2. Biodiversity
Bio-Living Diversity –variety
The term biological diversity is first coined by Thomas
lovejoy in 1980
Biodiversity is a measure of the relative diversity among
organisms present in different ecosystems.
3. Biodiversity levels
Genetic: it is the presence of diversity of genes among the
species. There is genetic variability among the populations
and the individuals of the same species.
Ex – Colour of the rose.
Species diversity :It is the diversity of species. Itcan be seen by
number of plants ,animals in an area.
Ecosystem Diversity :The diversity at a level of organization
Diversity among the plants' and animals in the forest, Lakes
Rivers and Oceans
4. Values of Biodiversity
• It is in terms of commercial utility, ecological services,
social & aesthetic Values
• Given by McNeely et al. 1990.
5. Consumptive Value
The diversity of organisms provide food, clothing
,shelter, medicine , paper, sports goods, beverages,
tourism and raw material for business prospects.
About 90% of present day food crops have been
domesticated from wild plants
Particular wild animals are also source of food.
Drugs & Medicines:75% world’s population is
dependent on plants or plant extracts for medicines
6. Consumptive Value
Tetracyclin- from bacterium ,Quinine – from Cinchona
Tree- medicine for Malaria, Digitalin- from foxglove- for
Heart Ailments ,vinblastin & vincristine – Anti-Cancer
Alkaloids
Fuel: . Firewood collected by individuals are direct
consumptive value
7. Productive Values
• These are commercially usable values where the
product is marketed & sold
• Musk Deer- production of Musk , Silk Worm- Silk,
wool from sheep, lac from insects.
• Many industries are dependent on these products, e.g.
pulp & paper industry, silk industry, ivory work, pearl
industry, leather industry.
9. Ethical Value
• “All Life must be preserved” based on “Live and let live”.
• This means we don’t use the species directly or
indirectly, but we feel sorry about the loss of a species.
• E.g. Passenger Pigeon or Dodo
• They have a existence value
• Also interfering in the natures build like cloning of
animals including human being, genetically
engineered microbes
10. Aesthetic Value
• It is related to the beauty of Biodiversity
• The pleasure, excitement and visual peace of any area
• Concept of Eco-tourism is helpful in preventing natural
ecowealth conditions and natural biodiversity.
11. Option Value
• This includes the potentials of biodiversity that are
presently unknown and need to be explored.
• Important ecosystem services and uses for plants and
animals are still unknown and await discovery.
• This biological resources will be of imporatnce in future if
not today
• Eg. Marine animals – anti cancer drugs
12. Ecosystem ValueServices done by the ecosystem
• regulation of water flows
• purification/detoxification of soil, water, air
• nutrient cycling
• controls on pests & pathogens
• pollination of flowers & crops
• biodiversity maintenance
• climate regulation (evapotranspiration, reflectivity, &
carbon sequestration)
13. India – as a Mega-Diversity Nation
• India is one of the twelve-mega-biodiversity countries of
the world.
• With only 2.4 per cent of the land area, India already
accounts for 7 to 8 percent of the recorded species of the
world.
• Over 47,000 species of plants and 81,000 species of
animals have been recorded by the Botanical Survey of
India and the Zoological Survey of India,
14. India – as a Mega-Diversity Nation
• Marine Diversity: India has 7500 Km long coastline
having (mangroves, estuaries, coral reefs, black waters)
rich biodiversity.
• Around 340 species of corals are found in India
• Rich in Mollusks, crustaceans, polychaetes, corals
• 93 major wetlands, Large Forest Cover.
16. Global Biodiversity
• Currently about 1.9 million species are known,
• Currently there are more than 91,520 species on The IUCN
Red List,
• more than 25,820 are threatened with extinction,
including
• 41% of amphibians,
• 34% of conifers,
• 33% of reef building corals,
• 25% of mammals and 13% of birds.
17. Indian Biodiversity
• India is one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world.
• 2.4% of the land area, accounting for 7-8% of the species
of the world.
• 10th among plant rich countries
• 11th in number of endemic species of higher vertebrates
• 6th in terms of centres of diversity
18. Indian Biodiversity
Ministry of Environment and Forests records
• 47000 plants: 7% of global.
• 91000 species of mammals: 6.5% of global.
• Large numbers have ENDEMIC - ORIGINATED in India
• 5000 flowering plants..
• 340 corals
19. Types of Biodiversity
• This type of biodiversity can be characterized in
richness of four types based on their spatial distribution
• Point Richness- species that are found at one single
point
• Alpha (α)- richness) – number of species found in
small homogeneous area.
20. Types of Biodiversity
• Beta (β )– richness) - refers to rate of change in species
composition across different habitats. Cumulative no. of
species increases in heterogeneous habitats.
• Gamma (γ )- Richness – refers to the rate of change
across large composition gradients
21. Biodiversity Hotspots
• A biodiversity hotspot are characterized by high
concentrations of endemic species and are
experiencing unusually rapid rates of habitat
modifications or loss.
• Areas which exhibit high species richness as well as
endemism are termed as Hotspots of Biodiversity.
• Myers introduced this term, now there are 35 out of
these two are in India.
22. Biodiversity Hotspots
• About 40% terrestrial & 25 % vertebrate are endemic found
in this hotspots
• After tropical rain forests the second highest number
endemic species are found in Mediterranean
• These hotspots are threatened by human activities. More
than 1 billion people most whom are desperately poor
people, live in these areas
24. List of Hotspots
Sr. No Name of Hotspots Sr. No Name of Hotspots
1 Tropical Andes 19 Indo-Burma
2 Mesoamerican Forests 20 South Central China
3 Caribbean 21 Western Ghats
4 Brazil’s Atlantic Forest 22 South-Western Australia
5 Choc/Darien of Panama Western Ecuador 23 New Caledonia
6 Brazil’s Cerrado 24 New Zealand
7 Central Chile 25 Polynesia/Micronesia
8 California Floristic Province 26 The Madrean Pine-Oak woodlands
9 Madagascar 27 Maputaland-Pondoland Albany
10 Eastern Arc & Coastal forest of Tanzania/
Kenya
28 The eastern Afromontane
11 Western African Forest 29 The Horn Africa
12 Cape Floristic Province 30 The Irano-Anatolian
13 Succulent Karoo 31 The Muntains of Central Asia
14 Mediterranean Basin 32 Eastern Himalaya
15 Caucasus 33 Japan
16 Sundaland 34 East Melanesiaan Islands
17 Wallacea
18 Phillipines