Unit 13: Biodiversity and Conservation

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is a contraction of the term biological diversity. It encompasses the totality of genes, species, and ecosystems in a given region.

Levels of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is generally understood and studied at three different levels:

• Genetic Diversity: A single species might show high diversity at the genetic level over its distributional range. For example, India has more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice and 1,000 varieties of mango.
• Species Diversity: The diversity at the species level. For instance, the Western Ghats have a greater amphibian species richness than the Eastern Ghats.
• Ecological Diversity: At the ecosystem level, India, with its deserts, rain forests, mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, estuaries, and alpine meadows, has a greater ecosystem diversity than a Scandinavian country like Norway.

Importance of Biodiversity

Biodiversity plays a vital role in maintaining the health and stability of the biosphere. It provides ecological services, economic benefits, and aesthetic value.

• Narrowly Utilitarian: Humans derive countless direct economic benefits from nature, such as food, firewood, fiber, construction material, and products of medicinal importance.
• Broadly Utilitarian: Biodiversity plays a major role in many ecosystem services that nature provides. For example, Amazon forest is estimated to produce 20 percent of the total oxygen in the earth's atmosphere. Pollination of plants by bees, bumblebees, birds, and bats is another crucial service.
• Ethical: Every species has an intrinsic value, even if it may not be of current economic value to us. We have a moral duty to care for well-being and pass on our biological legacy in a good state to future generations.

Biodiversity Conservation

Biodiversity conservation refers to the protection, preservation, management, or restoration of wildlife and natural resources such as forests and water. Conservation of biodiversity is important for the survival and prosperity of humankind.

Why Conserve Biodiversity?

The reasons for conserving biodiversity can be grouped into three categories:

• The narrowly utilitarian arguments
• The broadly utilitarian arguments
• The ethical arguments

How do we conserve Biodiversity?

There are two main approaches to biodiversity conservation: In-situ conservation and Ex-situ conservation.

Key Definitions

Biodiversity Conservation: The practice of protecting and managing species, their habitats, and ecosystems to prevent extinction and maintain the natural variety of life on Earth.

National Parks and Sanctuaries of Assam with Special Reference to Conservation of Endangered Species

Assam is a biodiversity hotspot located in the northeastern part of India. It features rich flora and fauna, dense forests, and vast wetlands, making it home to several unique and endangered wildlife species.

Major Protected Areas in Assam

Assam houses multiple National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries that act as safe havens for endemic and endangered species.

• Kaziranga National Park: A renowned protected area situated in the flood Brahmaputra River valley. It is internationally famous as a successful conservation site for the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros.
• Manas National Park: Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, it is a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve, and a biosphere reserve, known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife such as the pygmy hog, hispid hare, and golden langur.
• Nameri National Park: Situated in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, providing vital habitats for elephants, tigers, and numerous bird species.
• Orang National Park: Located on the north bank of the Brahmaputra River, known for housing a significant population of the one-horned rhinoceros and Bengal florican.
• Dibru-Saikhowa National Park: A riverine island national park representing a unique mosaic of semi-evergreen forests, deciduous forests, littoral and swamp forests, and wet grasslands.
• Dehing Patkai National Park: Comprising the largest stretch of tropical wet evergreen forest in Assam, rich in biodiversity and endemic flora and fauna.
• Wildlife Sanctuaries: Assam also features critical wildlife sanctuaries such as Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, and Bura Chapori Wildlife Sanctuary that play vital roles in regional conservation.

Conservation of Endangered Species in Assam

Assam's protected areas are specifically known for saving species on the brink of extinction through strict legal protection and habitat management.

• Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros: Once on the verge of extinction due to excessive hunting and habitat loss, focused conservation efforts in Kaziranga, Orang, and Pobitora have successfully revived their population.
• Pygmy Hog: The world's smallest wild pig, extremely rare and critically endangered, successfully bred and reintroduced into habitats like Manas National Park.
• Golden Langur: Recognized by its distinctive golden fur, endemic to a small region of western Assam and the foothills of the Black Mountains in Bhutan, protected primarily within Manas and surrounding reserves.
• Wild Water Buffalo and Swamp Deer: Significant populations find refuge in the protected wetland-rich grasslands of Assam's national parks.

Exam-Oriented Notes

Exam Tip: Always distinguish clearly between in-situ and ex-situ conservation methods. For questions on Assam, highlight specific flagship endangered species like the One-horned Rhinoceros, Pygmy Hog, and Golden Langur along with their primary protected habitats like Kaziranga and Manas.

• Common Mistake: Confusing the roles of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. Remember that National Parks have greater degrees of restriction where human activity like grazing is generally prohibited, whereas Sanctuaries allow certain limited human activities like timber harvesting or private ownership under regulation.
• Important Observation: Assam's biodiversity is heavily tied to riverine ecosystems, floodplains, and tropical wet evergreen forests, making habitat preservation vital for aquatic, terrestrial, and avian species simultaneously.