LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

Life Variety

“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 part; this includes diversity
within species, between species and of ecosystems.”
(Source: IUCN, 1998)
• Ecological Balance • Recreation
• Cycling of nutrients • Education and
• Biological Research
Productivity • Food/Drink • Traditional Values
• Regulation of • Fuel
climate • Medicine
• Clean air and water • Industrial Material
 SPECIES
DIVERSITY

ECOSYSTEM
DIVERSITY
GENETIC DIVERSITY
 ‘Loss of Biodiversity’ represent ‘Extinction or death of life species’.

 80% of the original forest , covered the earth 8,000 years ago, has
been cleared and damaged.

 Over 12,000 Species are threatened with Extinction around the world.

 At risk of extinction are one third of amphibians, one quarter of

conifers, one quarter of mammals and about one eighth of birds.

 35% of all mangroves worldwide were destroyed within just 20

years.

 25% of all marine fish stocks are endangered, more than 50% are
already exploited.
(Source: Conservation of Urban Biodiversity and Ecosystem, World Bank)
 DODO (Mauritius) QUAGGA(Africa)

THYLACINE(Australia) STELLAR’s SEA COW (Russia)

 The Giant Panda Ivory Billed Woodpecker Java Rhinos

Northern Sportive Lemur Little Dodo Bird Kakapo Parrot

(Source: CJ Vörösmarty et al. Nature 467, 555-561 (2010) doi:10.1038/nature09440)
(Source: World Bank)
( Source: World Conservation Monitoring
Centre)
 International Actions:
• Convention on Biological diversity (CBD) is a multilateral treaty signed by
154 countries with the three main aims:
I. Conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity)
II. Sustainable use of its components
III. Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources.

• National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAP)

• International Organization for Biological Control

• Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA)

• International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and

Agriculture

• World Conservation Monitoring Centre

(Source: Scenario of Biodiversity Conservation in India)
House Garden Botanical Garden

Cryo Preservation Seed Banks

 When an umbrella species is protected in the wild, many other species
of the same habitat come under the umbrella of protection, too.

 Help to select the location of potential reserves for the endangered

species.
 An area that supports an especially high number of species
endemic to the area, found nowhere else in the world.

 Advantages of Biodiversity Hotspots:

I. Ensure areas with the highest level of biodiversity.

II. Substantial levels of rare species are conserved and protected.
III.Marks area under threat in developing countries where
conservation cost are vey less. (Cheap labor)
IV.Conserve marine ecosystem besides conserving terrestrial
biodiversity.
 Disadvantages of Biodiversity Hotspots:
I. Distribution of area protected is uneven. (Focus on tropical rainforest
while Tundra, Taiga and Temperate forest excluded).
II. Huge areas of the world are not covered e.g. Arctic Ocean.
III.Follow protectionist approach i.e. try to relocate people in order to
reserve the area.
( Source: California Academy of Science)
 Incorporate improvement to the lives of local people while
conserving areas through the creation of national parks or wildlife
refuges.

 Combines local peoples traditional knowledge of the environment

with modern scientific knowledge of scientists.

 Increased biodiversity and better management of the protected area.

 Makes efforts more complex but will be more successful in long run.
Benefits of Community Based Conservation
 Biodiversity is important for the existence of life and maintaining
ecological balance.

 If the Biodiversity got lost at its increasing rate then in the

upcoming future, the survival of human being will be threatened.
Hence, it is our moral duty to conserve Biodiversity as well our
Environment.

 Long-term maintenance of species and their management requires

co-operative efforts across entire landscapes.

 Biodiversity should be dealt with at scale of habitats or ecosystems

rather than at species level.