BIODIVERSITY

BIODIVERSITY• VARIATION OF LIFE AT ALL LEVEL OF BIOLOGICAL

ORGANISATION.

• THE VARIETY AND VARIABILITY AMONG ALL GROUPS OF LIVING

ORGANISMS AND THE ECOSYSTEMS IN WHICH THEY OCCUR

• THE MANIFESTATIONS OF ALL TYPES OF DIVERSITIES ARE

FOUND AT ALL THESE LEVELS OF ORGANISMS.

• THUS ONE CAN DEFINE BIODIVERSITY AS THE DEGREE OF

VARIETY IN NATURE WITH REGARDS TO BIOLOGICAL SPECIES.

BIODIVERSITY IS CLASSIFIED INTO THREE TYPES:

• GENETIC DIVERSITY

• SPECIES DIVERSITY AND

• COMMUNITY OR ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY

GENETIC DIVERSITY

• GENETIC DIVERSITY REFERS TO THE VARIETY OF GENETIC INFORMATION CONTAINED IN ALL OF THE INDIVIDUAL PLANTS, ANIMALS AND MICROORGANISMS.

• GENETIC DIVERSITY OCCURS WITHIN AND BETWEEN POPULATIONS OF SPECIES AS WELL AS BETWEEN SPECIES.

• WITHIN INDIVIDUAL SPECIES, THERE ARE VARIETIES, THAT ARE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM ONE OTHER. THESE DIFFERENCES ARE DUE TO DIFFERENCES IN THE COMBINATION OF GENES.

• GENES ARE THE BASIC UNITS OF HEREDITARY INFORMATION TRANSMITTED FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE OTHER.

• THE WHOLE AREA OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND

DEVELOPMENT DEPEND ON GENETIC DIVERSITY.

• THE PLANT AS WELL AS ANIMAL GENETIC RESOURCES PLAY

IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE ECONOMY OF A COUNTRY.

• GENETIC DIVERSITY IS THE WHOLE BASIS FOR A SUSTAINABLE LIFE

SYSTEM IN THE EARTH.

• SCIENTISTS IN MANY PARTS OF THE WORLD ARE TRYING TO

INTRODUCE GENETICALLY MODIFIED SEEDS IN THE AGRICULTURE

SECTOR FOR BETTER YIELD AS WELL AS FOR THE RESISTANCE OF

DROUGHT AND FLOOD SITUATIONS.

SPECIES DIVERSITY

• A DISCRETE GROUPS OF ORGANISMS OF THE SAME KIND IS

KNOWN AS SPECIES.

• THE SUM OF VARIETIES OF ALL LIVING ORGANISMS AT THE

SPECIES LEVEL IS KNOWN AS SPECIES DIVERSITY.

• THE BIOTIC COMPONENT IS COMPOSED OF A LARGE

NUMBER OF SPECIES OF PLANTS, ANIMALS AND

MICROORGANISMS WHICH INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER

AND WITH THE ABIOTIC COMPONENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT

• THE NUMBER OF SPECIES IN A REGION IS A MEASURE FOR

SUCH DIVERSITY. THE RICHNESS OF SPECIES IN A GIVEN

REGION PROVIDES A YARD STICK FOR SPECIES DIVERSITY.

• SPECIES DIVERSITY DEPENDS AS MUCH ON THE GENETIC

DIVERSITY AS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION.

• THE GOOD CLIMATE WITH GOOD PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

SUPPORTS A BETTER SPECIES DIVERSITY.

• SPECIES RICHNESS IS A TERM WHICH IS USED TO MEASURE

THE BIODIVERSITY OF A GIVEN SITE.

COMMUNITY OR ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY

• A SET OF BIOTIC COMPONENTS (PLANTS, ANIMALS AND

MICROORGANISMS) AND ABIOTIC COMPONENTS (SOIL, AIR,

WATER, ETC) INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER IS KNOWN AS

AN ECOSYSTEM.

• THE DIVERSITY AT AN ECOLOGICAL LEVEL OR HABITAT LEVEL

IS KNOWN AS ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY.

• THIS IS THE NUMBER OF SPECIES IN A COMMUNITY OF

ORGANISMS.

• MAINTAINING BOTH TYPES OF DIVERSITY IS FUNDAMENTAL TO

THE FUNCTIONING OF ECOSYSTEMS AND HENCE TO HUMAN

WELFARE.

• INDIA IS ONE OF THE 12 CENTRES OF DIVERSITY AND ORIGIN OF

SEVERAL CULTIVATED PLANTS IN THE WORLD.

• IT IS ESTIMATED THAT 15,000 SPECIES OF PLANTS OCCUR IN

INDIA. THE FLOWERING PLANTS COMPRISE 15,000 SPECIES OF

WHICH SEVERAL HUNDRED (5000-7500) SPECIES ARE ENDEMIC

TO INDIA.

• THE REGION IS ALSO RICH IN FAUNA, CONTAINING ABOUT 65,000

SPECIES OF ANIMALS.

 

• THESE VARY FROM THE HUMID TROPICAL WESTERN GHATS TO

THE HOT DESERT OF RAJASTHAN, FROM THE COLD DESERT OF

LADAKH AND THE ICY MOUNTAINS OF HIMALAYAS TO THE WARM

COASTS OF PENINSULAR INDIA INCLUDING COASTAL REGION OF

ORISSA.

• THE INDIAN TRADITION TEACHES US THAT ALL FORMS OF LIFE,

HUMAN, ANIMAL AND PLANTS ARE SO CLOSELY LINKED THAT

DISTURBANCE IN ONE GIVES RISE TO IMBALANCE IN THE OTHER.

• OUR OLD SCRIPTURES TELL LOT ABOUT THESE THINGS.

• IN ADDITION TO SPECIES RICHNESS, SPECIES ENDEMISM IS A TERM

USED TO MEASURE BIODIVERSITY BY WAY OF ASSESSING THE

MAGNITUDE OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPECIES.

• IN THE TAXONOMIC SYSTEM SIMILAR SPECIES ARE GROUPED TOGETHER

IN GENERAL, SIMILAR GENERA IN FAMILIES, FAMILIES IN ORDERS AND SO

ON TILL IN THE LEVEL OF KINGDOM.

• THIS PROCESS IS A GENUINE ATTEMPT TO FIND RELATIONSHIPS

BETWEEN ORGANISMS. THE HIGHER TAXA HAVE THOUSANDS OF

SPECIES.

• SPECIES THAT ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER CONTRIBUTES

MORE TO OVERALL BIODIVERSITY.

BIO-GEOGRAPHICAL CLASSIFICATION OF INDIA:

 

• BIOGEOGRAPHY OR BIOLOGICAL GEOGRAPHY IS RELATED TO

ECOLOGY AND ECOSYSTEM OF A REGION.

• ITS STUDIES INCLUDE VARIATION OF FLORA AND FAUNA

OVER THE EARTH SURFACE. IT ALSO ENCOMPASSES STUDY

OF BIOSPHERE AND ITS INTERACTION WITH HUMAN

POPULATION.

• BIOGEOGRAPHY STUDIES CONSIDER PHYTOGEOGRAPHY

(FOREST), ZOOGEOGRAPHY (ANIMALS, INSECTS), PEDOLOGY

(SOIL) HYDROLOGY (WATER), OCEANOGRAPHY (OCEAN).

• MANY OF THE ENDANGERED AND ENDEMIC SPECIES NEED

HUMAN INTERVENTION FOR SURVIVAL. INDIAN GOVERNMENT

THROUGH VARIOUS PROJECTS IS TRYING TO CHECK THIS

PROCESS OF ENDANGERING OF SPECIES.

VALUES OF BIODIVERSITY

ECONOMIC TERMS

ECONOMICALLY THERE ARE MAIN TWO TYPES OF VALUES OF BIODIVERSITY. THEY ARE :

• USE VALUE

DIRECT VALUES

INDIRECT VALUES

OPTION VALUES

• NON USE VALUE

BEQUEST VALUE

EXISTENCE VALUE

THE TOTAL ECONOMIC VALUE APPROACH

u su a lly m e asu reso u tp u t

D ire c t u se va lu es(s tru c tu ra l va lu e s)

u su a lly m e asu resb e n e fits /serv ices

In d irec t use va lu es(fu n ctio n a l va lu e s)

O p tion va lu es

U s e va lu es

B e qu e st va lu es E x iste n ce va lu es

N o n-u se v alu es

Total Econom ic Value

DIRECT VALUES

• DIRECT VALUES ARE CONCERNED WITH THE ENJOYMENT OR

SATISFACTION RECEIVED DIRECTLY BY BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES

• THEY CAN BE RELATIVELY EASILY OBSERVED AND

MEASURED ,OFTEN BY ASSIGNING PRICES TO THEM

• THERE ARE TWO TYPES

CONSUMPTIVE USE (NON-MARKET VALUE)

PRODUCTIVE USE (COMMERCIAL VALUE)

CONSUMPTIVE VALUE

• THE VALUE OF NATURE’S PRODUCTS THAT ARE CONSUMED

DIRECTLY SUCH AS FIREWOODS , FODDER AND MEAT.

• IN OTHER WORDS THE PRODUCTS WHICH ARE CONSUMED

DIRECTLY WITHOUT PASSING THROUGH THE MARKET

• CONSUMPTIVE USE VALUE SELDOM APPEAR IN NATIONAL INCOME

ACCOUNTS.

• THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OF CONSUMPTIVE

USE IS THAT SOME RURAL COMMUNITIES CLOSEST

TO THE FORESTS OR OTHER NATURAL AREAS CAN

PROSPER THROUGH THE SUSTAINABLE HARVESTING

OF WILDLIFE SPECIES.

• HUNTING, DIRECT-CONSUMPTION (E.G.

COLLECTION OF BERRIES, MUSHROOMS, HERBS,

PLANTS) ARE ALL “CONSUMPTIVE USES”

Consumptive use Values:

PRODUCTIVE USE• PRODUCTS THAT ARE COMMERCIALLY HARVESTED FOR EXCHANGE

IN FORMAL MARKETS

• EACH SPECIES IS VALUABLE TO HUMANS.

• THE GLOBAL COLLECTION OF GENES , SPECIES , HABITATS AND

ECOSYSTEMS IS A RESOURCE THAT PROVIDES FOR HUMAN NEEDS

NOW.

• IT IS ALSO ESSENTIAL FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL IN THE FUTURE.

• THIS IS OFTEN THE ONLY VALUE OF BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES THAT

IS REFLECTED IN THE INCOME ACCOUNTS

Productive Use Values

• PRODUCTS SUCH AS ANIMAL

SKINS,IVORY, MEDICINAL

PLANTS,HONEY,BEEWAX,FIBERS,

GUMS,ETC.

INDIRECT VALUES

• IT DEALS PRIMARILY WITH THE FUNCTIONS OR ECOSYSTEMS

• DO NOT NORMALLY APPEAR IN NATIONAL ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS , BUT

THEY MAY OUTWEIGH DIRECT VALUES WHEN THEY ARE COMPUTED

• REFLECTS THE VALUE OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY TO SOCIETY LOCALLY

OR AT LARGE RATHER THAN TO INDIVIDUALS OR CORPORATE ENTITIES.

• DIRECT VALUES OFTEN DERIVE FROM INDIRECT VALUES BECAUSE

HARVESTED SPECIES OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS ARE SUPPORTED GOODS

AND SERVICES PROVIDED BY THEIR ENVIRONMENT

TWO TYPES OF INDIRECT VALUES

• NON CONSUMPTIVE USE

SOCIAL VALUES

ETHICAL VALUES

AESTHETIC VALUES

• OPTION VALUES

NON - CONSUMPTIVE VALUES

• THESE ARE THE INDIRECT VALUES OF

ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONS.

• SUCH AS THE WATERSHED

PROTECTION,

PHOTOSYNTHESIS,REGULATION OR

CLIMATE AND PRODUCTION OF SOIL

• POLLINATION , HABITAT FOR OTHER

SPECIES

SOCIAL VALUE

• BIODIVERSITY IN INDIA,

PARTICULARLY ,IS IMPORTANT FOR ITS

RELIGIOUS,SPIRITUAL AND OTHER

CULTURAL USES.

• MANY PLANTS AND ANIMALS HAVE

RITUAL SIGNIFICANCE

• THE ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM IS UTILIZED

FOR CULTURAL AND SPIRITUAL

PURPOSES.

Some Examples

• AMONG AUSPICIOUS FLOWERS OFFERED IN TEMPLES ARE HIBISCUS OFFERED TO THE GODDESS KALI

• DATURA FLOWERS TO SIVA

• GUJARAT SAMI (PROSOPIS SPICIGERA)IS USED IN SACRIFICIAL FIRES

• SACRED VALUE WAS ATTACHED TO PATCHES OF FOREST BELIEVED TO BE THE ABODE OF GODS AND ANCESTORS, AND UTILIZED ONLY FOR PRAYER AND RELATED RITUALS.

• A NETWORK OF SUCH SACRED GROVES IS STILL IN EVIDENCE IN SOME PARTS OF INDIA

ETHICAL VALUES

• ALTHOUGH ECONOMIC ARGUMENTS CAN BE ADVANCED TO

JUSTIFY THE PROTECTION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY, THERE

ARE ALSO STRONG ETHICAL ARGUMENTS FOR DOING SO.

• PROTECTING BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY CAN BE JUSTIFIED ON

ETHICAL GROUNDS AS WELL AS ON ECONOMIC GROUNDS.

• ETHICAL ARGUMENTS ASSERT THAT HUMANS HAVE A DUTY

TO PROTECT SPECIES BASED ON THEIR INTRINSIC VALUE,

UNRELATED TO HUMAN NEEDS

• PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHTS TO DESTROY SPECIES AND

SHOULD TAKE ACTION TO PREVENT THEIR EXTINCTION

• THE LOSS OF ONE SPECIES HAVE FAR-REACHING

CONSEQUENCES TO BIOLOGICAL COMMUNITY AND HUMAN

SOCIETY.

• PEOPLE MUST LEARN TO LIVE WITHIN THE ECOLOGICAL

CONSTRAINTS OF THE PLANET.

• MUST LEARN TO MINIMIZE THE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE AND

TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTION

• PEOPLE ALSO HAVE RESPONSIBILITY TO FUTURE GENERATIONS

OF HUMANS TO KEEP THE EARTH IN GOOD CONDITION.

AESTHETIC VALUES

• REGARDLESS OF OUR OWN MATERIAL SELF-INTEREST , WE

SHOULD TREAT NATURE RESPECTFULLY.

• ENLIGHTENED SELF INTEREST, ARGUING THAT PRESERVING

BIODIVERSITY AND DEVELOPING OUR KNOWLEDGE OF IT WILL

MAKE US BETTER AND HAPPIER PEOPLE.

• NEARLY EVERYONE ENJOYS WILDLIFE AND JOY MAKES OUR

LIVES GOOD LIVES.

• A LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY COULD VERY WELL LIMIT THE

CREATIVE ENERGIES OF PEOPLE IN THE FUTURE AND THUS

RESTRICT THE DEVELOPMENT.

Some Examples

• THE BEAUTY OF WILDFLOWERS IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK .

• HIKING , CANOEING AND MOUNTAIN CLIMBING ARE PHYSICALLY INTELLECTUALLY AND EMOTIONALLY SATISFYING.

• PEOPLE SPEND TENS OF BILLONS OF DOLLARS ANNUALLY IN THESE PURSUITS, PROOF ENOUGH OF THEIR VALUE.

OPTION VALUE• THE INTANGIBLE VALUES OF BIODIVERSITY .

• THAT IS KEEPING OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE AND SIMPLY

KNOWING THAT CERTAIN SPECIES EXIST .

• A SPECIES POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT TO

HUMAN SOCIETY AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE IS ITS OPTION

VALUE.

• AS THE NEEDS OF THE SOCIETY CHANGE , SO MUST THE

METHODS OF SATISFYING THOSE NEEDS.

• THE OPTION VALUE OF SPECIES COULD BE ONLY RECENTLY

UTILIZED BY HUMAN BEINGS

Some Examples

• HEALTH AGENCIES AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES ARE MAKING A MAJOR EFFORT TO COLLECT AND SCREEN SPECIES FOR COMPOUNDS THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO FIGHT CANCER.

• IN SOME CASES WELL KNOWN SPECIES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE EXACTLY THOSE PROPERTIES NEEDED TO DEAL WITH A SIGNIFICANT HUMAN PROBLEM

NON-USE VALUES

• BEQUEST VALUE: THE CURRENT GENERATION PLACES VALUE ON

ENSURING THE AVAILABILITY OF BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM

FUNCTIONING TO FUTURE GENERATIONS. THIS IS DETERMINED BY

A PERSON’S CONCERN THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS SHOULD HAVE

ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES. IT INDICATES A

PERCEPTION OF BENEFIT FROM THE KNOWLEDGE THAT

RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES ARE BEING PASSED TO

DESCENDANTS.

NON – USE VALUES• EXISTENCE VALUE: THIS IS THE BENEFIT, OFTEN REFLECTED AS A SENSE OF WELL

BEING, OF SIMPLY KNOWING MARINE BIODIVERSITY EXISTS, EVEN IF IT IS NEVER

UTILISED OR EXPERIENCED, PEOPLE SIMPLY DERIVE BENEFIT FROM THE KNOWLEDGE

OF ITS EXISTENCE. THE CONSIDERABLE IMPORTANCE WHICH THE WIDER PUBLIC

ATTACH TO MAINTAINING DIVERSE MARINE LIFE IS REVEALED THROUGH THEIR

INTEREST IN MARINE BASED MEDIA PRESENTATIONS, SUCH AS THE ‘‘BLUE PLANET’’. IN

ADDITION, ARTICLES ON COLD WATER CORALS FREQUENTLY APPEAR IN THE MEDIA

DESPITE THE FACT THE MAJORITY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC WILL NEVER SEE A COLD

WATER CORAL, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THEM AND BENEFIT FROM THEIR

EXISTENCE.

THE VALUE OF A TREE

• THE TREE THAT LIVES FOR 50 YEARS GENERATES RS 5.3 LAKHS

WORTH OF OXYGEN , RECYCLES RS 6.4 LAKHS WORTH OF

FERTILITY , FACILITATES RS.6.4 LAKHS WORTH OF SOIL EROSION

CONTROL , CREATES RS 10.5 LAKHS WORTH OF AIR POLLUTION

CONTROL , AND PROVIDES RS 5.3 LAKHS WORTH OF SHELTER FOR

BIRDS AND ANIMALS . BESIDES , IT PROVIDES FLOWERS , FRUITS

AND TIMBER .SO WHEN ONE TREE FALLS OR IS FELLED SOMETHING

WORTH MORE THAN RS.33.9 LAKHS IS LOST

THINK BEFORE CUTTING A TREE

BIODIVERSITY AT GLOBAL LEVEL

• CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATES OF THE EXISTING BIODIVERSITY

IS TEN MILLION SPECIES, BUT IF ESTIMATES FOR INSECTS

ARE CORRECT THEN IT COULD BE AROUND 30 MILLION

SPECIES, WE HAVE TILL NOW ENLISTED ABOUT 1.4 MILLION

SPECIES.

• IT INCLUDES AMONG OTHERS ABOUT 98% BIRDS, 95%

REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS, 90% FISH AND ABOUT 85%

HIGHER PLANTS KNOWN TO EXIST ON THIS EARTH 

BIODIVERSITY AT NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS

• INDIA HAS OVER 108,276 SPECIES OF BACTERIA, FUNGI,

PLANTS AND ANIMALS ALREADY IDENTIFIED AND

DESCRIBED. OUT OF THESE, 84 PERCENT SPECIES

CONSTITUTE FUNGI (21.2 PERCENT), FLOWERING PLANTS

(13.9 PERCENT), AND INSECT (49.3 PERCENT). IN TERMS OF

THE NUMBER OF SPECIES, THE INSECTA ALONE CONSTITUTE

NEARLY HALF OF THE BIODIVERSITY IN INDIA

BIODIVERSITY OF INDIA

INDIA AS A MEGADIVERSITY NATION

• MEGA BIODIVERSITY IS A CONCEPT FIRST PROPOSED AT

SMITHSONIAN'S 1988 BIODIVERSITY CONFERENCE.

• INDIA IS ONE OF THE 12 MEGA DIVERSITY COUNTRIES OF THE

WORLD

• IT HAS 47,000 SPECIES OF PLANTS AND 81,000 SPECIES OF

ANIMALS

• HOUSES MANY ENDEMIC PLANTS AND ANIMALS

• CENTRE OF ORIGIN OF MANY FLOWERING AND CROP PLANTS

• GREAT MARINE DIVERSITY DUE TO 7500KM LONG COASTLINE

• SINCE INDIA HAS ALL TYPES OF CLIMATIC REGIONS, ITS

BIODIVERSITY IS VERY HIGH

• OCCUPIES 10TH RANK AMONG PLANT RICHNESS

• 11TH IN NUMBER OF ENDEMIC SPECIES OF HIGHER

VERTEBRATES

• 6TH IN CENTERS OF DIVERSITY AND ORIGIN OF FOOD CROPS

BIODIVERSITY IN INDIA

• INDIA CURRENTLY HAS 80 NATIONAL PARKS

• NATIONAL PARKS HOUSE LARGEST NUMBER OF TIGERS

FOUND IN THE WORLD

• 500 SPECIES OF MAMMALS, 2000 SPECIES OF BIRDS, OVER

500 SPECIES OF REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS AND AROUND

30000 SPECIES OF INSECTS

THANK YOU