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Biodiversity and Conservation is a concept that covers all the aspects of biological diversity and its conservation strategies. The term 'biodiversity' is derived from the words 'bios', which means life and 'diversity', i.e., differentiation or variation.
- Biodiversity and Conservation refers to the protection and sustainable use of diversity.
- Edward Wilson, the sociobiologist, was the first to popularise the term 'biodiversity' in 1992.
- The term implies the occurrence of plants and animals along with their variants.
- Some variants include biotypes, ecotypes and genes on earth.
- In our biosphere, the immense diversity or heterogeneity remains at the species level.
- At every level of biological organization, organisms range from macromolecules in the cells to biomes.
- Biodiversity and Conservation include the richness and variety of life on earth.
Read More: difference between environment and ecology
| Table of Content |
Key Terms: Biodiversity and Conservation, Biodiversity, Coservation, Environment, Deforestation, National parks, Genetic diversity, Species diversity, Ecological diversity
What is Biodiversity Conservation?
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Biodiversity conservation refers to the measures taken to preserve, protect, and uplift the biodiversity of flora and fauna. It will generate renewable and non-renewable resources which can be obtained for the sustenance of present and future generations.
- Biodiversity conservation satisfies the basic needs of an individual.
- The process results in the formation of sustainable resources.
- The healthy ecosystem consists of pure water and air, quality land, a good climate, and the availability of nutrients.
The main goals of biodiversity conservation are as follows:
- Conservation of species
- Management of ecosystems
- Restoration of various ecological processes
Read More: Loss of biodiversity
What is Biodiversity?
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Biodiversity is defined as variation in the living organisms in various ecosystems, such as terrestrial, marine and desert ecosystems. Earth harbours a large variety of animals and plants.
- Our planet is the house of over 20,000 ant species, 20,000 orchid species, 28,000 fish species, and 3,00,000 beetle species.
- Edward Wilson highlighted the abundance of rich flora and fauna on Earth.
- Biodiversity tends to cluster in an area and has been increasing with time.
- In 2004, IUCN recorded the total number of known plant and animal species, which was more than 1.5 million.
- In India, known species are roughly 8.1% of the total, though India has only 2.4% land area.
- Biodiversity takes into consideration the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes of life.
Read More:
| Chapter Related Concepts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Conservation of Plants & Animals | Hotspots | Endangered Species |
| Montreal Protocol | Environment Protection Act 1986 | Homeostasis |
Types of Biodiversity
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There are three types of biodiversity, namely
Genetic Biodiversity
The diversity found at the genetic level is known as Genetic Biodiversity. For eg. Rauwolfia vomitoria, a medicinal plant found in the Himalayas shows genetic variation in terms of potency and concentration of the chemical Reserpine.
Species Biodiversity
The variety of different species found in a specific area is known as Species Biodiversity. For eg. The Western Ghats in India have more amphibian species than the Eastern Ghats.
Ecological Biodiversity
The biodiversity found at the ecosystem level of a region is known as Ecological Biodiversity. For eg, India with its vast deserts, thick rainforests, rich mangroves has higher ecological biodiversity than Norway.
Types of biodiversity
Read more: kt extinction
Importance of Biodiversity
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The proper maintenance of biodiversity is essential for survival on Earth. An area rich in higher species is considered to be more stable than an area in deprivation. Moreover, an individual relies entirely on the environment to fulfill our survival needs.
Some factors explaining the importance of biodiversity are:
- It provides ecological stability by providing services required for the survival of human life.
- Every species serves a specific function in an ecosystem.
- Some produce and decompose organic matter while others capture and store energy.
- An abundant and diverse ecosystem is more productive and resilient to environmental stress like droughts, floods, landslides, etc.
- Rich biodiversity provides economic value as it is a reservoir of various resources.
- Some resources include cattle, fishes, forests, medicinal herbs, wood, crops, etc., that are essential for the propagation of life on Earth.
- Abundant and balanced biodiversity provides ethical and aesthetic value by conserving the rich cultural heritage.
Read more: Mutation
Reasons for the loss of Biodiversity
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The major reasons behind the loss of biodiversity are as follows:
- Population explosion/overpopulation
- Extensive mechanization/industrialization
- Urbanization
- Deforestation
- Pollution
- Erosion
- Depletion
Read More:
| Class 12 Biology Related Concepts | ||
|---|---|---|
| Effects of Noise Pollution | Air Pollution Control | Water Pollution Control |
| Air Pollution Control Act | Municipal Solid Waste | Slash and Burn Agriculture |
Biodiversity and its Conservation Methods
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There are primarily two methods of biodiversity conservation which are as follows:
In-situ Conservation
In-situ conservation of biodiversity is the preservation of various species of animals and plants in their natural environment or habitat. It includes national parks, sanctuaries, forests, reserves, etc.
- In-situ conservation will conserve the species in its natural habitat.
- It also maintains genetic variation in the wild or in traditional farming systems.
Advantages of In-situ Conservation
In-situ conservation of biodiversity has several advantages:
- It is a cost-efficient way of biodiversity conservation
- It ensures the conservation of a large number of species at the same time
- The organisms are not require to change their habitat
The in-situ and ex-situ biodiversity conservation in India
National Parks
National parks are the forest reserves that are managed by the government. Activities like grazing, farming, construction, cutting of trees, hunting, etc., are strictly prohibited in these areas for the conservation of different species of flora and fauna.
- India has a total of 104 National Parks that are covering an area of 43,716 square kilometers.
- Eg. Jim Corbett National Park, Kanha National Park, Gir National Park, Kaziranga National Park, Sundarbans National Park, etc.
National parks in India
Wildlife Sanctuaries
Wildlife sanctuaries are the areas reserved specifically for the conservation of wild animals. Tourists are allowed in these areas. India has a total of 551 wildlife sanctuaries. Eg. Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Abohar Wildlife Sanctuary, Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Ex-situ Conservation
Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity is the preservation of various species of animals and plants outside their natural environment or habitat. In this type of conservation, breeding of endangered species is done in artificial ecosystems like zoos, botanical gardens, nurseries, etc.
- Ex-situ Conservation also includes agricultural biodiversity.
- Species are sometimes selected on the basis of artifical selection.
Advantages of Ex-situ Conservation
Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity has several advantages:
- The species are provided long breeding time and activity.
- The animals in captivity can easily be reintroduced in the wild.
- Genetic methods is used to preserve endangered species.
Read More: Air Pollution Control
Strategies for Biodiversity Conservation
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The strategies that should be followed for biodiversity conservation are:
- Agricultural animals, livestock, plants like timber plant should be protected
- The population of endangered species should be restored
- Natural resources should be utilized efficiently
- Incessant deforestation should be stopped
- Hunting should be banned
- Spread of public awareness
Strategies for conserving biodiversity
Read More: Red Data Book
Why should you conserve Biodiversity?
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There is a diring need for the conservation of biodiversity. It is responsible for maintaining the pollution-free environment and ensuring the proper availability of resources to human beings.
- Humans are completely dependent on nature for various resources like renewable and non-renewable.
- These resources are provided by animals and plants directly or indirectly.
- To sustain life on earth the rich flora and fauna of the Earth has to be conserved efficiently.
- Biodiversity should be conserved for economic and life support reasons.
- Handle issues like habitat loss, climate, resource exploitation and species extinction to conserve biodiversity.
Read More: Cryopreservation
Things to Remember
- Biodiversity and conservation are the protection of diversity to obtain resources in a sustainable manner.
- In-situ and Ex-situ conservation are two methods of conserving biodiversity.
- Biodiversity conservation helps sustain life on Earth.
- The endangered species of plants and animals in a habitat should be conserved.
- Area with more number of species have more stability in their environment.
Read More: Endemic Species
Previous Years Questions
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Sample Questions
Ques. Write the signaficance of cryopreservation in the conservation of biodiversity? (2 marks)
Ans. With the help of cryopreservation, gametes of threatened species can be preserved in viable and fertile conditions for long periods. It made contributions in the field of genetics. It will protect the species from harmful bacteria and fungi. The process will help in the preservation of biodiversity by cooling to very low temperature -196 celsius using liquid nitrogen.
Ques. Write one application of pollen bank. How are pollen stored in a bank? (2 marks)
Ans. Pollen banks are used to store pollen grains such as seed banks. They are preserved under cryopresevation. Pollen bank are stored in terms of genetic resources. Stored pollen grains can be used in pollen breeding programmes. Pollen grains can be stored in nitrogen at -196° C for many years.
Ques. What is meant by biodiversity? (2 marks)
Ans. All species of flora and fauna existing on Earth come under biodiversity. Every species serves a specific function in an ecosystem. Some produce and decompose organic matter while others capture and store energy. It takes into consideration the evolutionary, ecological, and cultural processes of life.
Ques. What are the different types of biodiversity? (3 marks)
Ans. The different types of biodiversity are as follows:
- Genetic Biodiversity: Genetic Biodiversity includes changing the genetic properties of organisms.
- Species Biodiversity: Species Biodiversity refers to different kind of species found in a habitat.
- Ecological Biodiversity: Ecological Biodiversity refers to the variation in the ecosysttem and includes all living and non living organisms.
Ques. What is meant by biodiversity conservation? (3 marks)
- First is conservation of species
- It includes management of ecosystems
- It will restore various ecological processes
Ques. What are the reasons behind the loss of biodiversity? (2 marks)
Ans. The main reasons for biodiversity loss are as follows:
- Population explosion/overpopulation
- Extensive mechanization/industrialization
- Urbanization
- Deforestation
- Pollution
- Erosion
- Depletion
Ques. What are the measures that should be taken for biodiversity conservation? (3 marks)
Ans. The various measures that should be taken for the conservation of biodiversity are planting more and more trees, hunting and deforestation should be banned, the population should be controlled, awareness should be created in public for biodiversity conservation.
- Resources should be utilised effectively.
- Creation of protected area should be done carefully.
- Strict laws should be enforced.
Ques. Distinguish between insitu and exsitu approaches of conservation of biodiversity? (3 marks)
Ans. The differences between insitu and exsitu approaches of biodiversity conservation are as follows:
| In-situ Conservation | Ex-situ Conservation |
|---|---|
| In-situ method includes the protection of endangered species in their natural habitat. | Ex-situ involves placing of threatened animals and plants in special care unit for their protection. |
| It helps recovering populations in the surroundings where they have developed their distinct features. | It helps in recovering populations or preventing their extinction under stimulated conditions that resemble their natural habitats |
| For e.g, national parks, wildlife sancturies, biosphere reserves etc. | For e.g, botanical garden, zoological parks. |
Ques. Why is that certain regions have been declared as biodiversity hot spots by environmentalists of the world? Name any two hot spot regions of India? (2 marks)
Ans. There are certian regions which have been declared as biodiversity hot spots by the environmentalists because these regions have very high levels of species richness and high degree of endemism. Hot spots of India are the Western Ghats, the Himalayas, the Indo-Burma region and the Sundaland.
Ques. There are many animals that have become extinctin the wild, however continue to be maintained in zoological parks.
(A) What type of biodiversity conservation is found in this case?
(B) Explain any other two ways which help this type of conservation? (5 marks)
Ans. (A) The animals maintained in the zoological parks is an example of ex situ conservation because it implies threatened animals in special conditions, away from natuaral habitat in order to protect them.
(B) The other ways of maintaing endangered animals or species by ex situ conservations are botanical gardens and wildlife safari parks.
Ques. (A) Why is it required to conserve biodiversity?
(B) Name and explain any two ways that are responsible for the loss of biodiversity? (5 marks)
Ans. (A) Biodiversity needs to be conserved because of three categories,
- Narrow Utilarian- This includes most of the resources required for our day to day life such as food, oil, clothes, drugs and medicines, firewood, industrial products all are derived from nature, thus needs to be conserved to reap more benefits.
- Broadly Utilarian- This involes most of the ecosystem services that are provided to us by nature such as release of oxygen and fixation of C02 by photosynthesis in plants, pollination and dispersal of seeds and so on. Hence for the continuation of these services, the biodiversity needs to be conserved.
- Ethical reason- It is our moral duty to take care of living species in our surroundings irrespective of their economic importance and pass this biological legacy to our future generations.
(B) The two ways that are responsible for the loss of biodiversity are as follows,
- Habitat loss and fragmentation of natural habitats due to natural reasons or human activities as well as pollution results in deterioration of habitats, and thereby threatening the survival of many species concerned.
- Co-extinction is also responsible for the loss of biodiversity as when a species become extinct, the plant and the animal species associated with it in obligatory way also become extinct. For e.g, if a host organism (fish) becomes extinct, the parasites exclusive to it also becomes extinct.
Ques. What are aftermath of biodiversity loss? (3 marks)
Ans. The aftermath of biodiversity loss are as follows:
- Plant production is declining
- Reduced resistance to droughts, floods, landslides, etc leading to calamities
- Many beneficial species have become extinct
- The use of pesticides has increased leading to the increase in many serious diseases like cancer
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