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yeast bacteria Protozoans fungi
Plants birds
DEFINITION:
According to the World Resources Institute-
"Biodiversity is the variety of the world's
organisms, including their genetic diversity
and the assemblage they form.
The concept reflects the inter-relatedness of genes,
species and ecosystems.
When the genes within the same species show different versions
due to new combinations, it is called genetic variability.
For example, all rice varieties belong to the species Oryza sativa,
but there are thousands of wild and cultivated varieties of rice
which show variations at the genetic level and differ in their color,
size, shape, aroma and nutrient content of the grain. This is the
genetic diversity of rice.
New genetic variation arises:
by gene and chromosome mutation; and
7. Gangetic Plains: Biotic Province: Lower and upper Gangetic plains (7).
Biome: Alluvial plain, wetlands, rivers.
Wildlife: Rhino, otter, Gangetic dolphin, terrapin.
8. Northeast India: Biotic Province: Assam Plains (8a), Shillong Plateau (8b).
Biome: All plain grasslands, woodlands, Bhabar terai, evergreen moist
deciduous, wetlands and rivers, subtropical temperate.
Wildlife: Pygmy hog ,serow, Yellow-backed Sunbird.
10. Coasts: Biotic Province: West Coast (10a), East Coast (10b).
Biome: Mangrove, brackish lakes and lagoons, mudflats, sandy or rocky
littoral. Wildlife: dugong, Brahminy Kite, sand skink.
Deccan Peninsula
Otter Terrapin
Rhino
Northeast India
YELLOW BACKED
PYGMY HOG SEROW SUNBIRD
Islands
Many of the plants are considered holy and sacred in our country
like Tulsi (holy basil), Peepal, Mango, Lotus, Bael etc.
Many animals like Cow, snake, Bull, Peacock, Owl etc have
significant place in psycho-spiritual arena and thus hold social
importance.
The tribal people are very closely linked with the wild life in the
forests.
Cobra
Peacock
Ethical value: It is also sometimes known as existence value.It
involves ethical issues like "all life must be preserved'. It is based
on the concept of "Live and Let Live".
People from far and wide spend a lot of time and money to visit
wilderness areas where they can enjoy the aesthetic value of
biodiversity and this type of tourism is now known as eco-
tourism.
Option values: These values include the potentials of biodiversity that
are presently unknown and need to be explored.
There is a possibility that we may have some potential cure for AIDS or
cancer existing within the depths of a marine ecosystem, or a tropical
rainforest.
Thus option value is the value of knowing that there are biological
resources existing on this biosphere that may one day prove to be an
effective option for something important in the future.
Thus, the option value of biodiversity suggests that any species may
prove to be a miracle species someday.
The option value also includes the values, in terms of the option to visit
areas where a variety of flora and fauna, or specifically some endemic,
rare or endangered species exist.
Ecosystem service value: It refers to the services provided by
ecosystems like prevention of soil erosion, prevention of floods,
maintenance of soil fertility, cycling of nutrients, fixation of
nitrogen, cycling of water, their role as carbon sinks, pollutant
absorption and reduction of the threat of global warming etc.
About 2.1 million species have been identified till date, while
many more species are believed to exist.
The present global patterns in biodiversity indicate that the species richness tends
to vary geographically according to a series of fairly well defined rules.
More species, both per unit area and overall/in the tropics than in temperate
regions and for more in the temperate regions than in polar regions.
The moist tropical forests, in general, are the most species rich areas or
environments on earth.
Biodiversity at Global level:
It is estimated that India ranks 10th among the plant rich countries of
the world, 11th in terms of number of endemic species of higher
vertebrates and 6th among the centers of diversity and origin of
agricultural crops.
The place where the park is located was once a private hunting
ground for former rulers of Hyderabad - the Nizam.
There are about 93 major wet lands, coral reefs and mangroves which
need to be studied in detail. Indian forests cover 64.01 million hectares
having a rich biodiversity of plants.
The Indian hot spots are not only rich in floral wealth and
endemic species of plants but also reptiles, amphibians, swallow
tailed butterflies and some mammals. Nearly 70% of the bird
species in this hotspot are endemic.
These are the areas of high diversity, endemism and are also
threatened by human activities. About 40% of terrestrial plants
and 25% of vertebrate species are endemic and found in these
hotspots.
The 25 hotspots contain 44% of all vascular
plant species and 35% of terrestrial
vertebrates and encompass only 1.4% of the
earths surface.
Hotspots in India:
Eastern himalayas and western ghats.
These areas are particularly rich in floral wealth and
endemism, not only in flowering plants but also in
reptiles, amphibians , swallow tailed butterflies, and
some mammals.
Eastern Himalayas
The area comprises Nepal, Bhutan, and neighboring states of
northern India, along with a continuous sector of the Yunnan
province in Southwest china.
All Himalayan forests lie north of the Tropic of Cancer, and some of
them are at altitudes of 1780 -3500 m, they can be considered
tropical forests .
Although the two areas (the Eastern Himalayas and the Western
Ghats) are today disjunct and have their own characteristic flora
and fauna, there are a number of species common to both.
Amongst fauna, the Himalayan and Nilgiri Tahr, the Nilgiri Pine
Marten, the Laughing Thrush (associated with the plant genus
Rubus), the Great Pied Hornbill (Bicornis homrai), the Frogmouth
(Batrachostomus hodgsoni hodgsoni) the Fairy Blue Bird (Irena
puella), Lizard Hawks (Accipter spp.), and the Rufous Bellied
Hawk-Eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii) are found in both regions
(Khoshoo. 1996)
THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
Extinction, the elimination of a species, is a normal
process in nature.
The red data symbolizes the warning signal for those species
which are endangered and if not protected are likely to become
extinct in near future.
Red Data Books
In India, nearly 450 plant species have been
identified in the categories of endangered,
threatened or rare.