Biodiversity

 Variation of the living organisms is

called Biodiversity.
 Sometimes habitat diversity (the

variety of places where organisms

live) and genetic diversity (the
variety of traits expressed within a
species) are also considered
types of Biodiversity.
 Significance of Biodiversity
Biodiversity, besides its ecological
significance provides a socioeconomic
and monetary asset to the nation.
Human society depends on biological
resource, Their diversity and the
ecosystems that sustain them provide
essential goods and service. Values
related to biodiversity can be grouped
in to three categories as following.
Significance of Biodiversity.
 Productive use: Products that are
commercially harvested for exchange in
formal markets and it is the only value of
biological resources that is concerned in
national income.
It provides us many products, such as fuel,
timber, fish fodder, skin, fruits, cereals and
medicinal plants.
 Consumptive use: Consumption value is
related to natural products that are
consumed directly, i.e. the goods which do
not come under normal circulation of trade.
eg. Honey collection from own garden.
 Indirect use: This use provide us indirect
benefits as non-consumptive values.
maintenance of ecological balance,
conservation of natural resources and
 Types of Biodiversity
 Ecological diversity: It refers to the
variability among the living organisms
in different ecosystems. It also refers
to the variability within the species
and variability among the species of
plants, animals an micro-organisms. It
pertains to richness of species of flora
and fauna and micro-organisms in an
ecosystem or biotic community
 Genetic diversity: Range of diversity in
plant and animal genetic resource. So
that, diversity among individuals of a
species as well as variability among
 Depletion of Biodiversity
Natural causes of biodiversity depletion:
Drought, Land slides, Flood, Strom, Earthquakes,
Disease etc.
Artificial causes of biodiversity depletion:
 Grazing,
 scientific and educational research,
 road and dam construction all leading to
destruction of habitat.
 Due to habitat destruction
 Over-exploitation of biological resources
 Pollution and introduction of exotic plants and
animals which causes qualitative as well as
quantitative changes in biodiversity.
 Expansion of agriculture and industries,
urbanizations, road construction and large
scale developmental projects.
*Excessive and uncontrolled biotic
interference.
Artificial
destruction of
the
Biodiversity:
eg.
Deforestation
and habitat
loss.
Human are destroying the plant
and it causes the loss of
habitat of others animals and
birds.
Industrialization causes the destruction
of environment by destroying plants
and emitting many kinds of harmful
gases
 Remember, it's not just the trees that are
lost but all the animals whose home it was
like monkeys, tigers or parrots.
Toxic chemicals are dangerous for the
creature.
Destroying the natural world by cutting and
burning rainforests, covering the ground
with more houses, office blocks, factories
and roads or using life-destroying farming
methods
Over exploitation of the
environment is one of the
cause of destruction of
biodiversity.
Over-hunting for food, for fur or, nowadays,
fun. Thousands of creatures have been
wiped out by people. Some of the most
famous are the dodo, the passenger
pigeon and the great auk
Introducing alien species. Sometimes people
do this by accident but often it's
deliberate. Cats and rats in Australia have
driven many once common creatures
almost to extinction by hunting them
 Conservation of Biological
Diversity
Increasing population, urbanization and
industrialization, however, have led
depletion of natural resources. In this
case the immediate task is not only to
manage and conserve the existing
natural resources and ecosystems
through cooperation and support of
people. Conservation of bio-wealth and
genetic resources is essential for
providing security of food to the
nation.
In-situ conservation: In-situ
conservation means a
conservation process by which we
can conserve natural resources in
their own habitat.
e.g. 1. The conservation of
ecosystem and biogeographic
units.

2. Establishing new protected

areas based on utility,
distinctiveness and endangerment
of species.
Ex-situ conservation: A conservation
process by which we can conserve natural
resource artificially.
Sometimes the populations of species may
decline or may become extinct due to
genetic of environmental factors such as
genetic drift, inbreeding , habitat loss,
competition with exotic species, diseases
and over-exploitation. In such cases In-situ
conservation may not proves to be effective
and a species can be protected from
becoming extinct only through maintaining
individuals in artificial conditions under Ex-
situ or Off-situ conservation.
e.g. 1. Collection and maintenance of
microbial cultures.
2. Encouraging the establishment of seed
What we have to do?
 Start
composting
waste food,
vegetable
peelings
and stuff.
 wear your
clothes
more than
once
before you
wash
them.