View of BIODIVERSITY

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Vol. 04, Special Issue 02, 13^th Conference (ICOSD) February 2019 Available Online: www.ajeee.co.in/index.php/AJEEE

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BIODIVERSITY Dr. Smt. Anita Lubana

Asst. Professor, Department of Botany, Government Girls College, Ajmer

Abstract - Biological diversity is the term used to define all the ecosystems around the world. It includes the different species available in a particular environment in different ecological environments. We need this biological diversity to survive and fulfil our daily needs. So we have to understand the need to protect and preserve the biodiversity. Around more than 30 years have passed when the global accepted definition of biodiversity has been observed and used. In 1992 at Rio earth summit the convention on biological diversity was opened for signature. It has been observed that however the definition of the CBD is generally acceptable still the definitions of biodiversity are as vast as the biological diversity itself. Examining counts of species is perhaps the most common method used to compare the biodiversity of various places. Many diverse species have been extinct and many are on the verge of extinction. This may be due to many reasons including population explosion and blind use of biodiversity resources. Biodiversity is very important for human life as the needs of the population is dependent on the flourishing of the flora and fauna as they provide food and medicine. India has been involved in the conservation of biodiversity for a long time now, saving the flora and fauna of the territory. Several acts have been passed in this context and are being handled quite well.

Keywords: Biodiversity, benefits of biodiversity, importance of biodiversity, biodiversity agreements,

Definitions

Convention on Biological Diversity 1992 –

This is the internationally accepted definition of biodiversity.

Biological diversity' means the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

However the first ever recorded definition of this term was given by E.O.Wilson which is from the year 1988, which is:

The variety of life at every hierarchical level and spatial scale of biological organisations:

genes within populations, populations within species, species within communities, communities within landscapes, landscapes within biomes, and biomes within the biosphere.

1 INTRODUCTION

Biodiversity is the sum of all the different species of animals, plants, fungi and microbial organisms living on Earth and the variety of habitats in which they live.

Scientists estimate that more than 10 million different species inhabit Earth.

Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth (1). Generally biodiversity is not evenly distributed on earth. A common measure of this variety, called species richness, is the count of species in an area. Colombia and Kenya, for example, each have more than 1,000 breeding species of birds, whereas the forests of Great Britain and of eastern North America are home to fewer than 200. A coral reef off northern Australia may have 500 species of fish, while the rocky shoreline of Japan may be home to only 100 species. Such numbers capture some of the differences between places,

For example terrestrial biodiversity is usually greater near the equator (2) which is the result of warm climate and high primary productivity (3). About more than 90percent of the biodiversity is concentrated in tropical forest ecosystems and these are spread only in the 10 percent area of the world (4).

2 MEASURING THE BIODIVERSITY Now examining counts of species is perhaps the most common method used to compare the biodiversity of various places, but practically biodiversity is weighted differently for different species, the reason being that some species are deemed more valuable or more interesting than others. One way this ―value‖ or

―interest‖ is assessed is by examining the diversity that exists above the species level, in the genera, families, orders,

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classes, and phyla to which species belong. For example, the count of animal species that live on land is much higher than the count of those that live in the oceans because there are huge numbers of terrestrial insect species; insects comprise many orders and families, and they constitute the largest class of arthropods, which themselves constitute the largest animal phylum. In contrast, there are fewer animal phyla in terrestrial environments than in the oceans. No animal phylum is restricted to the land, but brachiopods, and other animal phyla occur exclusively or predominantly in marine habitats (5).

The number count of species concentrated at one place is the species richness of that place and may not be specific to that place and may have increase and decrease at other places.

There is no unified metric for quantitative measurement. The variety of metrics employed include (6):

1. Species richness (number of species);

2. Population number (number of genetically distinct populations of a particular species defined by analysis of a specific element of its genetic makeup) (7);

3. Genetic diversity (The variation in the amount of genetic information within and among individuals of a population, a species, an assemblage, or a community (8);

4. Species evenness (measurement of how evenly individuals are distributed among species) (9); and

5. Phenotypic (organism

characteristics) variance, (the measurement of the different between the phenotypes within a sample) (6).

2.1 Biodiversity Types

Biodiversity includes three main types:

diversity within species (genetic diversity), between species (species diversity) and between ecosystems (ecosystem diversity).

1. Genetic Diversity: Genetic diversity is 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. Those individuals are more likely to survive to produce offspring bearing that allele. The population will continue for more generations because of the success of these individuals. (10) 2. Species Diversity: Species diversity is defined as the number of species and abundance of each species that live in a particular location. The number of species that live in a certain location is called species richness. There are numerous reasons why species diversity is essential.

Each species has a role in the ecosystem.

For example, bees are primary pollinators.

Imagine what would happen if bees went extinct. Fruits and vegetables could be next, and subsequently the animals that feed off them - this chain links all the way to humans. Various species provide us not only with food but also contribute to clean water, breathable air, fertile soils, climate stability, pollution absorption, building materials for our homes, prevention of disease outbreaks, medicinal resources, and more.

3. Ecosystem Diversity: It is the variation in the ecosystems found in a region or the variation in ecosystems over the whole planet. Ecological diversity includes the variation in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Ecological diversity can also take into account the variation in the complexity of a biological community, including the number of different niches, the number of trophic levels and other ecological processes. An example of ecological diversity on a global scale would be the variation in ecosystems, such as deserts, forests, grasslands, wetlands and oceans.

Ecological diversity is the largest scale of biodiversity, and within each ecosystem, there is a great deal of both species and genetic diversity.

2.2 Importance

Biodiversity underlies everything from food production to medical research.

Humans use at least 40,000 species of plants and animals on a daily basis. Many people around the world still depend on wild species for some or all of their food, shelter and clothing. All our domesticated plants and animals came from wild living ancestral species. In addition, almost 40 percent of the pharmaceuticals used in the United States either are based on or

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are synthesized from natural compounds found in plants, animals or microorganisms.

The array of living organisms found in a particular environment combined with the physical and environmental factors that affect them is an ecosystem. Healthy ecosystems are vital to life; they regulate many of the chemical and climatic systems that make available clean air, clean water and plentiful oxygen. Forests, for example, regulate the amount of carbon dioxide in the air, produce oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis and control rainfall and soil erosion. Ecosystems, in turn, depend on the continued health and vitality of the individual organisms that compose them.

Removing just one species from an ecosystem can prevent the ecosystem from operating optimally.

Biodiversity plays an important role in the way ecosystems function and in the services they provide. The following is a list of some of the benefits, or services, of biodiversity:

 Provisioning services such as food, clean water, timber, fiber and genetic resources

 Regulating services such as climate, floods, disease, water quality and pollination

 Cultural services such as recreational, aesthetic and spiritual benefits

 Supporting services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling It is estimated that there are between 300,000 and 500,000 species of higher plants (i.e flowering and cone bearing plants), of which approximately 250,000 have been identified or described.

The diversity of plant life exists for many reasons - a key factor being adaptive changes which allow different species to thrive in the many varied environments of the world. Plants have developed adaptations for different soil types, methods of pollination, daylight hours, temperature, altitude, competition with other plants. The list is endless, even two plants of the same species, separated by geography will have a different genetic make-up.

Diversity within any population is vital for that population’s survival. If humans were all the same, a single strain

of a particularly nasty cold could wipe us all out!

A small collection of crop plants such as rice, wheat, soybean and potatoes constitute the majority of our dietary intake. However many 1000's of wild plants are used within communities around the world as food, medicines and tools.

As humans we rely on plants and their diversity for all sorts of functions.

Some plants have medicinal properties, some are strong and straight making them ideal construction materials, some taste good and provide us with energy and vitamins. We know that about 30,000 plants are edible and about 7,000 have been cultivated or collected by humans for food at one time or another.

3 INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS In 1972, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment resolved to establish the United Nations Environment Program. Governments signed a number of regional and international agreements to tackle specific issues, such as protecting wetlands and regulating the international trade in endangered species.

Those agreements, along with controls on toxic chemicals and pollution, have helped slow the tide of destruction — but they have not reversed it.

An international treaty known as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora went into effect in 1975 to outlaw the trade of endangered animals and animal parts. In the United States, the Endangered Species Act was enacted in 1973 to protect endangered or threatened species and their habitats. In 1987, the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtl and Commission) concluded that economic development must become less ecologically destructive. Then, in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a set of binding agreements was signed at the Convention on Biological Diversity. It was the first global agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity.

More than 150 governments signed the document at that conference, and since then more than 187 countries have ratified the agreement. The convention has three main goals: the conservation of

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biodiversity, sustainable use of the components of biodiversity and sharing the benefits arising from commercial and other uses of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way.

3.1 Biodiversity Loss

In the world history there have been 5 major mass extinctions of the geology and this have been due to climatic changes, meteorite impacts and physical changes which destroyed the world ecosystems.

But the current extinction of the ecosystem is being done by the humankind. Population explosion is the major reason behind the ecological destruction and disruptness. The total population of the world current stands at more than 7 billion and it is estimated to double itself around 2050. This increase in the population has raised the need for new resources to feed the new population.

The single greatest threat to global biodiversity is the human destruction of natural habitats. Since the invention of agriculture about 10,000 years ago, the human population has increased from approximately five million to the current six billion. During that time, but especially in the past several centuries, humans have radically transformed Earth. The conversion of forests, grasslands and wetlands for agricultural purposes, coupled with the multiplication and growth of urban centers and the building of dams and canals, highways and railways, physically has altered ecosystems to the current alarming pace of species extinction.

3.2 Conservation of Biodiversity The CBD provides a global legal framework for action on biodiversity (11) and is considered a key instrument for sustainable development. Its three main goals are:

1. The conservation of biological diversity;

2. The sustainable use of the components of biological diversity;

3. The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.

It is very important to conserve the biological diversity. Keeping the

natural habitats and ecosystems of the

world in its natural state will help in conserving the biodiversity. We are losing the natural ecosystems, at a very high rate, to fulfill the growing human needs, and this has to stop. People at the lowest level should be trained to keep the natural state of the earth and do not interfere in the natural habitats of the species. This has to be done at the basic level of the human society. We should be aware of the dangers of the mass cutting of the trees and exploitation of the natural resources. The people should be taught to use renewable resources. Selected tree from the forests should be extracted in a way so that they do not interfere with the local habitats. We are on the edge of the sixth mass extinction, If we do not stop now there will be no going back.

3.3 Conservation of Biodiversity - Indian Context

As of today, there are 166 national parks in India. In 1970, there were only 5. And then in 1972 project Tiger was launched and since then many national parks were added to the list. Currently there are about 515 wildlife/animal sanctuaries in India, out of which 48 are governed by Project Tiger.

There are about 410 species of mammals known from India, which is about 9% of the world species. In India there are more cat species than in other country of the world. And about 18,000 species of flowering plants in India, which constitute some 6-7 percent of the total plant species in the world. India is home to more than 50,000 species of plants, including a variety of endemics. The Indian government has stablished 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.

Project Tiger: Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India with the support of WWF-International in 1973 and was the first such initiative aimed at protecting this key species and all its habitats.

Crocodile Conservation: A Crocodile Breeding and Conservation Program was initiated in 1975 to protect the remaining

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population of crocodilians in their natural habitat and by creating breeding centers.

It is perhaps one of the most successful ex situ conservation breeding projects in the country.

Project Elephant: Project Elephant was launched in 1992 to ensure the long-term survival of a viable population of elephants in their natural habitats in north and northeastern India and south India. It is being implemented in 12 States

Orissa – Olive Ridley Turtles: the Orissa Marine Fisheries Regulation Act was passed in 1982. This Act prohibits trawling within 10 km of the coastline throughout the state and makes it mandatory for all trawlers to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs). In 2001, the State Government of Orissa declared that a five month period between January to May should constitute a no-fishing season for a distance of 20 km from the coastline.

3.4 ACTS Passed By India for Conserving Biodiversity

1. Fisheries Act 1897 2. Indian Forests Act 1927

3. Mining and Mineral Development Regulation Act 1957

4. Prevention of cruelty to animals 1960

5. Wildlife protection act 1972

6. Water (prevention and control of pollution) act 1974

7. Forest Conservation Act 1980

8. Air (prevention and control of pollution) act 1981

9. Environment Protection Act 1986 10. Biological Diversity Act 2002

11. Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers (recognition of rights) act 2006.

REFERENCES

1. What is biodiversity? United Nations Environment Program, World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

2. Gaston, Kevin J. (11 May 2000). "Global patterns in biodiversity".

3. Field, Richard; Hawkins, Bradford A.; Cornell, Howard V.; Currie, David J.; Diniz- Filho, J.

(1 January 2009). Alexandre F.; Guégan, Jean-François; Kaufman, Dawn M.; Kerr, Jeremy T.; Mittelbach, Gary G.; Oberdorff, Thierry; O’Brien, Eileen M.; Turner, John R.

G. "Spatial speciesrichness gradients across scales: a metaanalysis". Journal of Biogeography.

4. Young, Anthony. "Global Environmental Outlook 3 (GEO-3): Past, Present and Future Perspectives." The Geographical Journal, vol.

169, 2003, p. 120. Encyclopedia Britannica.

5. Lyashevska O, Farnsworth KD (2012) How many dimensions of biodiversity do we need?

Ecological Indicators 18:485–492

6. Luck GW, Daily GC, Ehrlich PR (2003) Population diversity and ecosystem services.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution 18:331–336 7. UN (1992) Environment and Development

(Terminology bulletin: 344). United Nations, New York, USA.

8. Purvis A, Hector A (2000) Getting the measure of biodiversity. Nature 405:212–9 9. "National Biological Information

Infrastructure". Introduction to Genetic Diversity. U.S. Geological Survey. CBD Secretariat (2013) Introduction.