the vast array of species of living organisms

defination of Biodiversity, levels of Biodiverisity, Importance of Biodiversity, Biodiversity Hotspots

1. BIODIVERSITY

2. What is Biodiversity? The concept of Biodiversity first appeared in 1980 . “ Biological ” and “ Diversity ” Coined by W. G. Rosen in 1985. Greek Word “ Bios=life ” and “ diversity=forms ” Biodiversity can be defined as the vast array of species of microorganisms, algae, fungi, plants and animals occurring on earth either in terrestrial or aquatic habitats and the ecological complexes of which they are a part

3. Level of Biodiversity

4. Level of Biodiversity GENETIC DIVERSITY: Genetic diversity is related to the variations of genes within species.

5. GENETIC DIVERSITY: Genetic diversity is related to the variations of genes within species. The variation may be different variants of the same genes (alleles), in the entire genes or in the chromosomal structure. On account of the genetic differences, all the individuals of the same species become different from one another in the details of the body structure giving rise to multitude of intraspecific categories such as sub species, varieties, races, strains, morphotypes, ecotypes etc.

6. GENETIC DIVERSITY:

7. GENETIC DIVERSITY:

8. GENETIC DIVERSITY: Such morphological variation become distinctive at the level of species Any single species might show high diversity at the genetic level over its distributional range. Eg. Rauwolfia vomitoria, a medicinal plant produce an active chemical (reserpine). This plant show genetic variation in different Himalayan ranges in terms of potency and concentration of reserpine. Environment also play an important role in imparting diversity of living organism.

9. Level of Biodiversity SPECIES DIVERSITY: The diversity at the level of species is referred to as species diversity. Species are the primary measure of biological diversity. The number of species present in a given region or ecosystem is known as species richness. For example big Cats All belong to the same genus but differ at the species level

10. Level of Biodiversity SPECIES DIVERSITY: For example Solanum All belong to the same genus but differ at the species level These species have attained a unique biological status of reproductive isolation Solanum tuberrosum Solanum melanogena Solanum lycopersicon

11. Species Diversity SPECIES RICHNESS: Refers to the number of species per unit area. As the area of the site increases, the number of species also increases due to more availability of natural resources. However, number may vary, resulting in differences in evenness

12. Species Diversity SPECIES EVENNESS: Refers to the relative abundance with which each species is represented in the area.

13. Species Diversity is the product of species richness and species evenness

14. Level of Biodiversity Community and Ecosystem Diversity: It is related to the different type of ecosystems or habitats. Eg. , Terrestrial ecosystem Grassland ecosystem Forest ecosystem Desert ecosystem

15. Community and Ecosystem Diversity: Aquatic ecosystem Fresh Water ecosystem Lentic Pond Lake Lotic Stream River Wetlands Swamps Marshes

16. Community and Ecosystem Diversity: Aquatic ecosystem Marine ecosystem Open sea Upwelling regions Coastal ecosystems

17. Community and Ecosystem Diversity: Are of three types viz., Alpha, Beta and Gamma Diversity 1. Alpha diversity (Within community diversity): Refers to the diversity of organisms i.e., to the number of species in the given community or habitat. Species diversity and species evenness are used in combination to represent alpha diversity. 2. Beta diversity (Between community diversity): Indicates diversity between communities. Species frequently change when habitat or community changes. 3. Gamma diversity: It refers to the diversity of the habitats in the whole geographical region

18. Community and Ecosystem Diversity:

19. Community and Ecosystem Diversity:

20. Importance of Biodiversity: Ecosystem services: Species of many kinds perform some of the other functions in an ecosystem. Every organism, besides fulfilling its own needs, also contributes something useful to different other organisms in the environment. Species capture, store and utilise energy, produce and decompose organic materials, are part of cycles of water and nutrients throughout the ecosystem, fix gases in the atmosphere and also help regulate the climate. Thus, they help in soil formation, reducing pollution, protection of land, water and air resources. These functions of biodiversity are important for ecosystem functions and stability. Biodiversity underpins the basis of all the ecosystem services on the planet.

21. Provisioning Services: Various plants, animals and microorganisms which form the biodiversity, provide us with foods such as cereals, fishes etc. , fibre for our clothes such as cotton, wool etc., fuelwood for survival as well as pharmaceutical products such as neem, tulsi etc. Regulating services: Biodiversity regulates the local as well as global climate, manages the global levels of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases, maintains freshwater quality by vegetation slowing runoff, absorbs carbon by acting as carbon sinks etc. Thus biodiversity regulates the life and life processes on the planet.

22. Importance of Biodiversity: Supporting services: Biodiversity helps in pollination, nutrient cycling as well as recycling, greenhouse gas reduction by sequestration. Food web maintenance: Biodiversity helps in maintaining food webs as higher the diversity of an ecosystem, more complex is going to be the food webs because there are so many options to eat. Therefore, higher chances of survival of every species are there. This results in more stable food chains and food webs. Scientific role: Biodiversity help in scientific research, education and monitoring. Biodiversity, thus, helps in understanding the functioning of life and the role that each species plays in sustaining ecosystems of which we humans are also a part.

23. BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT Biodiversity hotspots are regions that contain a high level of species diversity, many endemic species (species not found anywhere else in the world) and a significant number of threatened or endangered species. The concept of biodiversity hotspots was first introduced in the late 1980s and since then, it has been used as a tool for identifying areas of high conservation priority. Around the world, 36 areas qualify as hotspots. Their intact habitats represent just 2.5% of Earth’s land surface, but they support more than half of the world’s plant species as endemics — i.e., species found no place else — and nearly 43% of bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species as endemics

24. According to Conservation International, a region must fulfil the following two criteria to qualify as a hotspot: The region should have at least 1500 species of vascular plants i.e., it should have a high degree of endemism. It must contain 30% (or less) of its original habitat, i.e. it must be threatened. Following the criteria for an area to be declared as a Biodiversity Hotspot, there are major four biodiversity hotspots in India: The Himalayas Indo-Burma Region The Western Ghats Sundaland

25. The Himalayas Considered the highest in the world, the Himalayas (overall) comprise North-East India, Bhutan, Central and Eastern parts of Nepal. This region (NE Himalayas) holds a record of having 163 endangered species which includes t he Wild Asian Water Buffalo, One-horned Rhino; and as many as 10,000 plant species, of which 3160 are endemic . This mountain range covers nearly 750,000 km2. Indo – Burma Region The Indo-Burma Region is stretched over a distance of 2,373,000 km². In the last 12 years, 6 large mammal species have been discovered in this region: the Large-antlered Muntjac, the Annamite Muntjac, the Grey-shanked Douc, the Annamite Striped Rabbit, the Leaf Deer, and the Saola. This hotspot is also known for the endemic freshwater turtle species, most of which are threatened with extinction, due to over-harvesting and extensive habitat loss. There are also 1,300 different bird species, including the threatened White-eared Night-heron, the Grey-crowned Crocias, and the Orange-necked Partridge.

26. The Western Ghats The Western Ghats are present along the western edge of peninsular India and cover most of the deciduous forests and rain forests. As per UNESCO, it is home to at least 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species. Originally, the vegetation in this region was spread over 190,000 km2 but has been now reduced to 43,000 km2. The region is also known for the globally threatened flora and fauna represented by 229 plant species, 31 mammal species, 15 bird species, 43 amphibian species, 5 reptile species and 1 fish species. UNESCO mentions that “Of the total 325 globally threatened species in the Western Ghats, 129 are classified as Vulnerable, 145 as Endangered and 51 as Critically Endangered.” Sundaland The Sundaland hotspot lies in Southeast Asia and covers Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia. In the year 2013, the Sundaland was declared as a World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations. This region is famous for its rich terrestrial and marine ecosystem. Sundaland is one of the biologically richest hotspots in the world which comprises 25,000 species of vascular plants, of which 15,000 are found only in this region.