Global diversity patterns and loss of biodiversity

Global diversity patterns and loss of biodiversity

1. Global diversity patterns and loss of biodiversity [email protected] Jitendra Kumar Department of FRM College of Fisheries, Mangalore

2. Biodiversity Refers to the numbers , variety and variability of living organisms and ecosystem Includes all terrestrial, marine and other aquatic organisms Covers diversity within species, between species as well as variations among ecosystems. Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. [email protected]

3. Global Patterns of Biodiversity main factors determining species richness also increased with the need to understand how biodiversity might change under different scenarios of global climate change [email protected]

4. Global biodiversity hotspots A biodiversity hotspot is a region with a high level of endemic species . Hotspots were first named in 1988 by Dr. Sabina V . To qualify as a hotspot, an area must hold at least 1500 endemic species Brazil's Atlantic Forest  is containing roughly 20,000 plant species &1,350 vertebrates etc ! All 34 hotspots contain 50% plant species, 42% terrestrial vertebrates. ! Hotspots cover 15.7% of the land surface. ! Intact hotspot habitat equals 2.5 of the total land surface. [email protected]

5. Major problems with biodiversity conservation Low priority for con- tion of living natural res. Exploitation of living natural res. Values and knowledge about the spp. and ecosystem in adequately known Uncontrolled Urbanization and Industrialization [email protected]

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7. Major biodiversity threats Habitat destruction Overexploitation Deforestation Anthropogenic climate change Bioaccumulation and Synergetic effects etc.. [email protected]

8. Habitat “the place where it lives” Term coined by Elton in 1927. Habitat = Address or home of an organism [email protected]

9. Habitat loss and degradation Destruction of biodiversity rich areas like tropical forests. Destruction of coral reefs and Wetlands. Ploughing of grasslands. Aquatic ecosystem is threatened. Pollution of freshwater streams, lakes, and marine habitats. [email protected]

10. Habitat loss and degradation Most pervasive threat- Impacting 86% of threatened mammals, 86 % of threatened birds and 88 % of threatened amphibians [email protected]

11. Habitat loss and degradation is the greatest threat to global diversity among mammals, birds, amphibians, and gymnosperms [email protected]

12. Threats to Reefs 10 % of the coral reefs around the world are already dead. [email protected]

13. Deforestation Deforestation is the clearing of trees off an area of land. It includes any forestry practice that results in a long-term land use change. Types of change : – Forest -agriculture – Forest -human settlements –Forest -non-forest uses e.g., urban , industrial , livestock, etc . [email protected]

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15. DESERTIFICATION [email protected]

16. Estimated DEFORESTED areas( brown ) vs. Remaining Forested areas ( green ) [email protected]

17. NORTH AMERICASOUTH AMERICA Brown = deforested Green = remaining forested areas [email protected]

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19. Overexploitation 33 % of mammals and 30% of birds are affected by overexploitation Invasive are affecting 67% of threatened birds on islands [email protected]

20. Pollution 29% of amphibians are affected by pollution and 17% by disease [email protected]

21. Current Patterns of Global Endangerment Best data on global endangerment are collated in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ( www.redlist.org ) All species placed into one of 9 categories 3 primary categories: Critically Endangered , Endangered & Vulnerable To date, only 2.5% of species evaluated (and 41% considered endangered) [email protected]

22. What groups are in endangered? [email protected]

23. Current Pattern of Global Endangerment [email protected]

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25. IUCN, Red List of Threatened Species Classifies species according to their extinction risk Searchable online database containing the global status and supporting information on about 45,000 species Primary goal is to identify and document the species most in need of conservation attention and provide an index of the state of biodiversity [email protected]

26. IUCN Red List Contains 784 documented extinctions 60 extinctions in the wild since 1500 AD Over the past 20 years, 27 documented extinctions or extinctions in the wild Rates of extinctions 100 to 1,000 times natural background extinction rates [email protected]

27. IUCN Red List – 2008 Update 2008 assessment includes 44,838 species 869 (2%) are extinct or extinct in the wild 16,928 (38%) are threatened with extinction 3,246 critically endangered 4,770 endangered 8,912 vulnerable 5,570 have insufficient info to determine their status (data deficient) Rates of extinctions 100 to 1,000 times natural background extinction rates [email protected]

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30. Why are we losing biodiversity? INCREASING POPULATION INCREASING USE OF FINITE RESOURCES INCREASING POLLUTION [email protected]

31. HUMAN POPULATION GROWTH Time to Attain Year Attained 1 st Billion 2-5 Million Years About 1880 2 nd Approx. 130 Years 1930 3 rd 30 Years 1960 4 th 15 Years 1975 5 th 12 Years 1987 6 th 12 Years 1999 6.7 10 Years 2009 Source: http ://math.berkeley.edu/~ galen/popclk2009.html [email protected]

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33. BIODIVERSITY IN INDIA Thar desert - The climate and vegetation in this area is a contrast to the Himalayan region. Western Ghats - One of the two biodiversity hotspots in India. Sunder bans - The largest mangrove forest in India. Chilika - This wetland area is protected under the Ramsar convention. Himalayas - This  majestic range of mountains is the home of a diverse range of  flora and fauna. Eastern Himalayas is one of the two biodiversity hotspots in India. Source: earthtrends.wri.org [email protected]

34. 09/5749 25/521 72/458 88/390 244/18664 03/231 Source: www.earthtrends.wri.org/2002-03 [email protected]

35. Comparative statement of recorded number of animal species in India and the World Taxa Species World Percentage of India to the world Protista 2577 31259 8.24 Mollusca 5070 66535 7.62 Arthropoda 68389 987949 6.9 Other Invertebrates 8329 87121 9.56 Protochordata 119 2106 5.65 Pisces 2546 21723 11.72 Amphibia 209 5150 4.06 Reptilia 456 5817 7.84 Aves 1232 9026 13.66 Mamalia 390 4629 8.42 Source: MoEF 2002. [email protected]

36. IS THE BIODIVERSITY OF INDIA UNDER THREAT? 10% of India’s plant species are under threat. More than 150 medicinal plants have disappeared in recent decades . About 10% of flowering plants,20% of mammals and 5% of the birds are threatened . [email protected]

37. Increased vulnerability of species extinction Ecological imbalance Reduced sources of food, structural materials, medicinal and genetic resources Cost increase to the society Impact of loss of Biodiversity [email protected]

38. Establishing protected areas Targeted interventions at the genetic , species , and ecosystems levels Restoration of damaged ecosystems Recovery of endangered species Creation of sustainable forms of development Solutions will include [email protected]

39. References www.redlist.org http://math.berkeley.edu/~galen/popclk.html www.earthtrends.wri.org www.earthtrends.wri.org/2002-03 MoEF 2002 http://esl.jrc.it/envind/pf_intro/pf_int07.htm http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/current/lectures/kling/ecosystem/ecosystem.html www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversity [email protected]

40. Thank You [email protected]