Sreeremya.s

• For the past two decades, an increasing number of studies have focused and been published on biodiversity. This is principally due to the fact that the world’s flora and fauna are disappearing at rates greater than the historical mass extinction events (Chapin III et al., 2001). As recently suggested by Thomas et al. (2004), there is an 18% to 40% risk of species-level extinction resulting majorly from global warming and drastic change happening in the climatic conditions. Moreover, other processes such as agricultural expansion, for example, in response to an increasing demand for food have a negative impact on biodiversity as a result of habitat destruction (Tilman et al., 2001).

• Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms: the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, their genes and the ecosystems of which they are a part.

• Genetic diversity-the total genetic information contained in the genes of all species.

• Species Diversity-The variety of species, refers to the number of species and the number of individuals in a species.

• Ecosystem Diversity- the variety of habitats natural communities and ecological processes.

• The National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia’s Biological Diversity

• Natural Heritage Trust• Wild life reserves- e.g. National Parks.• Flora and Fauna guarantee act• Endangered species Program• Quarantine• Education• Breeding Programs

• Biodiversity is one of the earth’s greatest treasures. Microorganisms represent a largely untapped source of novel bioactive compounds and metabolic pathways which could be exploited for new biotechnological applications and products. Microbes and their activities may also promote or alleviate climate change apart from its application in pharmacy, agriculture and industrial fields. Microbes can perform numerous functions essential for biosphere like nutrient recycling and environmental detoxification. Exploitation of microbial diversity has an important role in sustainable development worth millions of rupees.

• Compared to plants and animals, microbes are least explored since they are mostly considered as pathogens and very little is known about their beneficial potentiality. There is a lack of understanding especially in microbial interaction with the environment [2]. Hence, there arises an urgent need to raise the public awareness about its economic value by taking effective measures in exploiting and conserving the microbial diversity.

• An attempt has been made to discuss about the strategy of microbial screening and its applications along with future innovative practices that has to be undertaken in order to conserve its diversity.

II. PURPOSE

• Research in microbial biodiversity helps in exploiting the limitations of microbes that are in extreme conditions. Studies about their diversities can be used to monitor environmental changes and conservation of higher organisms. As mentioned in Fig 1, the microbes are the major sources of beneficial potential.

• Discovery of several novel genes isolated from new microbes provided phylogenetic similarities and evolutionary relationship among divergent groups of microorganisms which nurture the environment on which human society depend