil, save water, symbiotically fix atmospheric nitrogen, produce valuable wood and fodder, and certain proteins and lipids for diet. ▪ In the most degraded areas where trees are difficult to grow, attention should be given to the shrubs which are highly palatable to cattle, such areas are found in north of Jomsom of Nepal.

C5. Cottage industry

rResources such as bamboos, fiber plants, rattans, leaves which are used to develop cottage ries in Nepal. ▪ Some of the important forest resources used for cottage industries in Nepal are Bamboos (Dendrocalamus strictus, D. hamiltonii), Lokhta (Daphne papyracea and D. bholua), Munj grass (Saccharum bengalense), Sabai grass (Eulaliopsis binata).

ACTIVITIES

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Methods for conservation

Fig 4.1

Biodiversity Conservation Methods Two types of methods are employed to conserve biodiversity. They are- In situ conservation and Ex-situ conservation.

Following are some of the ways through which Biodiversity can be conserved: •

In-situ Conservation

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Ex-situ Conservation

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ACTIVITIES

1. FILL IN THE BLANKS

2. choose the correct option

summary The term Biodiversity was coined by R.F Dasman in 1968 which refer to as the variety of and abundance of living organisms in a particular region. It has great social relevance. The main factors which necessitate the conservation of biodiversity are discussed below Factors that necessitate the Biodiversity Conservation 1. Ecological Necessity: It is a well-known fact of bio-science that all organisms have their own place in the food-chain and interact with their abiotic environment in a way that the ecosystem becomes a selfsustaining. Hence, it is very important to maintain the ecological balance in nature by conserving the wildlife in its native form. 2. Biology Necessity: The demands of crops yield and animal product getting increases day by day. Hence, in order to increase the productivity from crops and animal, scientist worked on the genetic modification. 3. Economic Necessity: All the three forms of wildlife, the plants, the animals and the micro-organism have distinct economic values. Plants gives us timber, paper, pulp, rubber, drugs, fiber, charcoal etc. whereas animal gives us nutritious food, silk, wool, leather, honey, acetone, vinegar, methane etc 4. Scientific Necessity: Biodiversity needs to be conserved for education and scientific research. For example: - Guinea-pigs, rabbits, monkeys, dogs, frogs and fish have been used by the scientific community for promoting the cause of science both biological and pharmaceutical. Hence, it is one the reason for conserving wildlife. 5. Cultural Necessity: Cultural diversity also led to the conservation of Biodiversity because literature and religion in most parts of the world rely heavily upon nature. Certain plants animals have sacred place in certain religious group. 6. Ethical Necessity: It is essential for the conservation of Biodiversity ethically because wide variety of organism existing today has evolved through billions of years and any species lost their existence due to human. 7. Aesthetic Necessity: The natural landscapes, mountain, sea-shores, lush green forests etc have great aesthetic values. Monuments of nature and natural areas, therefore for recreation, eco-tourism is very vital in the promotion of tourism, ecotourism and leisure industry.

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