EvoBio-Biodiversity

• Biodiversity

  • the number and variety of plants and animals and other organisms that exist in an ecosystem
  • it is a measure of variety of organisms present in different ecosystem
• Genetic diversity

  • genetic variability or diversity within a species amount of
  • variation in genetic material (DNA) within a species or within a population
• Importance of genetic diversity

  • It helps in speciation or evolution of new species
  • It is useful in adaptation to changes in environmental conditions
  • It is important for agricultural productivity and development
• Species Diversity

  • Describes the variety in the number and abundance of species within a region
  • It accurately determines species diversity, both the species richness which is the number of different species and the relative abundance , which is the number of individuals within each species
  • The species richness depends largely on climatic conditions
• There are approximately 1.8 million of species on Earth (1 million are insects)
• Ecosystems Diversity

  • describes the assemblage and interaction of species living together and the physical environment of a given area
  • It relates varieties of habitats, biotic communities, ecological processes in biosphere Diversity within the ecosystem
• Biodiversity: Distribution

  • 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
  • Diversity consistently measures higher in the tropics and lower in polar regions generally Rainforests that have had wet climates kfor a long time , have particularly high biodiversity
  • Terrestrial biodiversity is thought to be up to 25 times greater than ocean biodiversity
• 34 biodiversity hotspots have been identified. They once covered 15.7 % of the Earth’s land surface 86 % of the hotspots’ habitat has already been destroyed The intact remnants of the hostpots now cover only 2.3 % of the Earth’s land surface
• Loss of Biodiversity

  • the main cause of the loss of biodiversity can be attributed to the influence of human beings on the world’s ecosystem
  • Most of the biodiversity loss has happened post Industrial Revolution through human activities
• Species loss rate

  • the planet has lost 52 % of its biodiversity since 1970, according to a 2014 study by the World wildlife Fund
• Causes of Biodiversity Loss

  1. Alteration and loss of the habitat
  2. Introduction of exotic species
  3. Pollution
  4. Climate Change
  5. Overexploitation of resources
• Pacific Yew Tree (Taxol)

  • proven to treat breast cancer based on some studies.
• Importance of Biodiversity

  • Atleast 40 % of the world’s economy and 80 % of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources
  • The richer the diversity of life , the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries , economic development and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change
• Biosphere Reserves

  • areas comprising terrestrial , marine and coastal ecosystems. Each reserve promotes solutions reconciling the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use
  • There are 689 biosphere reserves in 120 countries including 16 transboundary sites
• Biosphere Reserves example

  • Amazon in Europe
  • Carpathian Bio Reserve in Ukraine
• Zones in Biosphere Reserves

  1. Core Zone

  • human activity is not allowed
  • area is legally protected and undisturbed ecosystem.

  2. Buffer zone

  • the immediate surrounding area of core zone
  • limited human activities like research and education are permitted

  3. Manipulation zone (transition zone)

  • with the cooperation of reserve management and local people, several human activities like settlements, cropping, recreation , and forestry are carried out without disturbing the environment
• Importance of Biosphere Reserves

  1. conservation
  2. development
  3. restoration
  4. education and research
• India Biosphere Reserves

  • The Indian government has established 18 biosphere reserves
• Biopiracy

  • the practice of commercially exploiting naturally occurring biochemical or genetic material, especially by obtaining patents that restricts its future use while failing to pay fair compensation to community from which it originated
  • the theft of genetic materials especially plants and other biological materials by the patent process
• Bioprospecting

  • the search for biological resources and accompanying indigenous knowledge for the purpose of commercial exploitation
• Biodiversity Conservation

  • saving life on Earth in all its forms and keeping natural ecosystems functioning and healthy
• 2 kinds of conservation

  1. In-situ conservation Conservation of species in their natural habitat
  2. Ex-situ conservation Preservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats (e.g Seed banks, sperm and ova banks, field banks)
• Protected Area

  • geographically defined area that is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives
  • includes national parks and nature reserves , sustainable use reserves , wilderness areas and heritage sites