Biodiversity and Conservation

Overview of the Chapter

Biodiversity and Conservation class 12 explains the diversity of life on Earth. Earth supports an extraordinary diversity of living organisms, ranging from microorganisms to plants and animals that inhabit different ecosystems. The name Biodiversity was coined by Thomas Lovejoy in 1985. There is a huge diversity of living things in nature, and all living things depend on one another. The number of individuals of each species varies from place to place, depending on the various aspects of the atmosphere and environment. These are the major factors that determine the density of living organisms in any environment. This shows the richness of biodiversity in any area.

In addition to the importance of the environment, it also has economic value. Biodiversity is a source of food, shelter, fuel, clothing and other resources. Some of the most famous natural resources are also advertised as tourist destinations for the benefit of the economy.

What is Biodiversity and its Conservation?

Biodiversity is a term that describes the diversity of life on Earth, ranging from plants and animals to microorganisms and the ecosystems that they create. It is important in sustaining ecological balance, facilitating ecosystem services, and delivering resources for survival. Biodiversity conservation involves conserving species, habitats, and ecosystems from damage caused by deforestation, pollution, overexploitation, and climate change, which enhance extinction rates. Conservation practices are generally divided into in-situ (e.g., wildlife sanctuaries, national parks) that conserve species within their natural habitats, and ex-situ (e.g., seed banks, zoos, botanical gardens) that protect them outside their natural habitats to promote long-term existence and ecological balance.

Types of Biodiversity

The different types of biodiversity can be explained as:

Genetic Diversity

• Variation in genes for a species provides it with adaptability and resilience.
• It enables species to adapt, resist diseases, and avoid inbreeding.

Examples of Genetic Diversity within Species

In a species, individuals may also differ in traits such as colour, size, disease resistance, and ability to thrive in certain climates. For example, some plants may be more resistant to drought than others, or more resistant to pests than others.

Importance of Genetic Diversity

Genetic diversity aids species in environmental changes, resistance to diseases, and evolution. It is important for species survival, ecosystem stability, sustainable agriculture, and conservation.

Species Diversity

• Number of species for a given region with species richness and abundance.
• It gives ecosystem stability, productivity, and resilience

Measurement Of Species Diversity

Diversity generally measures the total number of species in a given community or ecosystem. Equitability, on the other hand, measures the distribution of the organisms among the species.

Examples of Species Diversity in Different Ecosystems

Tropical rainforests contain a very large number of plants and animals, as well as a good number of microbes. Coral reefs support many species of fish, invertebrates, and corals. Grasslands, deserts, and freshwater ecosystems are home to other species, well-adapted to their particular environments.

Ecosystem Diversity

• The number of ecosystems and habitats over the various regions.
• It supports services like clean air, water, and climate regulation.

Examples of Different Ecosystems

Some examples of different ecosystems are:

Forests: Tropical rainforests, temperate forests, and boreal forests teem with their specific kinds of flora and fauna adapted to their climatic conditions.

Grasslands: Savannahs, prairies, and steppes support a wide variety of herbivores and carnivores well adapted to open areas and variable amounts of rainfall.

Aquatic Ecosystems: Freshwater systems, such as lakes and rivers, and marine systems, such as coral reefs and estuaries, are home to a wide variety of organisms and also serve critical roles in regulating climate.

Importance of Diverse Ecosystems

Ecosystems provide human beings with essential resources, such as the provision of food and water, management of climate, and the ability to maintain biodiversity. Maintaining diverse ecosystems ensures the continued supply of these services and enhances the improvement of human well-being while protecting Earth's plants and animals.

Diagram: Different Types of Ecosystems

Importance of Biodiversity

The importance of Biodiversity is explained below:

Ecological Importance

It is vital to protect biological diversity because it supports the ecosystem processes that are necessary for people’s quality of life. Services like pollination, nutrient cycling, and water purification are very important for such activities as farming, food production, and water treatment. Biodiversity also increases the ability of ecosystems to maintain themselves and to recover easily from challenges such as climate change, disease or pollution.

Economic Importance

Biodiversity provides food, medicines, fibres, timber, fuel, and many other biological resources that are essential for human well-being and economic development. Many food crops, medicines, fibres, timber, and industrial products are directly obtained from biological resources. Further, biological diversity increases ecotourism, where people visit areas of conserved biodiverse value, for both leisure and learning, which creates income for a nation and employment for its citizens.

Aesthetic and Cultural Value

Other than the utilitarian uses, people associate ecosystems with aesthetic and cultural intrinsic value. They discover how diverse ecosystems and organisms can be depicted in art and can influence people’s culture and existence. Biodiversity also has recreational, cultural, spiritual, and educational value and promotes awareness about environmental conservation.

Biodiversity in India

India occupies about 2.4 per cent of the world's land area, yet it supports approximately 8.1 per cent of the world's recorded species. India is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. Its rich biodiversity is supported by its diverse climate and various geographical features. India is an important centre of origin and diversity for many cultivated crop plants and domesticated animals.

Biodiversity Hotspots

Biodiversity hotspots are regions with exceptionally high species richness and a large number of endemic species that are under severe threat due to habitat loss. The concept of Biodiversity hotspots was proposed by Norman Myers. For a place to be qualified as a biodiversity hotspot, an area must contain at least 1,500 endemic plant species and must have lost at least 70% of its original habitat.

Threats to Biodiversity

The threats to Biodiversity are explained below-

Habitat Destruction

Habitat fragmentation and loss for various reasons, such as urban development, agriculture, timber production, and infrastructural development, continue to be the leading cause of the decline in biodiversity. Many factors, like deforestation and conversion of tracts of land from forests and wetlands to agricultural or built-up land, affect ecosystems in such ways as distortion, displacement, and restrictions in the number of habitats available to species.

Climate Change

Global warming is considered an increasing threat to species and ecosystems’ distributions due to shifts in temperature and amount of precipitation. Global warming, enhanced formation of storms, heightening of sea level, and changing weather patterns interfere with the functionality of ecological systems and may affect the creation of life cycles among species, besides exposing the most vulnerable species to additional stress.

Pollution

Biodiversity is affected by pollution such as that from industries, agricultural leakages, plastics, and other toxins, such as pesticides and heavy metals. Pollutants can bioaccumulate in ecosystems, they can affect the species in the ecosystem by the toxic impact and also by affecting the linkages between the species.

Invasive Species

Some of the invasive species are purposely brought in, or they arrive as a consequence of other activities, and they are capable of displacing indigenous species, changing the structure of habitats, and upsetting ecological balance. They generally do not possess their natural enemies or regulators in the new locations, which causes enormous effects on the native species and the function of ecological systems.

Overexploitation

Overexploitation takes place when the rate at which species are caught and killed is beyond their recovery rates. These are through harvesting the stocks in the water bodies, such as fish, trading in wildlife products, and cutting down trees in a way that is unprofitable for the species.

Biodiversity and Conservation

Protecting and managing biodiversity resources is essential to maintaining environmental balance and protecting future generations so that they can spend their lives in the healthiest way possible. Biodiversity conservation is important as humans have destroyed biodiversity, and if we continue to do so in the same way, our future generations will pay for this loss.

Objectives of Biodiversity Conservation

There are various biodiversity conservation objectives; some of the key objectives are listed below:

• Keeping a variety of species present in the ecosystem.
• Maintaining ecological balance by protecting food chains and food webs.
• Maintaining the right mixture of air in the atmosphere, as the release of oxygen, carbon dioxide and many other gases depends entirely on the concentration of biodiversity.
• Conserving biological resources such as forests, medicinal plants, wildlife, and genetic resources for future generations.

Method of Biodiversity Conservation

Since countless species of living things exist in the ecosystem, depending on their existence and density, they are preserved in various ways. Some of these methods are discussed below:

• In situ conservation

• Ex situ conservation

In situ Conservation

In-situ conservation forms are conserved in their natural habitat. All in-situ conservation is maintained according to the natural habitat of the organism. There are many positive aspects to in-situ conservation, and some of the benefits are discussed below.

• It does not require so much expense in care; it is very easy to save a variety of different types.

• A large number of species can be kept in one place as they have an environment.

• Protected areas under in-situ conservation include national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, and sacred groves.

Types of In-Situ Conservation

In particular, there are three types of in situ conservation, namely:

Wildlife Sanctuaries: These are natural areas where wildlife can only be preserved by providing natural habitat. Some of the human activities allowed in the district such as harvesting firewood, planting crops, collecting firewood by local people and tourist activities are also allowed in the area. All of these activities are allowed only if they do not create barriers to the conservation program.

A few examples of wildlife sanctuaries are:

• Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

• Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

• Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

• Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary

• Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

National Park: A national park is a protected area established by the government for the conservation of wildlife and ecosystems.

In such regions, various human activities that cause disruption, such as farming, forestry, pasture, etc., are not allowed.

A few examples of national parks are:

• Kanha National Park

• Kaziranga National Park

• Ranthambore National Park

• Gir National Park

• Bandhavgarh National Park

• Nagarhole National Park

• Periyar National Park

• Sundarbans National Park

Ex Situ Conservation

Under this process, the conservation of endangered species is preserved to prevent extinction. Species are conserved outside their natural habitats under controlled conditions. Other examples of ex-situ conservation are zoos, botanical gardens, genetic banks, etc.

Benefits of Ex Situ Conservation

• There is very little competition between living things.
• Various new methods are being used to preserve endangered species.
• Species that are endemic to the reserve can be reintroduced into the wild to increase population density in the ecosystem.

IUCN Red List

The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive record of the conservation status of plant and animal species. This list classifies species into different categories based on their risk of extinction, such as Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild, and Extinct.

Biodiversity Conservation Strategies

Too many strategies can be implemented for biodiversity conservation. Some of the major strategies are discussed below:

• Deforestation should be stopped, and serious action should be taken against those who do so for their own benefit.
• Various national parks and wildlife sanctuaries should be established for biodiversity conservation.
• Different environmental laws should be applied to preserve biodiversity.
• Endangered species must always be given extra care in safe environmental conditions.
• High-risk ecosystems should be given priority.
• Resources should be consumed or used with extreme caution.
• Public awareness programs should be introduced to spread the importance of the ecosystem among humans.

Biodiversity and Conservation NEET PYQs

Here are some biodiversity and conservation MCQs that focus on the Biodiversity and Conservation Class 12 chapter. This will help you in practising biodiversity and conservation NEET MCQs.

MCQs:

1. Which of the following is the main cause of biodiversity loss?
   a) Habitat destruction
   b) Sustainable agriculture
   c) Pollination
   d) Conservation efforts

   Answer: a) Habitat destruction

2. Which of the following species is known as the “keystone species” in its ecosystem?
   a) Grasshopper
   b) Coral
   c) Panda
   d) Rabbit

   Ans: b) Coral

3. The term “biodiversity hotspots” refers to regions that:
   a) Are extremely cold
   b) Have low species diversity
   c) Are rich in endemic species and under threat
   d) Lack of any conservation concerns

   Ans: c) Are rich in endemic species and under threat

4. Which of the following is a key objective of conservation biology?
   a) Maximizing human resource extraction
   b) Preserving biological diversity
   c) Reducing biodiversity
   d) Encouraging habitat destruction

   Ans: b) Preserving biological diversity

5. The concept of ‘Sacred Groves’ is an example of:
   a) In-situ conservation
   b) Ex-situ conservation
   c) Gene pool conservation
   d) Cloning

   Ans: a) In-situ conservation

These Biodiversity and Conservation NEET MCQs will give you an idea about the Biodiversity and Conservation Class 12 MCQ syllabus, helping in NEET exam preparation.

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to Prepare for Biodiversity and Conservation

Here are some tips and tricks to prepare for Biodiversity and Conservation:

Mnemonics

Remember the "Evil Quartet" of biodiversity loss: Habitat loss and fragmentation, Overexploitation, Alien species invasion, and Co-extinction.

Study Aids

Make diagrams illustrating both in-situ and ex-situ methods of conservation.

Prepare tables to state endangered species and their IUCN Red List status.

Multimedia

Watch videos and animations on hotspots of biodiversity as well as their conservation around the world and in India.

Flashcards

Use flashcards to remember words and their meaning, like endemic species, biodiversity hotspots, and various techniques of conservation.

Recommended Video on Biodiversity and Conservation