BIODIVERSITY CONVERSION

1. Submitted To- A.SIDIQUE
Submitted by- S.RANJAN

2. Biodiversity term popularised by the sociobiologist
“EDWARD WILSON” in 1988
According to U. S. Office of Technology assessment
(1987) “Biological diversity is the variety and
variability among living organisms and ecological
complex in which they occur”.
Biodiversity refers to the totality of genes,
species,and ecosystem of a region or combined
diversity at all the levels of biological
organisation.

3. Genetic diversity
Species diversity
Ecosystem diversity
 Genetic diversity refers to the variation of genes within species; the
variation could be in alleles(different variants of same genes),in entire genes(
trait that represent characteristics),or in chromosomal structure
Genetic diversity enables a population to adapt to its environment and to
respond to natural selection
If a species has more genetic diversity, it can adapt better to the changed
environmental condition
A amount of genetic variation is the basis of speciation(evolution of species)

4. Species diversity refers to the variety of species within a region or number
of species per unit area
 Measurement of species diversity depend on species richnesss and sp
species evenness or equitablity
Species richness—number of species per unit area of
the site.Greater the species richness greater is the
species diversity.
Species evenness– number of individuals among the
species may also vary,resulting into differences in
evenness and consquently in diversity.
EXAMPLE- Fig shown below of different sample area

5. IUCN Photo Library © Jim Thorsell
 Ecological diversity refers to the variety of species at a level
of community and ecosystem.
It describes the number of niches ,trophic levels and various
ecological process that sustain energy flow, food web and
recycling of nutrients.
 It has three perspectives.
 Alpha diversity (within community)
 Beta diversity (between community)
 Gamma diversity(in a region)

6. The biological wealth of our planet has been
declining rapidly and the accusing finger is clearly
pointing to human activities.
The colonasation of tropical pacific islands by
humans is said to have led to the extinction of more
than 2000 species of birds.
The IUCN RED LIST(2004) documents the extinction
of 784 species (including 338 vetebrates,359
invetebrates, 87 plants) in the last 500 years.
Example- some recent extinctions
dodo(Mauritius),quagga (Africa),steller ‘s sea cow
(Russia), and some tiger subspecies

7.  The greatest threat to a species is the loss, degradation
and fragmentation of where it lives.

8.  Most dramatic examples of habitat loss come from
tropical rain forests
Once covering more than 14% of the earth’s land
surface , these rain forests now cover no more than 6
%.
 The Amazon rain forest ( “lungs of plannet”)
harbouring probably millions of species are being cut
and cleared for cultivatin soya bean.
 The mangrove forest (“ kidney of forest”) are also
distroyed by human activities and distroyed the
habitat of microbes.

9. Human have always dependend on nature for food and
shelter,but when ‘need ‘ turns to ‘greed’, it leads to over
exploitation of natural resources. Example : --
Wood and fibre
provide basic
materials for
livelihoods
Example, illegal
logging in Ghana

10. When alien species are introduced unintensionally or
deliberately for whatever purpose, some of the turn
invasive, and cause decline or extinction of indigenous
species.
When Nile perch
introduced into lake
victoria led eventually to
the extintion of an
ecological unique
assemblage of more
than200 species of cichlid
fish in the lake.

11.  During the long period( >3 billion) since the origin
and diversification of life on earth there were 5
episodes of mass extinction of species
6th extinction presently in progress different from the
previous episodes. The current species extinction rates
are estimated to be 100- 1000 times faster than the pre
human times and our activities are responsible for the
faster rate.
 Three type of extinction process.
Natural extinction(change in environmental
condition)
Mass extinction( due to catastrophes)
 Anthropogenic extinction( human activities)

12. Percentage threatened
13%
22%
32%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
birds mammals amphibians
Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species,
www.iucnredlist.org
Amphibians are
a key indicator
that something is
wrong with the
environment
because they are
extremely
sensitive to
changes in the
ecosystem.
[note Threatened: in the Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN) and Critically Endangered
(CR) categories of the IUCN Red List].

13. Most people are beginning to recognise that diversity at all
levels-gene pool, species, and biotic commounity- is important
and needs to be conserved.
We have a moral duty to look after our plannet and pass it on in
a good health to our future generation.

14. In India ecologically unique and biodiversity rich regions are
legally protected as 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and
448wild life sanctuaries.
Name & location Important animals found
Yellow stone national park(America) World first national park
Jim corbett National park(Nainital) Tiger, elephant (Indian first national park)
Desert national park (Jaisalmer)
Kanha national park(Mandla and
Balaghat)
Great Indian bustard , black buck,
Tiger, panter chinkara four horned deer.

15.  The ex situ conservation is the protection of wild life in zoos
,botanical gardens, gene banks, ger plasm bank,seed bank and
tissue culture.
Now gametes of threatened species can be preserved in viable
and fertile condition for long periods using cryopreservation( -
196’c ) techniques, eggs can be fertilised in vitro, and plants can
be propagated usin g tissue culture methods.
There are more than 1500 botanical gardens and arboreta in the
world containing more than 80000 species.
There are more than 800 profesionally managed zoos around the
world with about 3000 species of mammals, birds,reptiles and
amphibians.

16. The Earth Summit held in 1992 at Rio de Jeneiero(Brazil)
resulted into a convention on biodiversity
Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species (CITES) -
1975. Regulated trade in living specimens and products derived from
treatened species
Endangered Species Act- Establish in 1973
ESA regulates a wide range of activities involving endangered
species:
Taking (harassing, harming, pursuing, hunting, shooting,
killing, capturing, or collecting) either accidentally, or on
purpose.
Selling
Importing into or Exporting out of the U.S.
Possessing
Transporting or Shipping