Prepared By:

Dr. Vikas Rena

Faculty, AEC: Environmental
Science- Theory Into Practice II
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 Value of Biodiversity
o The diversity of organism provide many ecological services free of cost for the
health of ecosystem and human too.
o The biodiversity is the source of food, medicine, pharmaceutical, drugs, fibers,
rubber, timber and natural products that sustain global trade.
o So, there are a lot of direct and indirect benefits derive by Human from living
world.
Primitive Society- Direct- Food, Clothing and Shelter
Industrialized Society- Direct + Indirect- global trade
o The multiple uses of biodiversity has been classified by MCNeely et al. in 1990
as described below:
1. Consumptive use value
2. Productive use value
3. Social value
4. Ethical and Moral value
5. Aesthetic value
6. Option value
7. Ecosystem Service Value
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 1. Consumptive use
Direct utilization of timber, food, fuelwood and fodder by
local communities.
• Food:
 Out of several edible plants species, only less than 20
plant species are cultivated to produce about 85% of
world food.
 Wheat, corn and rice are three most important crop
provide carbohydrate for two-third of human population.
 Forest dwellers needs food, building material, fodder,
medicines and variety of other products for daily use.
 Fisher-folk are completely dependent upon fish.
 Plant account for more than 80% of human diet.
 Fish provide about 3 billion people with most of their
intake of animal protein.

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Contd…
• Drugs and medicines:
 Plantago(Plant)- Isabgol- Bowel Disorder
 Extract of cherry and horhound- cough ailment
 Penicillium (Fungus)- Penicillin- To treat infections caused by bacteria
 Cinchona (Tree) – Quinine- Malaria
 Foxglove (Plant)- Digitaline- Heart Ailments
 Periwinkle (Plant) and Mayapple- Vinblastin and Vincristine-
Anticancer
 The AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) drug AZT
(azidothymidine), for example, is a synthetic derivative of a
compound from a sponge.
• Fuel:
 Fossil fuels, coal, petroleum and natural gas – Fossilized
biodiversity
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 Deriving products from ecosystem which could be used as marketable goods

2. Productive use value

• It comprises the derivative of food product as marketable goods.
• For pharmacist: the biodiversity act as raw material for new drug identified from
plant and animals.
• For industrialist: the biodiversity act as storehouse to develop new products.
• For the agricultural scientist: the biodiversity in the wild use for developing better
crops.
• The pharmaceuticals industries are very much dependent on identification of great
economic value compound of wild species of plant in undisturbed natural forest.

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Contd..
• Plants supply oils and lubricants, perfumes and fragrances,
dyes, paper, lumber, waxes, rubber and other elastic latexes,
resins, poisons, cork, and fibers.
• Animals provide wool, silk, fur, leather, lubricants, waxes, and
transportation, and they are important in medical research.
• Other derived products: Example: tusks of elephants, musk
from musk deer, silk from silk-worm, wool from sheep, fur of
many animals, lac from lac insects etc

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 Commonly used modern drugs derived from plant sources
Drug Plant source Use

Atropine Belladonna Anticholinergic; reduces

intestinal pain in diarrhea

Caffeine Tea, Coffee Stimulant

Codeine, Morphine Opium poppy Analgesic

Camphor Camphor tree Rubefacient: Increase local

blood supply

Menthal Mint Rubefacient: Increase local

blood supply, reduce pain

Papain Papaya Dissolve exess protein and

muscle during digestion

Penicillin penicillum fungi Antibiotic

Quinine Yellow cinchona Antimalarial

Reserpine Indian snakeroot

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 3. Social value
 The value associated with the social life, customs, religion and psycho-spiritual
aspect of the people
 The social and cultural value of biodiversity is devoted to preserve the
resources by traditional society.
 Many sacred plant and animals which are worshipped in India.
 Plants: Tulsi, Peepal, Mango, lotus, Bael etc.
 Animal species : cow, Bull snake, peacock, owl etc.

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 4. Ethical and Moral values
 The strongest ethical consideration involving
the value of organisms is how humans
perceive themselves in relation to other
species.
 It is based on the importance of protecting of
all forms of life with the concept of on the
concept of "Live and Let Live".
 Every creature of the earth has right to live on
the earth. We are one of a species out of this.
So, we don’t have right to destroy this. We
should conserve this.
 Natural worship is an age old tribal belief
based on the premise that all creations of
nature have to be protected.
 A large number of sacred grooves found in
several states of India which is preserved by
tribal people.
 The sacred grooves around these sites act as
gene banks for wild plants.
e.g. Kovil Kadu, Sacred grooves of Sikkim

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 5. Aesthetic value
• Biodiversity not only contribute to human survival and physical comfort; they
also provide mental health benefits, recreation, inspiration, and spiritual
solace
• The biodiversity has great aesthetic value
• Another reason to preserve the biodiversity is the its inherent value and
beauty.
• Any natural activities and its vicinity attract us. For example, listening the
birds, watching a complex web of spider, flowing of river, fish feeding etc.
• The symbol and vehicles of God and Goddess in Hinduism have very
important and devotional value.
– Example: Mouse is the vehicle of Lord Ganesha, Snakes as a symbol of
Lord Shiva etc.
– The presence of Tulsi in our courtyard of household for centuries
• Sacred plant in Indian village: Pipal (Ficus Religiosa), Khejri (Prosopis
cineraria) etc.
• Ecotourism
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 6. Option value
• The value include the potential of biodiversity that are presently unknown and
need to be explored. So, Keeping this value open for future is known as option
value.
• More than330,000 plant species are known, but at least 250,000 of themhave
not been assessed for their industrial, medicinal, or agricultural potential. The
same is true of most of the millions of microorganisms, fungi, and animals.
• There is a possibility that we may have some potential cure for AIDS or
cancer existing within the depths of a marine ecosystem, or a tropical
rainforest.
• For example: the production of Biofuels from Jatropha sp. or any other
species can be an alternative of fossil fuel for automobile in future.

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 7. Ecosystem Service Value
• The value of biodiversity include prevention of soil erosion,
prevention of floods, maintenance of soil fertility, cycling of
nutrients, fixation of nitrogen, cycling of water, role of ecosystem as
carbon sinks, pollutant absorption and reduction of threat of global
warming etc.
• Forests are not just a potential source of lumber; forests provide
watersheds from which we obtain fresh water, control the number
and severity of local floods, and reduce soil erosion.

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 The American alligator helps maintain
populations of smaller fishes by eating the gar, a
fish that preys on them. Alligators dig underwater
holes that other aquatic organisms use during
droughts when the water level is low. The nest
mounds they build are enlarged each year and
eventually form small islands colonized by trees
and other plants. In turn, the trees on these
islands support heron and egret populations. The
alligator habitat is maintained in part by
underwater “gator trails,” which help clear out
aquatic vegetation that might eventually form a
marsh.

Many flowering plant species depend on insects to transfer pollen for

reproduction. Animals, fungi, and microorganisms help keep the populations of
various species in check so that the numbers of one species do not increase enough
to damage the stability of the entire ecosystem. Soil dwellers, from earthworms to
bacteria, develop and maintain soil fertility for plants. Bacteria and fungi perform
the crucial task of decomposition, which allows nutrients to cycle in the
ecosystem. ©VR