Unit 6 : Biodiversity and Conservation

Biodiversity
 Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability among all
groups of living organisms and the ecosystem complexes in
which they occur.
 In the Convention of Biological diversity (1992)
biodiversity has been defined as the variability among living
organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and
other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of
which they are a part.
Levels of Biodiversity
Genetic diversity
 It is the basic source of biodiversity.
 Genes are the basic units of hereditary information
transmitted from one generation to other.
 When the genes within the same species show different versions due
to new combinations, it is called genetic variability.
 For example, all rice varieties belong to the species Oryza sativa,
but there are thousands of wild and cultivated varieties of rice which
show variations at the genetic level and differ in their color, size,
shape, aroma and nutrient content of the grain. This is the genetic
diversity of rice.
Species diversity
 This is the variability found within the population of a species or
between different species of a community.
 It represents broadly the species richness and their abundance in a
community.
 There are two popular indices of measuring species diversity known
as Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson index.
 The current estimates given by Wilson in 1992 put the total
number of living species in a range of 10 million to 50 million.
Ecosystem diversity
 This is the diversity of ecological complexity showing
variations in trophic structure, food-webs, nutrient cycling etc.
 The ecosystems also show variations with respect to physical
parameters like moisture, temperature, altitude, precipitation etc.
Thus, there occurs tremendous diversity within the ecosystems.
 We may consider diversity in forest ecosystem, which is
supposed to have mainly a dominance of trees. But, while
considering a tropical rainforest, a tropical deciduous forest, and
a boreal forest, the variations observed are just too many and
they are mainly due to variations in the above mentioned
physical factors.
Biogeographical classification/zones of India
 India has different types of climate and topography in
different parts of the country and these variations have
induced enormous variability in flora and fauna.
 Biogeography comprising of phytogeography and
zoogeography deals with these aspects of plants and
animals.
 In order to gain insight about the distribution and
environmental interactions of flora and fauna of our
country, it has been classified into ten biogeographic zones.
 Each of these zones has its own characteristic climate, soil,
topography and biodiversity.
Value of Biodiversity
 The value of biodiversity in terms of its commercial utility,
ecological services and social value is enormous.
 The multiple uses of biodiversity or biodiversity value has
been classified by McNeely et al in 1990 as follows:
(i) Consumptive use value: These are direct use values
where the biodiversity product can be harvested and
consumed directly e.g. fuel, food, drugs, fibre etc.
Food:
 A large number of wild plants are consumed by human
beings as food. About 80,000 edible plant species have been
reported from wild.
 About 90% of present day food crops have been
domesticated from wild tropical plants.
 A large number of wild animals are also our sources of
food.
Drugs and medicines:
 About 75% of the worlds population depends upon plants
or plant extracts for medicines.
 The wonder drug Penicillin used as an antibiotic is derived
from a fungus called Penicillium. Likewise, we get
Tetracyclin from a bacterium. Quinine, the cure for malaria
is obtained from the bark of Cinchona tree.
Fuel:
 Our forests have been used since ages for fuel wood.
 The fossil fuels coal, petroleum and natural gas are also
products of fossilized biodiversity.
(ii) Productive/economic use values: These are the
commercially usable values where the product is marketed and
sold.
 These may include the animal products like tusks of elephants,
musk from musk deer, silk from silk-worm, wool from sheep,
lac from lac insects etc, all of which are traded in the market.
 Many industries are dependent upon the productive use values
of biodiversity e.g.- the paper and pulp industry, Plywood
industry, Railway sleeper industry, Silk industry, textile
industry, ivory-works etc.
 Developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America are
the richest biodiversity centers and wild life products are
smuggled and marketed in large quantities to some rich
western countries and also to China and Hong Kong.
(iii) Social Value:
 These are the values associated with the social life, religion and
psycho-spiritual aspects of the people.
 Many of the plants are considered holy and sacred in our country
like Tulsi, Peepal, Bael etc. The leaves, fruits or flowers of these
plants are used in worship or the plant itself is worshipped.
 Many animals like Cow, Peacock, Owl etc. also have significant
place in our psycho-spiritual arena and thus hold special social
importance.
(iv) Ethical value: It is also sometimes known as existence value.
 It involves ethical issues like all life must be preserved. It is
based on the concept of “Live and Let Live”.
 If we want our human race to survive, then we must protect all
biodiversity, because biodiversity is valuable.
(v) Ecosystem service value:
 It refers to the services provided by ecosystems like
prevention of soil erosion, prevention of floods,
maintenance of soil fertility, cycling of nutrients, fixation of
nitrogen, cycling of water, and reduction of the threat of
global warming etc.
Biological diversity at National Level (Indian Biodiversity)
 India has a rich biological diversity of flora and fauna.
 Overall six percent of the global species are found in India.
 It is estimated that India ranks 10th among the plant rich countries of the
world, 11th in terms of number of endemic species of higher vertebrates.
 India is known for its rich biodiversity and has around 24.46% of the
geographical area covered by forests and trees.
 The term Hotspot Coined by Norman Myers, the term “Biodiversity
hotspots” can be defined as the regions which are known for their high
species richness.
 Out of a total of 25 biodiversity hot-spots in the world, India possesses
major four biodiversity hotspots
(1)The Himalayas
(2) Indo-Burma Region
(3)The Western Ghats
(4) Sundaland
India as a Mega diversity nation
 India is one of the 12 megadiversity countries in the world.
 The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India
(2000) records 47,000 species of plants and 81,000 species
of animals which is about 7% and 6.5% respectively of
global flora and fauna.
 Endemism: Species which are restricted only to a
particular area are known as endemic.
 India shows a good number of endemic species.
 About 62% of amphibians and 50% of lizards are endemic
to India.
 Western ghats are the site of maximum endemism.
Biodiversity Hot Spots
 Areas which exhibit high species richness as well as high
species endemism are termed as hot spots of biodiversity.
 The term was introduced by N. Myers (1988).
 There are 25 such hot spots of biodiversity on a global level
out of which 4 are present in India.
(1)The Himalayas
(2) Indo-Burma Region
(3)The Western Ghats
(4) Sundaland
 These hotspots covering less than 2% of the worlds land
area are found to have about 50% of the terrestrial
biodiversity.
 About 40% of terrestrial plants and 25% of vertebrate species are
endemic and found in these hotspots.
 More than 1 billion people (about 1/6th of the worlds population)
most of whom are desperately poor people, live in these areas.
 The Indian hot spots are not only rich in floral and endemic species
of plants but also house of reptiles, amphibians, butterflies and some
mammals.
(1) The Himalayas
 Considered the highest in the world, the Himalayas (overall)
comprises North-East India, Bhutan, Central and Eastern parts of
Nepal.
 This region (NE Himalayas) holds a record of having 163 endangered
species which includes the Wild Asian Water Buffalo, One-horned
Rhino; and as many as 10,000 plant species, of which 3160 are
endemic.
(2) Indo – Burma Region
 This region consists of numerous countries including North-Eastern
India (to the south of the Brahmaputra River), Myanmar, and China's
Yunnan provinces southern part, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand
 The Indo-Burma Region is stretched over a distance of 2,373,000
km².
 This hotspot is also known for the endemic freshwater turtle species,
most of which are threatened with extinction.
 There are also 1,300 different bird species including various
threatened species found here.
(3) The Western Ghats
 The Western Ghats are present along the western edge of peninsular
India and covers most of the deciduous forests and rain forests.
 As per UNESCO, it is home to at least 325 globally threatened flora,
fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species.
 This region is also home to around 450 species of birds, 140
mammals, 260 reptiles and 175 amphibians.
 The vegetation in this region was originally spread over
190,000 square kilometres but has reduced to 43,000 square
kilometres today.
(4) Sundaland
 The Sundaland hotspot lies in South-East Asia and covers
Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia.
 Nicobar region represents India in this hotspot.
 In the year 2013, the Sundaland was declared as a World
Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations.
 These islands have a rich terrestrial as well as marine
ecosystem including mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral
Threats to biodiversity
 Extinction or elimination of a species is a natural process of
evolution.
 In the geologic period the earth has experienced mass
extinctions.
 One of the estimates by the noted ecologist, E.O. Wilson
puts the figure of extinction at 10,000 species per year or 27
per day.
 If the present trend continues we would lose 1/3 rd to 2/3rd of
our current biodiversity by the middle of twenty first
century.
 some of the major causes and issues related to threats to
biodiversity.
(I) Loss of habitat
 Destruction and loss of natural habitat is the single largest
cause of biodiversity loss.
 Natural forests and grasslands were the natural homes of
thousands of species which are under threat due to loss of their
natural habitat.
 The unique rich biodiversity of the wetlands, estuaries and
mangroves are under the most serious threat today.
 The wetlands are destroyed due to draining, filling and
pollution thereby causing huge biodiversity loss.
 There has been a rapid disappearance of tropical forests in our
country also, at a rate of about 0.6% per year.
 With the current rate of loss of forest habitat, it is estimated that
20-25% of the global flora would be lost within a few years.
(II) Poaching of wildlife
 llegal trade of wildlife products like furs, horns, tusks,
animal skin etc. by killing prohibited endangered animals
i.e. poaching is another threat to wildlife.
 The developing nations in Asia, Latin America and Africa
are the richest source of biodiversity and have enormous
wealth of wildlife. The rich countries in Europe and North
America and some other countries in Asia like Japan,
Taiwan and Hong Kong are the major importers of the wild
life products.
 The trading of wild life products is highly profit making for
the poachers who just hunt these prohibited wild life and
smuggle it to other countries mediated through a mafia,
which is responsible for distraction of wildlife.
Man-wild conflict
 Some time wildlife starts causing immense damage and
danger to man and under such conditions, man-wild conflict
is responsible for biodiversity loss.
 Instances of man animal conflicts keep on coming to lime
light from several states in our country.
 In Sambalpur, Orissa 195 humans were killed in the last 5
years by elephants. In retaliation the villagers killed 98
elephants and badly injured 30 elephants.
 Recently, in early 2004, a man-eating tiger was reported to
kill 16 Nepalese people and one 4-year old child inside the
Royal Chitwan National Park, 240 Km South-west of
Kathmandu. The Park renowned for its wildlife conservation
effort has became a zone of terror for the locals.
 Very recently in June, 2004 two men were killed by
leopards in Powai, Mumbai.
Causes of Man-animal conflicts:
 The root causes of these conflicts are due to
(i) Declining the habitats of tigers, elephant, bears etc due to
shrinking forest cover compels them to move outside the
forest and attack the field or sometimes even humans.
(ii) Usually the ill, weak and injured animals have a tendency
to attack man. But the biggest problem is that if human-
meat is tasted once then the tiger does not eat any other
animal. At the same time, it is very difficult to trace the
man-eating tiger and in the process many innocent tigers are
also killed.
(iii) Earlier, forest departments used to cultivate paddy, sugarcane
etc. within the sanctuaries when the favourite food of elephants
i.e. bamboo leaves were not available. Now due to lack of such
practices the animals move out of the forest in search of food.
 It may be noted that, One adult elephant needs 2 quintals of
green fodder and 150 kg of clean water daily and if it is not
available, the animal strays out.
(iv) Very often the villagers put electric wiring around their ripe
crop fields. The elephants get injured, suffer in pain and turn
violent.
(v) Earlier there used to be wild-life corridors through which the
wild animals used to migrate seasonally in groups to other
areas. Due to development of human settlements in these
corridors, the path of wildlife has been disrupted and the
Remedial Measures to Curb the Conflict
(i) Tiger Conservation Project (TCP) has made provisions for
making available vehicles, tranquillizer guns, binoculars
and radio sets etc. to tactfully deal with any imminent
danger.
(ii) Adequate crop compensation and cattle compensation
scheme must be started by the government.
(iii) Cropping pattern should be changed near the forest
borders and adequate fodder, fruit and water should be made
available for the elephants within forest zones.
(iv) Wild life corridors should be provided for mass migration
of big animals during unfavourable periods.
Endangered species of India
 The International Union for Conservation of Nature and
Natural Resources (IUCN) publishes the Red Data Book which
includes the list of endangered species of plants and animals.
 The red data symbolizes the warning signal for those species
which are endangered and if not protected are likely to become
extinct in near future.
 Endangered: A species is said to be endangered when its
number has been reduced to a critical level or whose habitats,
have been drastically reduced and if such a species is not
protected and conserved, it is in immediate danger of extinction.
 In India, nearly 450 plant species have been identified in the
categories of endangered, threatened or rare.
 Few species of endangered reptiles, birds, mammals and
plants are given below:
(a) Reptiles : Gharial, green sea turtle, python
(b) Birds : Great Indian bustard, Peacock, Great Indian
Hornbill, Siberian White Crane.
(c) Carnivorous : Indian wolf, red fox, red panda, tiger,
leopard, Indian lion, golden cat, desert cat etc.
(d) Primates: Hoolock gibbon, Nilgiri langur, golden monkey
(e) Plants : A large number of species of orchids,
Rhododendrons, medicinal plants like Rauvolfia serpentina,
the sandal wood tree Santalum etc.
 Extinct: A species is said to be extinct when it is not seen
in the wild for 50 years at a stretch e.g. Dodo, passenger
pigeon.
 Vulnerable: A species is said to be in vulnerable category
if its population is facing continuous decline due to
overexploitation or habitat destruction.
 Such a species is still abundant, but under a serious threat of
becoming endangered if causal factors are not checked.
 Example of Vulnerable species: Turtles, Chameleons etc.
 Rare species: Species which are not endangered or
vulnerable at present, but are at a risk are categorized as rare
species. Ex. Kashmir Red Stag (Hangul), Indian Bison etc.
Extinct species

Passenger pigeon Dodo

Endangered species

Great Indian bustard

Green sea turtle
Siberian White Crane Hoolock gibbon
 Orchids
Nilgiri langur
Fig. Gharial Fig. Python
Fig. Peacock Fig. Great Indian Hornbill
Fig. Indian Wolf Fig. Red Fox
Fig. Tiger
Fig. Leopard
Fig. Indian Loin Fig. Golden Cat
 Fig. One Horn Rhinoceros
Fig. Asiatic Elephant
Fig. Golden Monkey Fig. Rododendron
Fig. Sarpagandha Fig. Sandal wood tree
Endemic species of India
 Out of about 47,000 species of plants in our country 7000 are
endemic. Thus, Indian subcontinent has about 62% endemic
flora, restricted mainly to Himalayas, Khasi Hills and Western
Ghats.
 Some of the important endemic flora include orchids and
species like Sapria himalayana, Nepenthes khasiana etc.
 A large number out of a total of 81,000 species of animals in
our country is endemic.
 About 62% amphibians and 50% lizards are endemic to
Western Ghats.
 Different species of monitor lizards (Varanus), reticulated
python and Indian Salamander are some important
 Nepenthes khasiana Sapria himalayana

Monitor lizards (Varanus) Reticulated python

Conservation of Biodiversity
A number of measures are now being taken the world over to
conserve biodiversity including plants and wildlife.
 There are two approaches of biodiversity conservation:
 (a) In situ conservation (within habitat): This is achieved
by protection of wild flora and fauna in nature itself. e.g.
Biosphere Reserves, National Parks, Sanctuaries, Reserve
Forests etc.
 (b) Ex situ conservation (outside habitats): This is done by
establishment of gene banks, seed banks, zoos, botanical
gardens etc.
In Situ Conservation
 At present we have 7 major Biosphere reserves, 80 National
Parks, 420 wild-life sanctuaries and 120 Botanical gardens in
our country covering 4% of the geographic area.
Biosphere reserve
 The Biosphere Reserves conserve some representative
ecosystems as a whole for long-term in situ conservation.
 In India we have Nanda Devi (Uttarakhand), Nokrek
(Meghalaya), Manas (Assam), Sunderbans (West Bengal),
Gulf of Mannar (Tamil Nadu), Nilgiri (Karnataka, Kerala,
Tamil Nadu), Great Nicobars and Similipal (Orrisa) biosphere
Reserves.
 Within the Biosphere reserves we may have one or more
National Parks. For example, Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve has
two National Parks viz. Bandipur and Nagarhole National
National Park
 A National Park is an area dedicated for the
conservation of wildlife along with its environment.
 It is also meant for enjoyment through tourism but
without impairing the environment. Grazing of domestic
animals, all private rights and forestry activities are
prohibited within a National Park.
 Each National Park usually aims at conservation
specifically of some particular species of wildlife along
with others.
Wildlife sanctuaries
 Wildlife sanctuaries are also protected areas where killing,
hunting, shooting or capturing of wildlife is prohibited
except under the control of highest authority. However,
private ownership rights are permissible and forestry
operations are also permitted to an extent that they do not
affect the wildlife adversely.
 For the protection and conservation of certain animals,
there have been specific projects in our country e.g. Project
Tiger, Gir Lion Project, Crocodile Breeding Project, Project
Elephant, Snow Leopard Project etc.
Ex situ Conservation:
 This is done by establishment of gene banks, seed banks,
zoos, botanical gardens etc.
 This type of conservation is mainly done for conservation
of crop varieties.
 In ex-situ conservation, preservation of a plant has been
carried out by preserving its germplasm in a gene bank so
that it can be used if needed in future. This is even more
expensive.
 Zoos are primarily dry facilities where animals are confined
within enclosures and displayed to the public, and in which
they may also be bred.
 The oldest zoo in India is Alipore Zoological Garden,
Kolkatta.
 In India, successful ex situ conservation programs have been
done for crocodiles.
 Delhi zoo has successfully bred the rare Manipur brow antlered
deer.
 A botanical garden is a place where plants especially ferns,
conifers and flowering plants are grown for its conservation.
 Acharya Jagdish Chandra Bose Indian Botanical Garden
situated in Howrah, WB. It is the home to The Great Banyan
tree that is reckoned to be the largest tree in the world, at more
than 330 metres in circumference.
 Lloyd’s Botanical Garden, Darjeeling: The garden has about
1,800 exotic botanical species of temperate regions, including
‘Living fossil tree; and Ginkgo biloba.
 Botanical Garden of Forest Research Institute (FRI),
Dehradun: It has played an important role in the conservation
of forest trees, ornamental and other economic plants etc.
The Great Banyan tree
Biological invasion:
 An invasive species is an introduced speciese to an
environment that becomes overpopulated and harms its new
environment.
 Invasive species adversely affect habitats,ecosystem ,
causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic
damage.
 Parthenium is native to the area surrounding the Gulf of
Mexico, Central America, southern North America and it is
invasive species in India.
 Vilayati kikar (Prosopis julifora) is a Mexican invasive
species introduced by the British in the 1930s in Delhi.
Fig. Parthenium
Fig. Vilayati Kikar
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

 The IUCN is an international organization that works in the

field of conservation of the world’s flora and fauna.
 It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field
projects and education.
 IUCN was established on 5 October 1948, in Fontainebleau
, France.
 IUCN's headquarters are in Gland, near Geneva,
Switzerland.
 The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as
the IUCN Red List or Red Data List), founded in 1964, is
the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the
Following are the 9 categories in the IUCN red list:
• Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.
• Extinct in the wild (EW) – Known only to survive in
captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic
range.
• Critically endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of
extinction in the wild.
• Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.
• Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.
• Near threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered soon.
• Least concern (LC) – Lowest risk. Does not qualify for a
more at-risk category.
• Data deficient (DD) – Not enough data to assess its risk of
extinction.
• Not evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated against the
criteria.
Keystone species:
 A keystone species is that types of species which are not
present abundant ally in the nature but they exert strong
control on the community structure. Ex. Tiger, Loin etc.
 Keystone specie has affected the structure and function of
the ecosystem.
Flagship species:
A flagship species is a species selected to act as an
ambassador, icon or symbol for a defined habitat,
issue, campaign or environmental cause. Ex. Bengal
Tiger, One horns Rhinoceros, Ganga River Dolphin.
Umbrella species
 Umbrella species are species selected for
making conservation-related decisions, typically because
protecting these species indirectly protects the many other
species that make up the ecological community of its
habitat (the umbrella effect). Ex. Giant Panda
Indicator species:

An indicator species is an organism whose presence, absence

or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition.
Examples of Indicator species:.
 Lichens are very sensitive to air pollution.
 Escherichia coli is a type of bacteria commonly found in
the fecal matter of warm-blooded animals. [Link] bacteria
are ideal organisms for showing the presence of pollution.
Case studies:
Project Tiger:
 Project Tiger was launched by the Indira Gandhi
government in 1 April 1973 from the Jim Corbett National
Park in Uttarakhand for the conservation of Tiger.
 The Tiger is an endangered species in the world.
 In 1973, the Project Tiger was launched with an ambitious
aim of increasing the population of the Tiger in the country.
 In the initial years of this project, there were only nine
Tiger reserves in India. At present, there are 47 such
reserves located in 18 Tiger range states of India.
 Table: Some Important Tiger reserves in India
Tiger Population of Population of
Reserves State Tiger in 2018 Tiger in 2023
Bandipur Karnataka 120 150

Corbett Uttarakhand 216 260

Kanha M.P 80 105
Mamas Assam 11 58

Ranthambore Rajasthan 37 57
Sunderban W.B 96 100
Sariska Rajasthan 9 19
Dudhwa UP 58 135
Valmiki Bihar 40 54
Panna MP 17 55

Rajaji Uttarakhand - 54
Project Tiger – Objectives
 Reduce factors that cause the diminishing of tiger habitats
and manage them.
 The administrating body for the project is the National
Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The NTCA was
formed in 2005 as per the recommendations of the Tiger
Task Force.
 The reserves are created and functioned on a core/buffer
strategy. That is, the core areas have the legal status of a
national park or sanctuary in India. The buffer areas form
the peripheral region and are a combination of forest and
non-forest lands.
 During the 12th Plan, the budget had allocated Rs.1245 crore for
Project Tiger.
 Assistance is also given to the states to protect tigers in the
respective states. In India, tigers are present in 19 states.
 States maintain the Special Tiger Protection Force to protect tigers
in the reserves.
 Information technology is used to keep a tab on the number of
tigers. The e-Eye system was launched in 2016 at Corbett, which
uses thermal cameras for enhanced surveillance.
 The project is working towards eliminating all human activities
from the core areas.
 The project has brought about significant changes in the tiger
population in the country. From 2010 to 2014, there has been a
30% rise in the number of tigers in India. At present, there are
2226 tigers in India, which is the highest in the world (about 70%
:

Fig. Logo of National Tiger Conservation Authority

Project Elephant:
 Project Elephant was launched in 1992 by the Ministry of
Forest, Government of India for the conservation of Asian
Elephant.
 The project aims to ensure the long-term survival of the
population of elephants in their natural habitats by
protecting them, their habitats and migration corridors.
 The objectives of Project elephant includes:
(1) Provide financial and technical support to wildlife
management efforts, ensure the long-term survival.
(2) Protect elephants, their habitats and migration corridors.
(3) Support research on ecology and management of
elephants.
(4) Create awareness of conservation among local people.
(5) Provide improved veterinary care for captive elephants.
 33 elephant reserves have been notified (Terai ER in Utter
Pradesh became 33rd India’s ER); 101 elephant corridors
identified.
 Some Important Elephant Reserve in India
(1) Shivalik Elephant Reserve Uttarakhand
(2) UP Terai Elephant Reserve UP
(3) Singhbhum Elephant Reserve Jharkhand
(4) Mahanadi Elephant Reserve: Orissa
(5) Sambalpur Elephant Reserve Orissa
(6) Khasi-hills Elephant Reserve Meghalaya
(7) Sonitpur Elephant Reserve Assam
(8) Maysor Elephant Reserve Karnataka
(9) Niligiri Elephant Reserve Tamilnadan
(10) Periyar Elephant Reserve Kerala
 The Asian elephants are threatened by habitat degradation,
man-elephant conflict, and poaching for the Ivory. This
problem is more intense in India which has around 50% of
the total population of the world’s Asian elephants.
 India has around 25000 – 29000 elephants in the wild.
 Project Elephant is considered a success in the view of
many conservationists as it has been able to keep the
population of elephants in India at a stable and sustainable
level.
Fig. Logo of Project Elephant
Silent Valley Movement
 It is an area of tropical evergreen forests in Kerala.
It is very rich in biodiversity.
 The environmentalists and the local people
strongly objected to the hydel power project being
set up here in 1973. Under pressure, the
government had to declare it the national reserve
forests in 1985.
Save Western Ghat Movement:
 The Save the Western Ghats Movement was a landmark
event in environmental activism in India since its
beginning in 1986.
The key objectives of this movement are:
1. To generate awareness among the people about ecology
and related issues like denudation of forests,
afforestation, preservation of wildlife, natural resources
etc.
2. To learn more facts about the nature and extent of
ecological destruction of the Western Ghats.
3. To bring together all voluntary organisations working in
the region, to formulate some long –term common
ecological programmes.
4. To encourage academic institutions, involvement of
schools in the area to take up afforestation and other
ecologically relevant programmes.