Biodiversity in Maharashtra

Introduction
Biodiversity hotspots were first defined in late 1980s, as specific areas of the Earths land
surface that have a disproportionately large number of extant species. Further, 18 localities were
identified as biodiversity hotspots which included the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats which
are older than the Himalayas is the worlds eight hottest hotspot and is declared as a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO in July 2012. This well-known hotspot of biodiversity was once
covered with extensive forest all along the length from the Dangs in Gujarat to the southern part
of Kerala. The landscape of the Northern Western Ghats that extend across the three states of
Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa includes several unique ecosystems and harbors a large number of
threatened and endemic species. It also includes areas with rich cultural heritage sites. The
Western Ghats in the state of Maharashtra covers an area of 14081 square kilometers and has 1
national park and 9 wildlife sanctuaries harboring a variety of endemic flora and fauna. In the
past these protected area (PAs) were too remote for the development processes to reach its
boundaries. However, the improvement in road networks and communication over the last two
decades have made these PAs their ecologically sensitive areas and adjoining areas highly
accessible. Apart from this modernization has brought the Western Ghats under serious threat.
The forests are already fragmented and in several areas they are separated by roads, railways,
dams and neo-urban settlements. Other threats that also play an important role in destroying the
biodiversity of Western Ghats are extensive grazing, forest fire for clearing area for agriculture,
industrial projects, mining, unsustainable resource consumption and tourism. It has been also
recorded that in many parts of the world the fate of biodiversity depends on the forest remnants
in human made landscapes.
This made the scientists and ecologists realize that protected areas alone cannot preserve the
biodiversity of Western Ghats as a large part of biodiversity is present outside the protected
areas. The burden of conserving biodiversity will fall increasingly on sectors such as agriculture,
forestry and land-use planning. Hence there is a need to conserve the land falling outside the PAs
boundaries. Pranab Sen committee in 2000 suggested in a report to the Government of India
(GOI) that a 10 kilometer buffer zone should be declared around the PAs to control the

increasing pressure of development on the PAs and brought into picture the concept of
Ecologically Sensitive Areas. This again is not sufficient for conserving the biodiversity of
Western Ghats as there are small pockets of forest areas harboring many endemic species of flora
and fauna which are not in the 10 kilometer buffer zone of the PAs. Thus identifying viable
corridors has become an urgently essential key to biodiversity conservation. In some sectors a
continuous corridor is impractical. The option is to protect several jump sites in hot specks of
identified biorich habitats to preserve biodiversity as best possible. Hotspecks are miniscule
areas of species concentration, varying in size from five to rarely a few hundreds or more square
meters falling within or far outside todays recognized hotspots where species packing of diverse
groups, including many endemics is found. In the Western Ghats these hotspecks can be
categorized broadly into two groups those that are situated in natural landscapes which include
reserved forest, water catchment areas such as dams and water falls, valleys, old forest growth,
protected areas, shrublands, grasslands, plateau tops, hill streams escarpments, ridges and steep
slopes and those within cultural landscape which includes sacred groves, forts and traditional
agricultural areas. A majority of these hotspecks are either privately owned or belong to the local
community hence declaring them as protected areas is impossible as communities have their
traditional rights on these landscapes. This will lead to conflicts between the Forest Department
and the local people if their traditional rights are barred and this has always been a major issue of
concern. Hence there is a need to develop sustainable management strategies where these
hotspecks are conserved along with the traditional rights of the local communities.
The State of Maharashtra with geographical area of 3,07,713 sq km is having 61,939 sq km as
forest area. The State's forest cover is estimated to approx. 20 per cent. The area of dense forest
tract span in parts of Western Ghats, Amravati and Nagpur administrative regions.Maharashtra is
India's third largest State with 9.36 percent of India's total geographical area,7.77 percent of
forest area and 7.25 percent of forest cover which harbors largest biodiversity amongst any of
our States.

Each of 6 regions and 36 districts of the State are geologically, geographically and
biographically different from the other and form its own identity. The Konkan is manifested with

a 720-km coastline. Western Maharashtra, known as the Ghat, covers the hill range of Sahyadris.

The major geological feature of the State is the basaltic plateau of the Deccan trap
composed of iron ore, limestone, dolomite, bauxite, manganese, chromites, clay, copper. Silica,
sand, limonite and other minerals. The Western Ghats Zone (12.2% of the State area) comprises
of Malabar Plains and Western Ghats mountains, The Deccan Plateau Zone 86.7% of the State
area) has central highlands, central plateau and southern plateau.
The State has 6 National Parks,47 Wildlife Sanctuaries and 4 Conservation Reserves(Total 57
Protected Areas) with a total of 10,057.013 sq km area, amounting to 3.26% of the States
geographical area. Maharashtra has six Tiger Reserves: Melghat Tiger Reserve (Amravati
District); Pench Tiger Reserve (Nagpur District), Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (Chandrapur
District) , Radhanagari- Koyna Tiger Reserve (Sahyadri Tiger Reserve),Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger
Reserve(Gondia-Bhandara Distt) and Bor Tiger Reserve(Wardha Distt)

The Western Ghats including those in Maharashtra are under consideration for inclusion as a
World Heritage Site. These biological treasures represent diverse vegetation types and the forests
in their climax conditions form a unique Biological Heritage. There are 386 sacred groves in
Maharashtra under different agencies, such as Forest Department, Revenue Department, Temple
Trust, and in villages under private property.
Small patches of mangrove forests are found on the west coast of Maharashtra and they
occupy about 330 sq km area. They are noted in estuarine parts of all the coastal districts of the
State.

The flora of Maharashtra is heterogeneous in composition. The Deccan traps continue into
Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat through Khandesh. The flora of regions such as Nag region
formed by Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts, the plateau of Vidarbha
composed by Wardha, Amravati, Yavatmal, Akola an d Buldhana districts and the ten districts
of Maharashtra such as Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Thane, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur,

Nashik, Pune, Satara and Sangali, Some part of Shyadris and long narrow coastal strip of
Konkan running through the districts of Mumbai, Thane. Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg
differs because their physiography, climate and soil conditions are different. The Flora akin to
Malbar region is met with in coastal Konkan. The plants from the Vindhyas and IndoGangatic plains meet those in Khandesh and in Narmada basins. There is also a similarity
between the plants of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and south Gujarat.

The Jungadh hill; Girnar parvat and Barda dongar have a species akin to those in
dry parts of Deccan of Maharashtra.The flora of Saurashtra resembles the flora in the forests
of and that in drier parts of Konkan.The flora of Khandesh in comparable of South Gurajat
and Madhya Pradesh. Maharashtra State boundary extends from Mumbai to Gadchiroli and
Dhule to Sindhudurg and Kolhapur districts. It is about 800 km east-west and 700 north
south having an areas of 3,07690 sq km making it the third largest State of Indian union. It
touches the Arabian Sea on the west whose coast line extends up to 720 km Goa and
Karnataka in the south, Andhra Pradesh in the north and Gujarat in the north-west. The State
has been divided into 35 districts.
There are 3 main Public Forestry Institutions (PFIs) in the Maharashtra state viz. the
Maharashtra Forest Department (MFD), the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra
(FDCM) and the Directorate of Social Forestry (SFD).
Maharashtra Forest Department (MFD) is entrusted with the role of conservation and
development of the State's forests spread over about 20 percent of its geographical area.
Forests play an important role in the economy at local, regional and national levels, by
contributing to the basic needs of the poor forest dwellers including tribals, meeting
requirements of forest-based industries and most importantly in maintaining the ecological
balance..

Maharashtra forestry sector is the second largest land use after agriculture. The forests have a
rich variety of flora and fauna.Forest performs protective, productive, social and bioaesthetic
functions and is of diverse utility to mankind.
TheForest :* afford a renewable source of timber, firewood, pasturage and items of minor forest Produce.
* provide shelter and means of livelihood and welfare to adivasis, other inhabitants,Including
lower strata of the population and numerous animate beings.
* provide a source of recreation and medium for seeking harmony with nature,
* exercise ameliorative influence on the microclimate in moderation of extremes,
* control severity of floods and check soil erosion,
* ensure moisture conservation and regulation of stream flows.
Forestry is, thus, beneficial to agriculture and plays an important role of foster mother in
promoting agro industrial economy. Forests make significant contribution to the state
exchequer and to the States domestic production.

Biodiversity is the variability of all living organisms -- including animal and plant species -- of
the genes of all these organisms, and of the terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems of which
they are part.
Biodiversity makes up the structure of the ecosystems and habitats that support essential living
resources, including wildlife, fisheries and forests. It helps provide for basic human needs such
as food, shelter, and medicine. It composes ecosystems that maintain oxygen in the air, enrich the
soil, purify the water, protect against flood and storm damage and regulate climate. Biodiversity
also has recreational, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic values.
Society's growing consumption of resources and increasing populations have led to a rapid loss
of biodiversity, eroding the capacity of earth's natural systems to provide essential goods and
services on which human communities depend. Human activities have raised the rate of
extinction to 1,000 times its usual rate. If this continues, Earth will experience the sixth great
wave of extinctions in billions of years of history. Already, an estimated two of every three bird
species are in decline worldwide, one in every eight plant species is endangered or threatened,

and one-quarter of mammals, one-quarter of amphibians and one-fifth of reptiles are endangered
or vulnerable.
Also in crisis are forests and fisheries, which are essential biological resources and integral parts
of the earth's living ecosystems. The World Resources Institute estimates that only one-fifth of
the earths original forest cover survives unfragmented, yet deforestation continues, with 180
million hectares in developing countries deforested between 1980 and 1995. Forests are home to
50-90% of terrestrial species, provide ecosystem services such as carbon storage and flood
prevention, and are critical resources for many linguistically and culturally diverse societies and
millions of indigenous people.
Overfishing, destructive fishing techniques and other human activities have also severely
jeopardized the health of many of the worlds fish stocks along with associated marine species
and ecosystems. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN estimates that nearly twothirds of ocean fisheries are exploited at our beyond capacity. Over one billion people, mostly in
developing countries, depend on fish as their primary source of animal protein.

Biodiversity Protection: Steps Taken By Indian Government

India is signatory to several major international conventions relating to conservation and
management of wildlife. Some of these are Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals etc. Financial and Technical assistance is
provided to State/Union Territory Governments for protection and Management of Protected
Areas as well as other forests under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
Biodiversity of India and need for protection
India is one among the 17 mega diverse countries of the world. But many plants and animals are
facing threat of extinction. To protect the critically endangered and other threatened animal and
plant species, Government of India has adopted many steps, laws and policy initiatives.
Biodiversity Protection
Indian Government has taken various biodiversity protection steps. Important measures include :
1. The Central Government has enacted the Wild Life (Protection) Act,
1972. The Act, inter alia, provides for creation of Protected Areas for
protection of wild life and also provides for punishment for hunting of
specified fauna specified in the schedules I to IV thereof.
2. Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules 2010 have been
framed for protection of wetlands, in the States.

3. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Plan for Conservation

of Aquatic Eco-System also provides assistance to the States for
management of wet lands including Ramsar sites in the country.
4. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been established for control of
illegal trade in wildlife, including endangered species.
5. Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural History society and Salim Ali
Centre for Ornithology and Natural History are some of the research
organizations undertaking research on conservation of wildlife.
6. The Indian Government has banned the veterinary use of diclofenac
drug that has caused rapid population decline of Gyps vulture across
the Indian Subcontinent. Conservation Breeding Programmes to
conserve these vulture species have been initiated at Pinjore
(Haryana), Buxa (West Bengal) and Rani, Guwahati (Assam) by the
Bombay Natural History Society.
7. The Centrally Sponsored Scheme Integrated Development of
Wildlife Habitats has been modified by including a new component
namely Recovery of Endangered Species and 16 species have
been identified for recovery viz. Snow Leopard, Bustard (including
Floricans), Dolphin, Hangul, Nilgiri Tahr, Marine Turtles, Dugong, Edible
Nest Swiftlet, Asian Wild Buffalo, Nicobar Megapode, Manipur Browantlered Deer, Vultures, Malabar Civet, Indian Rhinoceros, Asiatic Lion,
Swamp Deer and Jerdons Courser.
8. Under the Recovery of Endangered Species component of the
Centrally Sponsored Scheme Integrated Development of Wildlife
Habitats for the recovery of endangered species viz. Hangul in Jammu
and Kashmir, Snow Leopard in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh, Vulture in Punjab,
Haryana and Gujarat, Swiftlet in Andaman and Nicobar Islands,
Nilgiri Tahr in Taml Nadu, Sanghai Deer in Manipur governement has
spend lakhs of rupees.
9. Protected Areas, viz, National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation
Reserves and Community Reserves all over the country covering the
important habitats have been created as per the provisions of the Wild
Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to provide better protection to wildlife,
including threatened species and their habitat.

10.
Financial and technical assistance is extended to the State
Governments under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, viz,
Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats, Project Tiger and
Project Elephant for providing better protection and conservation to
wildlife.
11.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been empowered
under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to apprehend and prosecute
wildlife offenders.
12.
The State Governments have been requested to strengthen the
field formations and intensify patrolling in and around the Protected
Areas.
Important Indian Acts passed related to Environment and Bio Diversity
1. Fisheries Act 1897.
2. Indian Forests Act 1927.
3. Mining and Mineral Development Regulation Act 1957.
4. Prevention of cruelty to animals 1960.
5. Wildlife protection act 1972.
6. Water (prevention and control of pollution) act 1974.
7. Forest Conservation Act 1980.
8. Air(prevention and control of pollution) act 1981.
9. Environment Protection Act 1986.
10.

Biological Diversity Act 2002.

11.
Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers
(recognition of rights) act 2006.
Policies related to Environment and Bio Diversity
1. National Forest Policy.

2. National Conservation Strategy and Policy statement on Environment

and Development.
3. National Policy and macro-level action strategy on Biodiversity.
4. National Biodiversity Action Plan (2009).
5. National Agriculture Policy.
6. National Water Policy.
7. National Environment Policy (2006).

Objectives:
As per the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, the objectives of
conservation of biodiversity are:
(a) To increase public awareness through media, government agencies, NGOs, etc.
(b) To implement strict restrictions on export of rare plants and animals.
(c) To preserve all varieties of old and new flora, fauna and microbes.
(d) To protect natural habitats.
(e) To protect all critically endangered, endangered, and rare species.
(f) To reduce pollution.
(g) To maintain ecological balance.
(h) To utilize the natural resources in a sustainable way.

Literature Review:
Some important research work concerned with the selected topic of the proposed
research work was refereed to chalk out the plan of the proposed work more
accurately. It can be briefly discussed as follows.
Biodiversity of macrobenthic fauna at Mochemad estuary of Vengurla, South
Konkan, Maharashtra has been estimated. The selected estuary is related with
the adjacent Vengurla Tahsil of Devgad Tahsil of South Konkan which has been
selected for the proposed studies. It is 115 km far from Devgad by road. The
estuary is a rich mixed habitat with mudflats, some sandy region as well as
mangrove vegetation on its both sides. The paper represents the biodiversity of the
creek with a total number of 66 macrobenthic species including 29 species of
Mollusca.
-PatoleV. M. et al[2011]Anotherpaperrefereed in concern with the proposed studies
represents the idea of the richness of the natural ecosystem in the Kharland
laagoons of the Sindhudurg district of South Konkan in Maharashtra. It also
explains the scope of the Aquacultural practices in the said area mentioning a
number of commercially important molluscan species like oysters and clam
mussels etc.
Yeragi S. G. et al[2004]The edible bivalves of the Mithbav Creek in Devgad
Tahsil have been studied. It mentions several delicious as well as commercially
important species of bivalves found over there like meretrix and cardium
species etc. It also focuses on the commercial status of the same.
-YeragiS. G. et al[2004] Achara Creek is a remote end of the Devgad Tahsil. It is a
well-known and rich habitat for the typical creek biodiversity in Sindhudurg
district of South Konkan in Maharashtra.
The paper focuses on the studies of the Zooplanktons in the said ecosystem which
form the initial trophic level of the Aquatic food chains. Rather than identification,
the biomass index of the zooplanktons as well as quantitative distribution of the
planktons has been revealed.

-Yeragi Aarati S. et al[2004]

Oyster meat is considered to be a rich supplementary food today. The Akshi beach
of Alibaug in Raigad district of Konkan in Maharashtra is a well known beach for
the tourists as well as for its clam populations.
Focus has been mainly given on the commercially important oyster species which
are naturally found in the mangrove vegetation of the beach. Some specific species
like Saccostrea cuculata, Crossostrea cattuckensis, C. madrasensis, C. gryphoids
etc. have been explained.The characteristics of the ecosystem in relevance to the
species studied are also mentioned. -Yeragi S. G. et al[2005)
Biofoulers are the organisms that grow on any submerged or floating solid surface
in the marine, estuarine as well as fresh water. The paper is mainly referring the
problems that arise due to the biofoulers growing on the fishing apparatuses like
crafts and timber. Molluscan animals like bivalves and certain gastropods belong to
the category of biofoulers.
The biofoulers are the unwanted organisms that can cause damages to ships,
trawlers and similar type of fishing devices. -YeragiS. G. et al[2005]
Enzymes are the key molecules in every metabolic process taking place in the body
of a living organism. The concerned paper explains the effect of pesticides like
Cypermethrin and Fenvalerate on the activity of ATPase enzyme in the mudskipper
species. The tissue selected for the enzymatic study was Liver. In the findings, it
has been found that the enzymatic activity reduces due to the effect of the
pesticides.
-RanaA. M. et al[2005]

DESCRIPTION OF METHODOLOGY

Earth is home to 80,000 species of snails and slugs. About 5,000 species of frogs have been
recorded. Ten thousand species of birds decorate the skies. Our planet provides habitats for about
3,000 species of snakes, at least 25,000 different kinds of fish, about 2,300 rodents, and
innumerable forms of insects, bacteria, fungi and viruses. I say innumerable because, although
weve named 100,000 types of fungi and documented more than a million species of insects,
were conscious that weve identified only a fraction of the diverse species out there. Experts
estimate there are between 2 and 30 million species of insects on Earth. There are so many kinds
of insects in so many out-of-the-way places that scientists can only take a wild stab at the range
of their diversity.
We have named about 600,000 species of beetles, for heavens sake.
A couple of years ago, I discovered a tiny frog Id never seen before in a wet spot behind my
shed. I was thrilled. Last year, my wife and I spotted a merlin, a small species of falcon, hunting
around our blackberry patch. I watched it through a telescope from our living room. The
discovery made me feel ecstatic.
Sometimes I get a little drunk on natural diversity. A good sort of drunk. Ive been known to
crawl around a pasture on my belly counting plant species. Not for the sake of science just to
know the number. My wife and I like to pick out how many different bird songs we can hear on
summer mornings.
Some find my enthusiasm silly, but I have good company in my intoxication. Thomas Jefferson
expounded joyously on the sacred multiplicity of creation. So have renowned authors and
thinkers such as Aristotle, Pliny the Elder, Thich Nhat Hanh, Terry Tempest Williams, William
Wordsworth and many more.
As the floodwaters described in the Old Testament receded, the Judeo-Christian God promised
never again to punish the planet, telling Noah, I am establishing my covenant with you and with
your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the
domestic animals, and every animal of the Earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. His
covenant was not with humanity alone, but, explicitly, with every living thing. Buddhism,
Hinduism and many other religions also give specific, divine instruction on the importance of
preserving diverse species. Almost everyone, it seems, recognizes the value.

Pulitzer Prize-winning biologist Edward O. Wilson is todays unofficial high priest of

biodiversity. He says we dont need scientists, politicians, economists or clergy to tell us
biodiversity is important. Biodiversity is not just important for technical, scientific reasons its
important because its the symbol and symptom of a rich, healthy world.
In his book Biodiversity, Wilson says the inherent wrongness of the destruction of biological
diversity is apparent to all manner of personal philosophies. He contends that the sacred value
of biodiversity gives conservation a sound footing outside the slick terrain of the economists
and their philosophical allies.
Wilson argues that we should value biodiversity for its own sake. I think thats a wonderful idea.
I think it may be the best idea Ive heard in a long time.
If we need some yardstick by which to measure our progress toward real, effective
environmental stewardship, then biodiversity should be that yardstick. What better way is there,
after all, to value creation than by its diversity? Its the best score card for the planets health.
This planets creator obviously values variety. Famous biologist J. B. S. Haldane, when asked
whether his scientific studies taught him anything about God, replied that this planets architect
apparently has an inordinate fondness for beetles. Haldanes offhand remark was satirical and
profound at the same time. Based on the evidence, God must be incredibly fond of beetles
indeed. And dragonflies. And fungi.
Unfortunately, half of all the plant and animal species that were living on Earth when I was born
might be gone in my grandchildrens lifetimes. Human activities are putting a lot of pressure on
biodiversity. The planet hasnt seen the current rate of extinction since the demise of the
dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Were probably losing between 50 and 150 species per day.
Extinction is normal, but our current rate of extinction is far from normal. In fact, the current rate
is at least 10,000 times greater than the historic average rate of species extinction according to
the United Nations Development Programme, an organization dedicated to world development
and poverty reduction. This alarming rate of extinction is without a doubt the result of human
activities pollution, deforestation, construction, industrialization. By 2100, if current trends
persist, two-thirds of the species that were alive in 1900 will have disappeared

Relevance of Biodiversity
The whole idea of a species ceasing to exist is difficult to grasp. At the time of the American
Revolution, people generally didnt think it was even possible. An article of faith since Medieval
times had been that Gods Great Chain of Being, complete with every species that had ever

existed, remained intact. Thomas Jefferson didnt believe in extinction. He believed the idea was
heretical. A couple of decades after Jefferson was gone, Alfred Lord Tennyson mourned the new
reality of extinction in a poem called In Memoriam, where he wishes That not one life shall
be destroyd, / Or cast as rubbish to the void ...
While this notion that creatures disappear forever isnt easy to swallow, even more difficult is the
realization that humanity may be responsible for sending a lot of those species to the void. But
the fact that were responsible for mass extinctions is becoming more and more obvious. Some
scientists are even in favor of announcing the end of the Holocene epoch and naming the current
epoch the Anthropocene, signaling a period in which humankind is the dominant natural force
on the planet. But rather than resisting this recognition, what if we embrace the opportunity?
What if we acknowledge that biological diversity is inherently good, and that to diminish it is
inherently wrong? Just plain wrong.
If we target global warming or pollution as primary obstacles in our journey toward
sustainability, maybe were setting our sights too low. Maybe we should, instead, aim our efforts
at preserving biological diversity in all of its natural splendor. Pursuing any other goal seems
inferior by comparison and not worthy of our vast potential as a species.

We humans have come a long way in gaining our independence from the whims of Mother
Nature. We've learned how to build shelters and clothe ourselves. Through agriculture and
irrigation, we can control our own food supply. We've built schools, hospitals, computers,
automobiles, airplanes and space shuttles. So what's the big deal if a bunch of plants, animals and
simple organisms die out?
Here's the problem with the loss of biodiversity: The Earth functions like an incredibly complex
machine, and there don't appear to be any unnecessary parts. Each species -- from the lowliest
microbe to humans -- plays a part in keeping the planet running smoothly. In this sense, each part
is related. If a lot of those parts suddenly vanish, then the machine that is Earth can't function
properly.
For example, the crops that we grow though our clever use of agriculture are enabled by the
nitrogen present in the soil. This nitrogen nourishes and strengthens our crops. But where does it
come from? Worms, bacteria and other life found within the soil love to decompose vegetation.
When they eat, these organisms produce nitrogen as waste, which crops really love. This is also
how nutrient-rich compost is made. If these bacteria species were killed off, then our crops
would not grow properly.

This holds true for ocean ecosystems too. The ocean -- along with land-based plant vegetation -plays a major role in absorbing carbon dioxide -- a gas that humans can't breathe. The ocean
doesn't absorb this CO2 on its own. It relies on organisms like phytoplankton -- microscopic
aquatic plant life -- to absorb the CO 2. Loss of phytoplankton means we lose adequate levels of
breathable air.
Even some of our own modern advances in technology depend on nature. Modern medicine
owes much to the properties found naturally in plants and bacteria. Medications like painkillers,
penicillin and inoculations are based on natural organisms. The structure of these living things
has been analyzed and synthesized to produce some medications, but others -- like antibiotics -still use the actual organisms. In total, this accounts for one-quarter of all the prescription drugs
we use [source: David Suzuki Foundation]. What's more, if the Earth suddenly lost its hearty
biodiversity, drugs that have yet to be discovered would also be lost.
Even if we humans could find a way to overcome a catastrophic loss of biodiversity, our
existence on Earth would certainly be changed. There's a very important economic aspect to
biodiversity as well. In 1997, Cornell University scientists tallied the dollar value of all the
services provided for humanity by life on Earth. Everything from ecotourism and pollination to
soil formation and pharmaceuticals was taken into account. The total for services provided to
humanity by Mother Nature came to $2.9 trillion per year (another study concluded the total was
$33 trillion) [source: Science Daily].
These services would still be required, with or without a diverse global ecosystem. As the
resources that provided these services (like nitrogen produced by worms) dwindled, humans
would have to replace them in order to survive. Stores of things like nitrogen for soil and
medicine for the sick would quickly and significantly increase in value. Competition for these
dwindling resources would develop, with wealthier and better armed countries inevitably
winning. Life, indeed, would change for humanity as a result of a loss of biodiversity. It would
quickly get worse.

Rainforests are an example of biodiversity on the planet, and typically possess a great deal of
species diversity. This is the Gambia River in Senegal's Niokolo-Koba National Park.
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an
entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a
function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar
regions support fewer species.
Rapid environmental changes typically cause mass extinctions. One estimate is that less than 1%
of the species that have existed on Earth are extant.

Since life began on Earth, five major mass extinctions and several minor events have led to large
and sudden drops in biodiversity. The Phanerozoic eon (the last 540 million years) marked a
rapid growth in biodiversity via the Cambrian explosiona period during which nearly every
phylum of multicellular organisms first appeared. The next 400 million years included repeated,
massive biodiversity losses classified as mass extinction events. In the Carboniferous, rainforest
collapse led to a great loss of plant and animal life. [2] The PermianTriassic extinction event,
251 million years ago, was the worst; vertebrate recovery took 30 million years.[3] The most
recent, the CretaceousTertiary extinction event, occurred 65 million years ago, and has often
attracted more attention than others because it resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs.[4]
The period since the emergence of humans has displayed an ongoing biodiversity reduction and
an accompanying loss of genetic diversity. Named the Holocene extinction, the reduction is
caused primarily by human impacts, particularly habitat destruction. Conversely, biodiversity
impacts human health in a number of ways, both positively and negatively.[5]
The United Nations designated 2011-2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity.
The term biological diversity was used first by wildlife scientist and conservationist Raymond F.
Dasmann in the 1968 lay book A Different Kind of Country[6] advocating conservation. The term
was widely adopted only after more than a decade, when in the 1980s it came into common
usage in science and environmental policy. Thomas Lovejoy, in the foreword to the book
Conservation Biology,[7] introduced the term to the scientific community. Until then the term
"natural diversity" was common, introduced by The Science Division of The Nature
Conservancy in an important 1975 study, "The Preservation of Natural Diversity." By the early
1980s TNC's Science program and its head, Robert E. Jenkins, [8] Lovejoy and other leading
conservation scientists at the time in America advocated the use of "biological diversity".
The term's contracted form biodiversity may have been coined by W.G. Rosen in 1985 while
planning the 1986 National Forum on Biological Diversity organized by the National Research
Council (NRC). It first appeared in a publication in 1988 when entomologist E. O. Wilson used it
as the title of the proceedings[9] of that forum.[10]
Since this period the term has achieved widespread use among biologists, environmentalists,
political leaders, and concerned citizens.
A similar term in the United States is "natural heritage." It predates the others and is more
accepted by the wider audience interested in conservation. Broader than biodiversity, it includes
geology and landforms (geodiversity).

Description
A sampling of fungi collected during summer 2008 in Northern Saskatchewan mixed woods,
near LaRonge is an example regarding the species diversity of fungi. In this photo, there are also
leaf lichens and mosses.
"Biological diversity" or "biodiversity" can have many interpretations. It is most commonly used
to replace the more clearly defined and long established terms, species diversity and species
richness. Biologists most often define biodiversity as the "totality of genes, species, and
ecosystems of a region". An advantage of this definition is that it seems to describe most
circumstances and presents a unified view of the traditional three levels at which biological
variety has been identified:

species diversity

ecosystem diversity

genetic diversity

In 2003 Professor Anthony Campbell at Cardiff University, UK and the Darwin Centre,
Pembrokeshire, defined a fourth level: Molecular Diversity
This multilevel construct is consistent with Dasmann and Lovejoy. An explicit definition
consistent with this interpretation was first given in a paper by Bruce A. Wilcox commissioned
by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) for the
1982 World National Parks Conference.[14] Wilcox's definition was "Biological diversity is the
variety of life forms...at all levels of biological systems (i.e., molecular, organismic, population,
species and ecosystem)...". The 1992 United Nations Earth Summit defined "biological
diversity" as "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". [15] This
definition is used in the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.[15]
One textbook's definition is "variation of life at all levels of biological organization".[16]
Geneticists define it as the diversity of genes and organisms. They study processes such as
mutations, gene transfer, and genome dynamics that generate evolution.[14]

Measuring diversity at one level in a group of organisms may not precisely correspond to
diversity at other levels. However, tetrapod (terrestrial vertebrates) taxonomic and ecological
diversity shows a very close correlation.[17]

Observation
A conifer forest in the Swiss Alps(National Park).Biodiversity is not evenly distributed, rather it
varies greatly across the globe as well as within regions. Among other factors, the diversity of all
living things (biota) depends on temperature, precipitation, altitude, soils, geography and the
presence of other species. The study of the spatial distribution of organisms, species, and
ecosystems, is the science of biogeography.
Diversity consistently measures higher in the tropics and in other localized regions such as Cape
Floristic Province and lower in polar regions generally. In 2006 many species were formally
classified as rare or endangered or threatened; moreover, scientists have estimated that millions
more species are at risk which have not been formally recognized. About 40 percent of the
40,177 species assessed using the IUCN Red List criteria are now listed as threatened with
extinctiona total of 16,119.
Generally terrestrial biodiversity is up to 25 times greater than ocean biodiversity.

Latitudinal gradients
Generally, there is an increase in biodiversity from the poles to the tropics. Thus localities at
lower latitudes have more species than localities at higher latitudes. This is often referred to as
the latitudinal gradient in species diversity. Several ecological mechanisms may contribute to the
gradient, but the ultimate factor behind many of them is the greater mean temperature at the
equator compared to that of the poles.
Even though terrestrial biodiversity declines from the equator to the poles, some studies claim
that this characteristic is unverified in aquatic ecosystems, especially in marine ecosystems. The
latitudinal distribution of parasites does not follow this rule. Other instances of great diversity in
higher latitudes have also been recorded.

Hotspots
A biodiversity hotspot is a region with a high level of endemic species. Hotspots were first
named in 1988 by Dr. Sabina Virk. Many hotspots have large nearby human populations. While
hotspots are spread all over the world, the majority are forest areas and most are located in the
tropics. Brazil's Atlantic Forest is considered one such hotspot, containing roughly 20,000 plant
species, 1,350 vertebrates, and millions of insects, about half of which occur nowhere else. The
island of Madagascar, particularly the unique Madagascar dry deciduous forests and lowland

rainforests, possess a high ratio of endemism. Since the island separated from mainland Africa
65 million years ago, many species and ecosystems have evolved independently. Indonesia's
17,000 islands cover 735,355 square miles (1,904,560 km2) contain 10% of the world's flowering
plants, 12% of mammals and 17% of reptiles, amphibians and birdsalong with nearly 240
million people.[29] Many regions of high biodiversity and/or endemism arise from specialized
habitats which require unusual adaptations, for example alpine environments in high mountains,
or Northern European peat bogs.
Accurately measuring differences in biodiversity can be difficult. Selection bias amongst
researchers may contribute to biased empirical research for modern estimates of biodiversity. In
1768 Rev. Gilbert White succinctly observed of his Selborne, Hampshire "all nature is so full,
that that district produces the most variety which is the most examined.
Biodiversity is the result of 3.5 billion years of evolution. The origin of life has not been
definitely established by science, however some evidence suggests that life may already have
been well-established only a few hundred million years after the formation of the Earth. Until
approximately 600 million years ago, all life consisted of archaea, bacteria, protozoans and
similar single-celled organisms.
The history of biodiversity during the Phanerozoic (the last 540 million years), starts with rapid
growth during the Cambrian explosiona period during which nearly every phylum of
multicellular organisms first appeared. Over the next 400 million years or so, invertebrate
diversity showed little overall trend, and vertebrate diversity shows an overall exponential trend.
[17]
This dramatic rise in diversity was marked by periodic, massive losses of diversity classified
as mass extinction events.[17] A significant loss occurred when rainforests collapsed in the
carboniferous.[2] The worst was the Permo-Triassic extinction, 251 million years ago. Vertebrates
took 30 million years to recover from this event.[3]
The fossil record suggests that the last few million years featured the greatest biodiversity in
history.[17] However, not all scientists support this view, since there is uncertainty as to how
strongly the fossil record is biased by the greater availability and preservation of recent geologic
sections. Some scientists believe that corrected for sampling artifacts, modern biodiversity may
not be much different from biodiversity 300 million years ago., [32] whereas others consider the
fossil record reasonably reflective of the diversification of life.[17] Estimates of the present global
macroscopic species diversity vary from 2 million to 100 million, with a best estimate of
somewhere near 1314 million, the vast majority arthropods. Diversity appears to increase
continually in the absence of natural selection.[34]

Evolutionary diversification
The existence of a "global carrying capacity", limiting the amount of life that can live at once, is
debated, as is the question of whether such a limit would also cap the number of species. While
records of life in the sea shows a logistic pattern of growth, life on land (insects, plants and
tetrapods)shows an exponential rise in diversity. As one author states, "Tetrapods have not yet
invaded 64 per cent of potentially habitable modes, and it could be that without human influence
the ecological and taxonomic diversity of tetrapods would continue to increase in an exponential
fashion until most or all of the available ecospace is filled."
On the other hand, changes through the Phanerozoic correlate much better with the hyperbolic
model (widely used in population biology, demography and macrosociology, as well as fossil
biodiversity) than with exponential and logistic models. The latter models imply that changes in
diversity are guided by a first-order positive feedback (more ancestors, more descendants) and/or
a negative feedback arising from resource limitation. Hyperbolic model implies a second-order
positive feedback. The hyperbolic pattern of the world population growth arises from a secondorder positive feedback between the population size and the rate of technological growth. [35] The
hyperbolic character of biodiversity growth can be similarly accounted for by a feedback
between diversity and community structure complexity. The similarity between the curves of
biodiversity and human population probably comes from the fact that both are derived from the
interference of the hyperbolic trend with cyclical and stochastic dynamics
Most biologists agree however that the period since human emergence is part of a new mass
extinction, named the Holocene extinction event, caused primarily by the impact humans are
having on the environment. It has been argued that the present rate of extinction is sufficient to
eliminate most species on the planet Earth within 100 years.
New species are regularly discovered (on average between 510,000 new species each year, most
of them insects) and many, though discovered, are not yet classified (estimates are that nearly
90% of all arthropods are not yet classified).[33] Most of the terrestrial diversity is found in
tropical forests.

Human benefits
Summer field in Belgium (Hamois). The blue flowers are Centaurea cyanus and the red are
Papaver rhoeas.
Biodiversity supports ecosystem services including air quality, climate (e.g., CO2 sequestration),
water purification, pollination, and prevention of erosion.

Since the stone age, species loss has accelerated above the prior rate, driven by human activity.
Estimates of species loss are at a rate 100-10,000 times as fast as is typical in the fossil record.
Non-material benefits include spiritual and aesthetic values, knowledge systems and the value of
education

Agriculture
Crop diversity aids recovery when the dominant cultivar is attacked by a disease or predator:

The Irish potato blight of 1846 was a major factor in the deaths of one million people and
the emigration of another million. It was the result of planting only two potato varieties,
both vulnerable to the blight.

When rice grassy stunt virus struck rice fields from Indonesia to India in the 1970s, 6,273
varieties were tested for resistance.[41] Only one was resistant, an Indian variety, and
known to science only since 1966. [41] This variety formed a hybrid with other varieties
and is now widely grown.

Coffee rust attacked coffee plantations in Sri Lanka, Brazil, and Central America in 1970.
A resistant variety was found in Ethiopia.[42] Although the diseases are themselves a form
of biodiversity.

Monoculture was a contributing factor to several agricultural disasters, including the European
wine industry collapse in the late 19th century, and the US Southern Corn Leaf Blight epidemic
of 1970.

Human health
The diverse forest canopy on Barro Colorado Island, Panama, yielded this display of different
fruit
Biodiversity's relevance to human health is becoming an international political issue, as scientific
evidence builds on the global health implications of biodiversity loss. This issue is closely linked
with the issue of climate change,[47] as many of the anticipated health risks of climate change are
associated with changes in biodiversity (e.g. changes in populations and distribution of disease
vectors, scarcity of fresh water, impacts on agricultural biodiversity and food resources etc.) This
is because the species most likely to disappear are those that buffer against infectious disease
transmission, while surviving species tend to be the ones that increase disease transmission, such
as that of West Nile Virus, Lyme disease and Hantavirus, according to a study done co-authored

by Felicia Keesing, and ecologist at Bard College, and Drew Harvell, associate director for
Environment of the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) at Cornell University.
Some of the health issues influenced by biodiversity include dietary health and nutrition security,
infectious disease, medical science and medicinal resources, social and psychological health.
Biodiversity is also known to have an important role in reducing disaster risk, and in postdisaster relief and recovery efforts.
Biodiversity provides critical support for drug discovery and the availability of medicinal
resources.[52] A significant proportion of drugs are derived, directly or indirectly, from biological
sources: at least 50% of the pharmaceutical compounds on the US market are derived from
plants, animals, and micro-organisms, while about 80% of the world population depends on
medicines from nature (used in either modern or traditional medical practice) for primary
healthcare Only a tiny fraction of wild species has been investigated for medical potential.
Biodiversity has been critical to advances throughout the field of bionics. Evidence from market
analysis and biodiversity science indicates that the decline in output from the pharmaceutical
sector since the mid-1980s can be attributed to a move away from natural product exploration
("bioprospecting") in favor of genomics and synthetic chemistry; meanwhile, natural products
have a long history of supporting significant economic and health innovation. Marine ecosystems
are particularly important,[55] although inappropriate bioprospecting can increase biodiversity
loss, as well as violating the laws of the communities and states from which the resources are
taken.

Leisure, cultural and aesthetic value

Biodiversity enriches leisure activities such as hiking, birdwatching or natural history study.
Biodiversity inspires musicians, painters, sculptors, writers and other artists. Many cultures view
themselves as an integral part of the natural world which requires them to respect other living
organisms.
Popular activities such as gardening, fishkeeping and specimen collecting strongly depend on
biodiversity. The number of species involved in such pursuits is in the tens of thousands, though
the majority do not enter commerce.
The relationships between the original natural areas of these often exotic animals and plants and
commercial collectors, suppliers, breeders, propagators and those who promote their
understanding and enjoyment are complex and poorly understood. The general public responds
well to exposure to rare and unusual organisms, reflecting their inherent value.
Philosophically it could be argued that biodiversity has intrinsic aesthetic and spiritual value to
mankind in and of itself. This idea can be used as a counterweight to the notion that tropical

forests and other ecological realms are only worthy of conservation because of the services they
provide.[
Eagle Creek, Oregon hiking
Biodiversity supports many ecosystem services that are often not readily visible. It plays a part in
regulating the chemistry of our atmosphere and water supply. Biodiversity is directly involved in
water purification, recycling nutrients and providing fertile soils. Experiments with controlled
environments have shown that humans cannot easily build ecosystems to support human needs;
for example insect pollination cannot be mimicked, and that activity alone represents tens of
billions of dollars in ecosystem services per year to humankind.[
Daisyworld simulations, supported by evidence from scientific studies, has proven the positive
co-relation of biodiversity with ecosystem stability, protecting against disruption by extreme
weather or human exploitation.

Number of species
According to the Global Taxonomy Initiative and the European Distributed Institute of
Taxonomy, the total number of species for some phyla may be much higher than what was
known in 2010:

1030 million insects; (of some 0.9 million we know today)

510 million bacteria;

1.5 million fungi;(of some 0.075 million we know today)

1 million mites[69]

The number of microbial species is not reliably known, but the Global Ocean Sampling
Expedition dramatically increased the estimates of genetic diversity by identifying an
enormous number of new genes from near-surface plankton samples at various marine
locations, initially over the 2004-2006 period. [70] The findings may eventually cause a
significant change in the way science defines species and other taxonomic categories.

Since the rate of extinction has increased, many extant species may become extinct before they
are described.[73]

Species loss rates

"No longer do we have to justify the existence of humid tropical forests on the feeble grounds
that they might carry plants with with drugs that cure human disease. Gaia theory forces us to see
that they offer much more than this. Through their capacity to evapotranspirate vast volumes of
water vapor, they serve to keep the planet cool by wearing a sunshade of white reflecting cloud.
Their replacement by cropland could precipitate a disaster that is global in scale"
During the last century, decreases in biodiversity have been increasingly observed. In 2007,
German Federal Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel cited estimates that up to 30% of all
species will be extinct by 2050. Of these, about one eighth of known plant species are threatened
with extinction Estimates reach as high as 140,000 species per year (based on Species-area
theory) This figure indicates unsustainable ecological practices, because few species emerge each
year] Almost all scientists acknowledge that the rate of species loss is greater now than at any
time in human history, with extinctions occurring at rates hundreds of times higher than
background extinction rates.

Threats
Jared Diamond describes an "Evil Quartet" of habitat destruction, overkill, introduced species,
and secondary extinctions. Edward O. Wilson prefers the acronym HIPPO, standing for habitat
destruction, invasive species, pollution, human over population, and over-harvesting. The most
authoritative classification in use today is IUCNs Classification of Direct Threats which has
been adopted by major international conservation organizations such as the US Nature
Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and Birdlife International.

Conservation
A schematic image illustrating the relationship between biodiversity, ecosystem services, human
well-being, and poverty. The illustration shows where conservation action, strategies and plans
can influence the drivers of the current biodiversity crisis at local, regional, to global scales.
The retreat of Aletsch Glacier in the Swiss Alps (situation in 1979, 1991 and 2002), due to global
warming.
Conservation biology matured in the mid-20th century as ecologists, naturalists, and other
scientists began to research and address issues pertaining to global biodiversity declines.
The conservation ethic advocates management of natural resources for the purpose of sustaining
biodiversity in species, ecosystems, the evolutionary process, and human culture and society
Conservation biology is reforming around strategic plans to protect biodiversity. Preserving
global biodiversity is a priority in strategic conservation plans that are designed to engage public

policy and concerns affecting local, regional and global scales of communities, ecosystems, and
cultures. Action plans identify ways of sustaining human well-being, employing natural capital,
market capital, and ecosystem services.

Summary
Exotic species removal allows less competitive species to recover their ecological niches. Exotic
species that have become a pest can be identified taxonomically (e.g. with Digital Automated
Identification SYstem (DAISY), using the barcode of life. Removal is practical only given large
groups of individuals due to the econimic cost.
Once the preservation of the remaining native species in an area is assured. "missing" species can
be identified and reintroduced using databases such as the Encyclopedia of Life and the Global
Biodiversity Information Facility.

Biodiversity banking places a monetary value on biodiversity. One example is the

Australian Native Vegetation Management Framework.

Gene banks are collections of specimens and genetic material. Some banks intend to
reintroduce banked species to the ecosystem (e.g. via tree nurseries).

Reducing and better targeting of pesticides allows more species to survive in agricultural
and urbanized areas.

Location-specific approaches are less useful for protecting migratory species. One
approach is to create wildlife corridors that correspond to the animals' movements.
National and other boundaries can complicate corridor creation.

Resource allocation
Focusing on limited areas of higher potential biodiversity promises greater immediate return on
investment than spreading resources evenly or focusing on areas of little diversity but greater
interest in biodiversity.
A second strategy focuses on areas that retain most of their original diversity, which typically
require little or no restoration. These are typically non-urbanized, non-agricultural areas. Tropical
areas often fit both criteria, given their natively high diversity and relative lack of development.
A great deal of work is occurring to preserve the natural characteristics of Hopetoun Falls,
Australia while continuing to allow visitor access.
Biodiversity is taken into account in some political and judicial decisions:

The relationship between law and ecosystems is very ancient and has consequences for
biodiversity. It is related to private and public property rights. It can define protection for
threatened ecosystems, but also some rights and duties (for example, fishing and hunting
rights).

Law regarding species is more recent. It defines species that must be protected because
they may be threatened by extinction. The U.S. Endangered Species Act is an example of
an attempt to address the "law and species" issue.

Laws regarding gene pools are only about a century old. Domestication and plant
breeding methods are not new, but advances in genetic engineering has led to tighter laws
covering distribution of genetically modified organisms, gene patents and process
patents. Governments struggle to decide whether to focus on for example, genes,
genomes, or organisms and species.

Analysis
According to a recent research review published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa,
Western Ghats, one of the eight hottest biodiversity hotspots in the world, harbours
highest number of endemic orchid species found in Peninsular India. 123 species
among the 130 endemic orchid species of peninsular India are found in different
parts of Western Ghats, says the study. Among them, 95 species are strictly
restricted to Western Ghats.

State-wise distribution of endemic orchids in Western Ghats

The present study also points out the high endemism among orchids found in
Western Ghats. Of the 123 endemic orchids found in Western Ghats, 95 are strictly
restricted to these mountain ranges. At the same time, among the 22 species of
endemic orchids found in Eastern Ghats, only 5 species are strictly endemic. None
among the 29 endemic orchids reported from Deccan Plateau are restricted to the
plateau.
Endemic orchid fauna of Peninsular India
According to a study, the family of orchid like plants have 22500 different species
across the world. Among them, 1331 species are reported from India. 404 species
among them are endemic to India.
The present study claims that the actual number of endemic orchid species at
peninsular region is 130 which are distributed into 38 genera. Among them, 43 are
ground orchids, 85 are epiphytic or grow on trees and two are holomycotrophic
(grows on dead or decaying matter).

SUGGESTIONS
Global agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity), give "sovereign national
rights over biological resources" (not property). The agreements commit countries to "conserve
biodiversity", "develop resources for sustainability" and "share the benefits" resulting from their
use. Biodiverse countries that allow bioprospecting or collection of natural products, expect a
share of the benefits rather than allowing the individual or institution that discovers/exploits the
resource to capture them privately. Bioprospecting can become a type of biopiracy when such
principles are not respected.
Sovereignty principles can rely upon what is better known as Access and Benefit Sharing
Agreements (ABAs). The Convention on Biodiversity implies informed consent between the
source country and the collector, to establish which resource will be used and for what, and to
settle on a fair agreement on benefit sharing.
Uniform approval for use of biodiversity as a legal standard has not been achieved, however.
Bosselman argues that biodiversity should not be used as a legal standard, claiming that the
remaining areas of scientific uncertainty cause unacceptable administrative waste and increase
litigation without promoting preservation goals.
Less than 1% of all species that have been described have been studied beyond simply noting
their existence. The vast majority of Earth's species are microbial. Contemporary biodiversity
physics is "firmly fixated on the visible [macroscopic] world". For example, microbial life is
metabolically and environmentally more diverse than multicellular life (see e.g., extremophile).
"On the tree of life, based on analyses of small-subunit ribosomal RNA, visible life consists of
barely noticeable twigs. The inverse relationship of size and population recurs higher on the
evolutionary ladder"to a first approximation, all multicellular species on Earth are insects".
Insect extinction rates are highsupporting the Holocene extinction hypothesis

CONCLUSION
Biodiversity is our life. If the Biodiversity got lost at this rate then in near future,
the survival of human being will be threatened. So, 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.

REFERENCES
Roy Sovan, Environmental Science, Publishing Syndicate , 2003, Kolkata.
Dara.S.S., Environmental chemistry and Pollution Control, S.chand & company
Ltd., New Delhi Schulze Ernst- Detlef, Mooney Harold, Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Function, Springer- Verlag, London Mohapatra Pradipta Kumar,
Textbook of Environmental Biotechnology, I.K. International pub. House pvt.
Ltd.,2006, New Delhi Khan. T. I. Global Biodiversity and Environmental
Conservation, Pointer Publishers, 2001, Jaipur
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www.ibc2010.com