Conservation and
sustainable use of biodiversity have been an integral part of Indian ethos. The
varied eco-climatic conditions coupled with unique geological and cultural
features have contributed to an astounding diversity of habitats, which harbor
and sustain immense biological diversity at all levels. With only 2.4% of
world's land area, India accounts for 7-8% of recorded species of the world. In
terms of species richness, India ranks seventh in mammals, ninth in birds and
fifth in reptiles. In terms of endemism of vertebrate groups, India's position
is tenth in birds with 69 species, fifth in reptiles with 156 species and
seventh in amphibians with 110 species. India's share of crops is 44% as
compared to the world average of 11%. India also has 23.39% of its geographical
area under forest and tree cover. Of the 34 globally identified biodiversity
hotspots, India harbor 3 hotspots, i.e., Himalaya, Indo Burma, Western Ghats
and Sri Lanka. Western Ghats are recently included in World Heritage list. It is
very rich in flora and fauna and serves as cradle of biodiversity. One of
the most pressing environmental issues today is the conservation of
biodiversity. Many factors threaten the world's biological heritage. The
challenge is for nations, government agencies, organisations and individuals to
protect and enhance biological diversity, while continuing to meet people's
needs for natural resources. Efforts have been initiated to save biodiversity
both by ex-situ and in-situ conservation. International Biodiversity day is
celebrated across the globe on 22nd May every year.
BIODIVERSITY ACT 2002
The Biological Diversity
Act, 2002 is a federal legislation enacted by the Parliament of India for
preservation of biological diversity in India, and provides mechanism for
equitable sharing of benefits arising out of use of traditional biological
resources and knowledge. The Act was enacted to meet the obligations under
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to which India is a party. The
National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was established in 2003 to
implement India’s Biological Diversity Act (2002). The NBA is a Statutory,
Autonomous Body and it performs facilitative, regulatory and advisory function
for the Government of India on issues of conservation, sustainable use of
biological resources and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of
the use of biological resources.
LEVELS OF BIODIVERSITY
Marine Biodiversity refers
to 'Life in the Seas and Oceans. The marine environment has a very high
biodiversity because 32 out of the 33 described animal phyla are represented in
there. Marine organisms contribute to many critical processes that have direct
and indirect effects on the health of the oceans and humans. Forest
biological diversity is a broad term that refers to all life forms
found within forested areas and the ecological roles they perform. As such,
forest biological diversity encompasses not just trees, but the multitude of
plants, animals and micro-organisms that inhabit forest areas and their associated
genetic diversity. Genetic diversity, refers to the total number of
genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. Genetic diversity
serves as a way for populations to adapt to changing environments. With more
variation, it is more likely that some individuals in a population will possess
variations of alleles that are suited for the environment. The population will
continue for more generations because of the success of these
individuals. Species Diversity is the effective number of different
species that are represented in a collection of individuals (a dataset).
Species diversity consists of two components: species richness and species
evenness. Ecosystem Diversity refers to the combination of
communities of living things with the physical environment in which they live.
There are many different kinds of ecosystems like deserts, mountain slopes, the
ocean floor, Antarctic etc,. Each ecosystem provides many different kinds of
habitats or living places. Agriculture Biodiversity includes all
forms of life directly relevant to agriculture: rare seed varieties and animal
breeds (farm biodiversity), but also many other organisms such as soil fauna,
weeds, pests, predators, and all of the native plants and animals (wild
biodiversity) existing on and flowing through the farm.
BIOSPHERES AND
BIODIVERSITY RESERVES
The Indian government has
established 18 Biosphere Reserves in India, which protect larger areas of
natural habitat and often include one or more National Parks and Reserves,
along buffer zones that are open to some economic uses. Protection is granted
not only to the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the human
communities who inhabit these regions, and their ways of life. Animals are
protected and saved here.
HOTSPOTS
A biodiversity hotspot is
a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is
under threat from humans. Around the world, 25 areas qualify under definition
of hotspots. These sites support nearly 60% of the world's plant, bird, mammal,
reptile, and amphibian species, with a very high share of endemic species. The
biodiversity hotspots hold especially high numbers of endemic species, yet
their combined area of remaining habitat covers only 2.3 percent of the Earth's
land surface. Each hotspot faces extreme threats and has already lost at least
70 percent of its original natural vegetation. Over 50 percent of the world’s
plant species and 42 percent of all terrestrial vertebrate species are endemic
to the 34 biodiversity hotspots.
UNO EFFORTS FOR CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY
Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) was signed in Washington, DC, on 3 March 1973. In August 2000, 152
States were parties to this Convention. The aim of CITES is to put a ban on
international trade in wildlife. The World Conservation Union
IUCN brings together States, government agencies and a diverse range of
non-governmental organizations in a unique world partnership. IUCN seeks to
influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the
integrity and diversity of nature and sustainable use of natural
resources. International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and
Agriculture was adopted in Rome in November 2001 to create a legally
binding framework for the protection and sustainable use of all plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture. The United Nations Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD), 1992 known informally as the Biodiversity
Convention, is a multilateral treaty. The Convention has three main goals like
conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity); sustainable use of its
components; and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic
resources. The most significant feature of 1972 World heritage
Convention is that it links together in a single document the concepts of
nature conservation and preservation of cultural properties. The Convention
recognises the way in which people interact with nature and fundamental need to
preserve the balance between the two. The law of sea 1982, envisaged by UNO
aims at protecting marine biodiversity and to control marine pollution.
DESERT NATIONAL PARK
Desert National Park is a unique biosphere reserve
for conservation and development of biodiversity in India. It is situated in
the West Indian state of Rajasthan near the town of Jaisalmer. This is one of
the largest national parks, covering an area of 3162 km². The Desert National
Park is an excellent example of the ecosystem of the Thar Desert. Sand dunes
form around 20% of the Park.
ROLE OF WILDLIFE CORRIDORS IN BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
A habitat corridor, wildlife corridor or green
corridor is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations separated by
human activities such as roads, development, or logging. This allows an
exchange of individuals between populations, which may help prevent the
negative effects of inbreeding and reduced genetic diversity that often occur
within isolated populations.
WETLANDS REPOSITORIES OF BIODIVERSITY
Wetlands are complex ecosystems and encompass a wide
range of inland, coastal and marine habitats. They include flood plains,
swamps, marshes, fishponds, tidal marshes natural and man-made
wetlands. The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, is
an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action
and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and
their resources.
BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity provides food from crops, livestock,
forestry and fish. Biodiversity is of use to modern agriculture as a source
of new crops, as a source material for breeding improved varieties and as a
source of new biodegradable pesticides. Biodiversity is a rich source of
substances with therapeutic properties. Several important
pharmaceuticals have originated as plant-based substances, which are of
incalculable value to human health. The industrial products like
timber, oils, lubricants, food flavours, industrial enzymes, cosmetics,
perfumes, fragrances, dyes, paper, waxes, rubber, latexes, resins, poisons and
cork can all be derived from various plant species. Biodiversity is a source of
economical wealth for many areas, such as many parks and forests, where wild
nature and animals are a source of beauty and joy, attract many visitors. Ecotourism in
particular, is a growing outdoor recreational activity. Biodiversity has also
great aesthetic value. Examples of aesthetic rewards include
ecotourism, bird watching, wildlife, pet keeping, gardening, etc. Biodiversity
is also essential for the maintenance and sustainable utilization of
goods and services from ecological systems as well as from the
individual species. These services include maintenance of gaseous composition
of the atmosphere, climate control by forests and oceanic systems, natural pest
control, pollination of plants by insects and birds, formation and protection
of soil.
THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
The destruction of habitats is the
primary reason for the loss of biodiversity in terrestrial and coastal
ecosystems. Habitat loss could be attributed to conversion, habitat degradation
and fragmentation. When people cut down trees, fill a wetland, plough grassland
or burn a forest, the natural habitat of a species is changed or
destroyed. Introduction of invasive species may cause disappearance
of native species through biotic interactions. Invasive species are considered
second only to habitat destruction as a major cause of extinction of species.
Communities are affected by natural disturbances, such as fire, tree fall,
and defoliation by insects. Man-made disturbances differ from natural
disturbances in intensity, rate and spatial extent. For example, man by using
fire more frequently may change species richness of a
community. Exploitation, including hunting, collecting, fisheries and
fisheries by-catch, and the impacts of trade in species and species’ parts,
constitute a major threat for globally threatened birds (30% of all), mammals
(33% of all), amphibians (6% of those assessed), reptiles and marine fishes
(Baillie et al. 2004). Trade affects 13% of both threatened birds and
mammals. Extinction is a natural process. Species have disappeared
and new ones have evolved to take their place over the long geological history
of the earth. It is useful to distinguish three types of extinction processes. Over-fishing,
habitat destruction, widespread marine pollution and human induced climate
change threaten the survival of marine biodiversity. Pollution, oil and
gas drilling and oil spills may increase the risks of extinction by increasing
mortality of marine organisms. The Silent Valley Project in Kerala was
abandoned because it was considered as a threat to biodiversity in the region.
BIODIVERSITY AND FOOD
SECURITY
In a recent estimate it
was speculated that over 25 per cent of the world’s plant species might be lost
by the year 2025 AD, if the current rate of plant genetic erosion continues.
Preserving this germ pool is an integral part of food security. It is evident
that preservation of wide range of germ pool is an integral part of breeding
programme. If we are unable to combat the problems of genetic erosion, it may
lead to losing sources of resistance to pests, diseases and climatic stress
and, finally, leading to crop failure in future. It is well-known that out of
over 20,000 edible species only a few dozen of plants are domesticated and now
feed most of the people. All types of protected area constitute over 12% of the
total forest area of the country. This network of protected areas covers most
of the representative habitat types in the country and affords protection both
to the wild flora and fauna.
International
Biodiversity day is celebrated across the globe on 22nd May
every year.
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