Biodiversity

[UPSC Notes]
What is Biodiversity?
Biodiversity is defined as the total number and variety of species in a particular area or region. It
includes diversity within species, between the species, and the ecosystem. Biodiversity has two
major components, i.e., Species Richness and Species Evenness. Whittaker did the
measurement of biodiversity.
• Species Richness- Species richness is species diversity within a community. It has
three types- Alpha diversity, beta diversity, and gamma diversity.
• Species Evenness- Species evenness is the measure of species proportion in a given
site.
Types of Biodiversity
Based on the diversity within species, between species, and between the ecosystem,
Biodiversity can be differentiated into the following types-
• Genetic Diversity- The type of Biodiversity in which every individual of a specific
species is different from each other in terms of genetic makeup, and this variability of the
genes within the members of the same species of plants and animals are termed
Genetic Diversity. The closely related species have more common genetic information.
• Species Diversity- The type of Biodiversity in which different species live in a specific
area, habitat, or region. Species diversity can occur in Agricultural as well as Natural
ecosystems.
• Ecosystem Diversity- The diversity among different ecosystems with different species
is termed Ecosystem Diversity. There is a difference in species in a diverse ecosystem
per the habitats. It includes mountains, deserts, grasslands, and forests. It can be
observed within a country, state, or a specific geographical region.
Hotspots of Biodiversity
A hotspot of Biodiversity is any biogeographical area with many species, but a significant
amount of Biodiversity is threatened by destruction. These hotspots are essential for
maintaining the ecosystem balance. By far, there are 36 hotspots of Biodiversity. The
biodiversity hotspots are as follows-
• Mountains of Central Asia
• The Mediterranean basin and its Eastern Coastal region
• Iran-Anatolia region
• Caucasus region
• Atlantic forest
• Tropical Andes
• Tumbes-Choco-Magdalena
• Chilean winter rainfall (Valdivian) Forests
• Brazil's Cerrado
• The Mesoamerican forests
• Modrean pine-oak woodlands of the USA and Mexico border
• Caribbean islands hotspot
• California Floristic Province
• South-Western Australia
• Polynesia and Micronesian Islands Complex, including Hawaii
• The Western Ghats
 • Wallace
• Western Sunda
• Philippine biodiversity hotspot
• New Zealand biodiversity hotspot
• New Caledonia
• Mountains of South-West China
• Japan biodiversity hotspot
• The Eastern Himalayas
• Himalayan hotspot
• Coastal forests of Eastern Africa
• South Africa's Cape floristic hotspot
• East Melanesian islands
• Succulent Karou
• Maputoland, Podoland, Albany hotspot
• Madagascar and the Indian Ocean Islands
• Horn of Africa
• The Guinean forests of Western Africa
• Eastern Afro-Montane
• Sunderbans
• Sundaland
Hotspots of Biodiversity In India
India is rich in Biodiversity, and out of 36 biodiversity hotspots, India has 6 Hotspots of
Biodiversity In India with a vibrant diversity of fauna and flora (including endangered species).
The Hotspots of Biodiversity In India are the Himalayas, Indo-Burma region, Terrai-duar
Savannah, Western Ghats, Sundaland, and Sunderbans. Sunderbans is also a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in India. The detailed description of the Hotspots of Biodiversity In India is as
under-
Himalayas
The Eastern Himalayas is one of the major hotspots of India. It includes the area of Nepal,
Bhutan, Sikkim, Arunanchal Pradesh, and Burma. It has an evergreen forest that includes trees
like oak and alpine. The fauna consists of charismatic western tragopan, clouded leopard, slow
loris, golden languar, golden cat, snow cock, heron, tiger, white-winged wood duck, and Indian
civet.
Terrai-duar Savannah
The Terrai-duar Savannah forms a narrow stretch at the base of the Himalayas and then
continues to the Indo Gangetic plain of Bhutan, Nepal, and India. Terrai-duar Savannah is the
land of the world's rarest and tallest grasslands with rich slits. Every year, these slits are
deposited by heavy monsoon floods. The prominent fauna of the Terrai-duar Savannah is the
one-horned rhinoceros, sloth bears, Asian elephants, and much more.
Indo-Burma region
The indo-Burma region is one of the largest hotspots of India. It spreads to a large area,
including Cambodia, Laos PDR, Thailand, Myanmar, the plains of Ganga, parts of Andaman
and Nicobar island, and regions around the Brahmaputra river. It is one of the most threatened
sites with many flora and fauna species, including the grey-crowned crocias and Annamite
muntjac. But, because of increasing human threats, the region requires legal protection.
Sunderbans
Sunderbans is a combination of 104 islands in the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta. Sunderbans is
one of India's UNESCO World Heritage sites, with the world's largest mangrove forest. It is the
home to the Royal Bengal tigers. Along with the Royal Bengal tigers, its fauna also includes the
estuarine crocodile and Gangetic dolphins and a lot of other species of fish, mammals, and
birds.
But nowadays, the increase in the sea level because of global warming is causing considerable
danger to the species living there.
Sundaland
Sundaland hotspot of India lies in the Nicobar Islands and extends to the tectonic plates under
the Indian Ocean. It is the land for the species like proboscis monkeys, Javan and Sumatran
rhinos, pig-tailed langurs, and orangutans. Of these, the proboscis monkeys are found in the
Borneo region only.
Not only this, but the world's largest flower, the rafflesia (it is one meter long), is also found in
the Sundaland hotspot.
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats runs from the north to the south beyond the west coast of India. It is also
one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites with many montane tropical rainforests. These forests
are home to a variety of fauna and flora. It includes leopards, black panthers, and tigers. The
fauna in the southern part of the Western Ghats includes the endangered shy lion-tailed
macaques.
The Western Ghats observe the presence of the weird pig-nosed purple frog during monsoon.
New species are still being discovered in the dense forests.
Importance of Biodiversity
Biodiversity has a significant role in maintaining the ecological balance within the ecosystem. It
plays an important ecological, economic, and scientific function. The importance of Biodiversity
can be summarized as-
• Ecological Role- If the ecosystem is diverse, there will be better chances of species'
survival from attacks and adversities. Thus, it contributes to preserving species and
maintaining the ecological balance. It serves an essential role in human survival by
capturing and storing energy, producing and decomposing organic material, contributing
to the water cycle, and regulating the climate.
• Economic Role- Biodiversity, especially agrobiodiversity, is an essential day-to-day life
resource. It is significant in producing medicinal resources, food crops, livestock, fish,
and other introductory material for pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing, and cosmetics.
• Scientific Role- The species ( extinct or alive) contributes to understanding the
evolutionary concept. It helps in understanding the role and function performed by a
species in a particular environment and indicating their different relationships.
• Other Roles- Along with these roles, it is also essential to maintain the food web,
pollination, nutrient cycling, greenhouse reduction, soil formation, etc.
Loss of Biodiversity
The loss of Biodiversity can be defined as the loss of a particular species, genes, or ecosystem
because of natural or manufacturing activities. The loss of Biodiversity is documented in the
IUCN Red Data book. It has recorded 784 extinct species ( 87 plants, 359 invertebrates, and
338 vertebrates). It has reported the loss of 30 biodiversities (approx) in the last 20 years.
As per the Living Planet report:
• The present species extinction rate is up to 100 to 1000 species extinction per 10,000
species in 100 years. This is almost 1000 times more than the natural rate of extinction.
• The living planet index, which measures the biodiversity abundance levels, shows a
persistent downward trend. The monitored species population has declined by 58%
since 1970.
• There has been a 40% decline in species in tropical forests since 1970.
 • In temperate grasslands, the species population has declined by 18%, and in freshwater
habitats, the species population has declined by 81% since 1970.

The primary causes that are responsible for the loss of Biodiversity are-
• Habitat loss and fragmentation: This primary cause drives animals and plants to
extinction. The habitat loss and fragmentation have been through changes in land use,
in particular, the conversion of natural ecosystems to cropland, the development of
infrastructure projects like rails and roadways, and increasing urbanization and mining
activities.
o As per the Living Planet report, there has been about 30% decline in wetlands in
the last 40 years. Wetlands have been primarily reclaimed for agriculture and
urbanization. Also, about 50% of the tropical and subtropical forests and 45% of
the temperate grasslands have been converted for human use.
o Besides total loss, the degradation of many habitats by pollution also threatens
the survival of many species. When large habitats are broken up into smaller
fragments because of different human activities, mammals and birds require
large territories. Certain animals with migratory habits are adversely affected,
causing a decline in their population.
• Over-exploitation of species: Unsustainable use of ecosystems and over-exploitation
of biodiversity are major reasons behind biodiversity loss. Over-hunting or poaching of
species, overfishing, and over-harvesting of plant products can quickly decline
biodiversity. Changing consumption patterns of humans is often cited as the key reason
for this unsustainable exploitation of natural resources. Many species which got extinct
in the past 5 centuries, like Steller's sea cow, and the passenger pigeon, were subject to
over-exploitation by humans.
• Introduction of alien species: Plants, animals, and microorganisms transported
deliberately or unintentionally from an outside geographical region can cause great
damage to native species by competing with them for food and shelter, spreading
diseases unknown to them, causing genetic changes through the process of
interbreeding with native species, and disrupting various aspects of their food chains and
the physical environment. For example, in India, the British introduced water hyacinth for
beautification. But over time, it has become an invasive species, clogging rivers, lakes,
and other water bodies, thus not allowing any aquatic life to grow and survive.
• Environmental pollution: Pollution such as phosphorus and nitrogen largely from
excess fertilizers running off farmland, harmful chemicals from urban and suburban
runoff, industrial effluents, etc., which are discharged into the natural water bodies. For
example, an oil spill off the port of Ennore in Chennai in 2017. Similarly, plastic pollution
causes the death of animals. Also, air pollution from industries and vehicles has resulted
in the death of many bird species in urban areas.
• Global climate change: Climate change is projected to become a progressively more
significant threat to biodiversity in the coming decades. Already, changes in the flowering
and migration patterns as well as in the distribution of various species have been
observed throughout the world. These changes have altered food chains and created
mismatches within ecosystems where different species have evolved synchronized inter-
dependence.
• Co-extinctions: When a particular species becomes extinct, the plants and animals
associated with it in an obligatory way also come the danger of becoming extinct. For
example, When a host fish species becomes extinct, its unique assemblage of parasites
also meets the same fate.
 • Natural causes: Floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters also cause
biodiversity loss.
Conservation of Biodiversity
Seeing the threats to Biodiversity, there is a need to conserve Biodiversity. The Conservation of
Biodiversity means preserving, protecting, and managing the ecosystem and natural habitats.
There are two types of biodiversity conservation-

In-situ conservation-
The Conservation of Biodiversity in the natural environment is called in-situ conservation. E.g.,
Sanctuaries, National parks, Reserved forests, Biosphere Reserves, etc.
The principal aims of in-situ conservation include:
• Promotion of protection, restoration, and sustainable management of the protected area.
• Development of strategies for conservation of biodiversity within the area.
• Creation of natural corridors linking areas of biological interest to prevent further habitat
fragmentation.
• Introduction of legislation to protect the species.
• Information dissemination, education, and awareness generation.
• Promoting sustainable tourism in sensitive areas.

Ex-situ conservation-
Conservation of the Biodiversity outside the naturally occurring area is known as ex-situ
conservation: E.g., DNA banks, cryopreservation, Zoological parks, Wildlife Safari parks,
botanical gardens, Seed banks, Sperm banks, and Collection of living organisms for research
and development purposes.