BIODIVERSITY & CONSERVATION

Biodiversity or Biological diversity is the variety of all life forms or species in an ecosystem or on entire earth. Biodiversity is term popularised by sociobilogist Edward Wilson.

Types of Biodiversity

        There are 3 types of Biodiversity. They are

1. Genetic Diversity

        Diversity of genes with in a species called genetic diversity. There is genetic variation of population of same species. India has more than 50,000 genetically different stains of rice.

2. Species Diversity

        Diversity of species in an ecosystem is called species diversity.

e.g  Amphibian species are abundantly found in western ghats than Estern ghats.

3. Ecological Diversity

        Diversity of ecosystem such as desert rain forest, mangroove, coral reef, wet land, estuaries are called ecological diversity. These ecosystem are more in India than a country like Norway.

Number of Species

• According IUCN 2004  the total number of plants and animals species identified so far is slightly more than 1.5 million
• Out of these more than 70% species are animals and the rest are plants and microorganisms.
• Among the animals, insects are most Dominant animals.
• In India about 45000 species of plants and 90,000 animals are identified.

Loss of Biodiversity

      There are three  major causes of loss of Biodiversity

1. Habitat loss

      This is mainly due to loss of tropical forest, over population, deforestation, polution and global warming.

2. Over exploitation

      Human exploit the nature for food & shelter. But over exploration of the natural resources cause extinction of species, over exploitation on the land in form of over hunting, excessive logging, poor soil conservation in agriculture and illegal wild life trade.

3. Genetic pollution

      Endemic species be threatened with extinction through the process of genetic pollution.

Biodiversity Conservation

1. In situ Conservation

        In situ Conservation means on site conservation. In this method plant & animal species are protected by their natural habitat. This carried out by protecting their natural habitat and by defending the species from predators. This include legally declaration of protected area. The protected areas in India include National parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves etc.

2. Ex situ Conservation

         Ex situ Conservation means off site conservation. It is the process of protecting an endangered species of plants and animals out side of its natural habitat establishing botanical garden, zoos, DNA Bank and for conserving pollen seed, seedling etc.