Unit IV
Biodiver sit y
1.
Th e geol ogical tim e scal e
From the beginning to now
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Th e ear t h h as a cl ock
❧ A mass extinction is where a large number of species
are wiped out over a short period of geological time.
❧ Over time the earth has seen five great extinctions.
❧ Each one wiped out 80 – 90% of existing species.
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2.
Biodiver sity
Measure of health and variance
“
The variability among the living
organisms in a unit area or the
variety of lifeforms in a
ecosystem.
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Th er e ar e t h r ee t ypes
Habitat Biodiversity Species Biodiversity Genetic Biodeversity
The variety of habitats The variety of species The variation of genes
occuring in a within a region within an individual
geographical system species.
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Th e ear t h h as a cl ock
❧ The greater variety leads to greater stability
❧ There are more resources to the sustainably tapped
❧ The conservation of biodiversity is essential for the
well being of human life.
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2.
Biogeogr aph ic cl assification of
India
There are 10 regions
Trans Himalayan
Cold Desert
Himalayan valleys
Thar Desert
NE Region
Terai Region
Semi Arid
Deccan Plateau
Western and Gangetic and
Eastern Ghats Brahmaputra plains
Coastal Belt 11
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
Biol ogical
Hotsopts
Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas
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West er n Gh at s
1600
Endemic Flowering Plants
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3.
Meth ods of Conser vation
In and Ex- situ
Th er e ar e t wo t ypes
In -situ Ex-situ
The species to be conserved is The species is removed and
retained in its natural habitat placed in a secure location for
and the area as a whole is the purpose of conservation
protected
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Biosphere Reserves
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National Parks
543
Wildlife Sanctuaries
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Biosph er e Reser ves
What is it?
Name Est. year
These reserves protect very
Nilgiri 2000
large [Link] more than
Sundarbans 2001
5000 sq. km
Nanda Devi 2004
Panna 2020
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Nat ional Par ks
What is it?
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve
Usually a small reserve
covering about 100– 150 sq.
km. Within a biosphere
reserve, one or more national Bandipur Mudhumalai
parks can exist
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Core Innermost Region
No movement allowed
Area
Reserve
Forest
Buffer Middle region
Restricted Movement
Zone
Outermost region
Free Movement of People
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Two Im por t ant Ter m inol ogies
Flagship Species Keystone Species
A culturally or socially A species within an ecosystem
significant plant or animal that is absolutely essential for
which is treated as the ‘Face’ of its stability. Removal of this
a conservation [Link] is species results in almost total
usually a large mammal. collapse of an ecosystem
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Wil dl ife Sanct u ar ies
What is it?
An area reserved for the
protection of animal species
only
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Sacr ed Gr oves
❧ Sacred groves of India are forest fragments of
varying sizes, which are communally protected, and
which usually have a significant religious
connotation for the protecting community.
❧ Hunting and logging are usually strictly prohibited
within these patches.
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Sacr ed Gr oves
❧ Other forms of forest usage like honey collection and
deadwood collection are sometimes allowed on a
sustainable basis.
❧ Sacred groves did not enjoy protection via federal
legislation in India.
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Sacr ed Gr oves
❧ However, the introduction of the protected area
category community reserves under the Wild Life
(Protection) Amendment Act, 2002 has introduced
legislation for providing government protection to
community held lands, which could include sacred
groves.
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Sacr ed Gr oves
❧ Around 14,000 sacred groves have been reported
from all over India, which act as reservoirs of rare
fauna, and more often rare flora, amid rural and
even urban settings.
❧ They are generally associated with a temple or
religious site.
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