Biodiversity: Concept and Conservation Measures | Environmental Geography | Dr. Krishnanand
Summary
TLDRIn this video, Dr. Krishnan from Geo Ecologist introduces the concept of biodiversity and its importance in environmental geography. He explains biodiversity as a combination of genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity, emphasizing its critical role at all biological levels. The video explores the threats to biodiversity, including habitat loss, human activities, and species extinction. Conservation strategies like in-situ and ex-situ methods are discussed, along with examples from India and worldwide. Dr. Krishnan highlights the moral responsibility to preserve biodiversity for future generations and links it to sustainable development.
Takeaways
- ๐ฑ Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms at different levels of biological organization, from genes to ecosystems.
- ๐งฌ Biodiversity includes three key components: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.
- ๐ The loss of biodiversity is a critical issue, with human activities contributing to habitat destruction, over-exploitation, and species extinction.
- ๐จ The world is currently facing a potential sixth mass extinction, with many species of birds, mammals, amphibians, and gymnosperms at risk.
- ๐ฟ Biodiversity is vital for both direct and indirect benefits, providing ecosystem services like pollination, pest control, and climate regulation.
- ๐ณ Conservation efforts include two approaches: in-situ (conserving species in their natural habitats) and ex-situ (conserving species outside their natural habitats in places like botanical gardens or gene banks).
- ๐ฎ๐ณ India is rich in biodiversity, with over 581 protected areas, national parks, and biosphere reserves aimed at conserving various species and ecosystems.
- ๐ฌ In-situ conservation protects species within their natural environment, but may require large areas of land, which can conflict with human development needs.
- โ๏ธ Ex-situ conservation methods like seed banks, gene banks, and cryo-preservation are used to conserve species outside their natural habitats.
- ๐ Sustainable development and inter-generational equity are key principles for biodiversity conservation, ensuring resources are available for future generations.
Q & A
What is biodiversity?
-Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth, encompassing genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity. It is a term popularized by sociobiologist Edward Wilson to describe the diversity found at all levels of biological organization.
Why is biodiversity important for conservation?
-Biodiversity is crucial for conservation because it supports ecosystem services like pollination, pest control, and climate regulation, which are essential for human survival. Conserving biodiversity ensures the sustainability of these services and helps prevent the loss of species.
What are the three main types of biodiversity?
-The three main types of biodiversity are genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. Together, they form the complete concept of biodiversity, representing diversity from the molecular level to entire ecosystems.
What is the role of genetic diversity in biodiversity?
-Genetic diversity refers to the variety within the genetic makeup of a species. It is essential for the adaptability and resilience of species, as it provides the raw material for evolution and enables populations to adapt to changing environmental conditions.
What are some causes of biodiversity loss?
-Biodiversity loss is mainly caused by habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation of resources, alien species invasions, and co-extinctions. These human-driven factors degrade ecosystems and contribute to the rapid decline in species diversity.
What is in-situ conservation, and how does it work?
-In-situ conservation involves protecting species in their natural habitats. This method maintains ecosystems in their original environments and is implemented through protected areas like national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves.
What is ex-situ conservation, and how does it differ from in-situ conservation?
-Ex-situ conservation involves removing species from their natural habitats to conserve them in controlled environments, such as botanical gardens, zoos, gene banks, and seed banks. This method is used when species are endangered in their natural habitats or require intensive care.
How does India approach biodiversity conservation?
-India has established various protected areas under the National Biodiversity Act of 2002, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves. These areas conserve biodiversity in situ, while botanical gardens and gene banks support ex-situ conservation.
What are community reserves, and how do they contribute to conservation?
-Community reserves are areas where local communities actively participate in conservation efforts. They protect biodiversity in its natural habitat with the support and involvement of the local population, promoting sustainable practices and preserving traditional ways of life.
Why is biodiversity conservation essential for sustainable development?
-Biodiversity conservation is vital for sustainable development as it ensures that natural resources are available for future generations. Sustainable use of biodiversity helps balance ecological needs with economic growth, promoting intergenerational equity.
Outlines
๐ Introduction to Biodiversity and Its Importance
Dr. Krishnan welcomes viewers to the video on biodiversity, explaining its importance in environmental geography. Biodiversity is not a single concept but involves genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity. The video will cover why conserving biodiversity is essential for both the world and India. Biodiversity spans all levels of biological organization, from genes to ecosystems. The term was popularized by sociobiologist Edward Wilson, and the lecture explains its relevance in the context of development, succession, and ecological scales.
โ ๏ธ Causes and Impact of Biodiversity Loss
This section delves into the alarming decline in biodiversity, emphasizing human activity as the primary cause. Habitat loss, land-use changes, and overexploitation are highlighted as major contributors. The introduction of alien species, such as the Nile perch in East Africa, and the concept of co-extinction, where species interdependent on each other face extinction, are discussed. The degradation of ecosystems is a critical concern as we witness the ongoing sixth mass extinction, driven largely by anthropogenic factors.
๐๏ธ In Situ Conservation: Protecting Biodiversity in Natural Habitats
In situ conservation, which involves protecting species in their natural habitats, is introduced here. National parks and wildlife sanctuaries, like Yellowstone in the USA and biosphere reserves under UNESCOโs Man and Biosphere Program, are examples. The section explains that while in situ conservation helps preserve biodiversity in its native environment, it poses challenges due to the growing demand for land by expanding human populations. A balance between conservation and development is essential, with some land set aside for biodiversity protection during infrastructure projects.
๐ฑ Ex Situ Conservation and Global Efforts in Biodiversity Preservation
Ex situ conservation refers to removing species from their natural habitats to protect them in controlled environments like botanical gardens, zoos, seed banks, and cryo-preservation centers. Indiaโs biodiversity act of 2002 and various global initiatives for gene banks and seed preservation are discussed. The need for this approach grows as species face greater threats in their natural environments. Examples include cryo-preservation and gene banks designed to safeguard genetic material for future use.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กBiodiversity
๐กGenetic Diversity
๐กSpecies Diversity
๐กEcosystem Diversity
๐กHabitat Loss
๐กIn Situ Conservation
๐กEx Situ Conservation
๐กAlien Species Invasion
๐กAnthropocene
๐กSustainable Development
Highlights
Introduction to biodiversity: combination of genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.
Biodiversity popularized by sociobiologist Edward Wilson to describe diversity at all biological levels.
Key levels of biological organization in biodiversity: molecular, cellular, genetic, species, and ecosystem levels.
Importance of conserving biodiversity: necessary for balancing ecosystem services and preventing extinction.
Causes of biodiversity loss: habitat loss, fragmentation, alien species invasion, over-exploitation, and co-extinction.
Human activities as the main driver of biodiversity decline, leading to whatโs known as the 'sixth mass extinction.'
Global biodiversity statistics: loss of 27 species in 20 years, with many birds, mammals, amphibians, and gymnosperms threatened with extinction.
The concept of in situ conservation: conserving species in their natural habitat, like national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
In situ conservation examples: Yellowstone in the USA (1872), first national park; over 42,000 protected areas worldwide fulfilling IUCN norms.
Ex situ conservation methods: zoos, botanical gardens, gene banks, seed banks, cryopreservation to protect species outside their natural habitats.
India's biodiversity conservation initiatives: National Biodiversity Act of 2002 and 581 protected areas, including national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
Examples of Indian biodiversity conservation: Corbett National Park, Kaziranga, Sunderbans, Nilgiri, biosphere reserves, and tiger reserves.
Importance of ecosystem services: biodiversity provides critical services like pollination, climate moderation, flood control, and pest control.
The concept of sustainable development: ensuring inter-generational equity by protecting biodiversity for future generations.
Community reserves: local communities voluntarily conserving biodiversity, with examples like Gurdaspur (Punjab) and Gogabil (Bihar).
Transcripts
hello everyone
welcome to the geo ecologist i am dr
krishnan
and you have been watching my videos on
environmental geography so in this
session on environmental geography
we are going to look into biodiversity
so what is this biodiversity about
is it just a single term or is it a
combination of various other diversities
as well
and why is it important what is the need
for conservation of biodiversity
and how do we conserve biodiversity in
world as well as in india
so let's learn about it but before we go
ahead please don't forget to subscribe
to our channel
and do share the videos with others as
well so now
let's learn about biodiversity its
concept and
conservation aspects so in this concept
of biodiversity
important is the word bio itself and
diversity
so what is this bio it means biotic
community
it means living component of ecosystem
right so we are talking about the
diversity
it means how much is the diversity in
the space of these living components
so the concept and how we are trying to
conserve these biodiversity
right so in our biosphere immense
diversity or heterogeneity that we say
differences right the variety that we
say exists
not only at species level but at all
levels of biological organization
right from the molecule the cell level
the gene level
to the ecosystem level that is important
so biodiversity is the term popularized
by whom
by sociobiologists edward wilson
to describe an important phenomena that
is the combined diversity
at all the levels of biological
organization now when we say levels of
biological organization
it is talking about levels of the
development
succession remember these words
development
succession and also scales
right so these three words are involved
when we say levels of
biological organization now when we
elaborate these different levels what we
say
biodiversity is the combination of three
key words
it's not a single word biodiversity
remember it's about
genetic diversity plus species diversity
plus ecosystem diversity that we say
ecological diversity
when we say these three things together
then it becomes biodiversity
so if you want to do some biodiversity
study what you have to do
you have to look at the genetic
diversity of that particular species at
genetic level at gene pool level
right remember in biogeography we have
already learnt about the
centers of origin and the gene pool
around the world so we have to look at
that diversity
then we look at the species right so at
species level for example
western guards have greater amphibian
species diversity than eastern ghats
right so species level what is the
variety of species in a particular area
and then at ecological diversity at
ecosystem level
for example if you look at a particular
ecosystem like desert or rainforest or
mangroves or coral reefs wetlands
estuaries and alpine meadows they have
greater ecosystem values in terms of
diversity
there are variety of species so if you
look into this
one ecological diversity area will have
several species
one species will have several genetic
diversity for example india has more
than
50 000 genetically different strains of
rice
1 000 varieties of mango and so on
so this is what we are looking at is a
diverse
system in terms of right from genetic
level
to the ecosystem level and that together
makes it a
biodiversity all these things are
related to biotic component
species as well as ecosystem or
ecological diversity
so that's important as a concept to
remember now
when we talk about biodiversity why are
we concerned here
in environmental geography we are
concerned because
there is a huge burden of our practices
on these biodiversity features
right so there is a loss of biodiversity
degradation happening
right and endangered species are
increasing day by day we are running
into the sixth mass extinction as we
know
right so biological wealth of our planet
has been declining rapidly
and that's why we are concerned and the
accusing finger is clearly to who
to us to human activities so if we are
accused
we need to work out and prove ourself
not guilty
remember so the last 20 years alone if
you see we have witnessed
the loss of about 27 vital species
so just in 20 years right so that's
important it's presently 12 percent of
all bird species 23
of all mammal species 32 percent of all
amphibian species and 31
of all gymnosperms remember gymnosperms
are those plants whose seed is
naked for example pine trees and others
right so they are
species in the world we are facing the
threat of extinction
human has a red book remember you and
red book is having the list of all those
three 10 species
endangered species and also the extinct
species
so remember that we are looking into a
world where
human beings are aggravating it the loss
of biodiversity
that's why in anthropogenics scenario in
anthropocene
we are looking into this huge loss of
biodiversity
right that's why we are concerned about
it then let's go to the reasons the
causes behind it biodiversity loss
if you look into this habitat loss and
fragmentation
now the loss of habitat it means a home
for a particular species because of our
activities it is being fragmented
land use change is basically what we are
talking about we have changed the land
use in every biome
remember the lectures on biome then when
we talked about the problems of
equatorial rainforest we talk about
mediterranean we talked about tundra
everywhere we find habitat loss and
fragmentation happening
because of over exploitation of
resources
everywhere right so we already have
several examples
then alien species invasions also happen
time to time
for example we see the nile purge
introduced into lake victoria and east
africa
led to the extension of ecologically
unique assemblage of more than 200
species
so many times without understanding the
ethos
the logic behind planting a particular
tree in a particular ecosystem
we do what we do some plantations just
to save environment
with a good indent but we don't
understand that that may be an alien
species for that particular ecosystem
we always give example of eucalyptus
plantation in india
so eucalyptus remember it is an alien
species to indian subcontinent and what
happened
many places where ecliptis were planted
without the knowledge of
this ecosystem dynamic lots of places
turn into degraded lands because
eucalyptus absorbs lots of water
right so loss of habitat because of an
alien species can also occur
and there can be co-extinctions remember
co-extinction means
extinction of you know more than one
species at the same time so when a
species become extinct the plant and
animal species associated to that
particular
also starts to get extinct because they
are interrelated with each other
this survive remember ecosystem
principle
principles of ecology the co-existence
principle it is
linked here so that's important so when
a host fish
species for example gets extinct it's
the unique assemblage of parasites also
meets the same fate so remember it's not
just about
that one species just or one particular
plant got extinct or animal got extinct
it's about the
interlinkages because we are talking
about a community
which is interlinked right and it's here
in terms of ecology that we must
understand that everything in the system
keeps rotating mineral energy
so that's where we understand these
biogeochemical cycles
we understand the loss of biodiversity
and integral
part of the ecology right so that's
where we are talking about the causes
look at the biodiversity conservation
aspect now when we say
conserving it it means we are utilizing
the resources from biodiversity
at the same time making sure that they
do not go extinct
it means their survival together with
our survival
in terms of being dependent on
biodiversity for resources
that is called conservation aspect right
so earth's rich biodiversity is vital
for our survival that we already know
and direct benefits and indirect
benefits
we rip both of them so direct benefits
like food
fiber firewood pharmaceuticals so many
things an indirect benefit what we get
is pollination pest control climate
moderation flood control
all these things are basically nothing
but ecosystem services
we are getting this free of cost these
ecosystem services right
so we have a moral responsibility that
is
important to understand it's like a
fundamental duty
right to take a good care of earth's
biodiversity and pass it on to
the good order to our next generation
that's where we say inter-generational
equity
right and intra-generational equity
which is the basic principle of
sustainable development
right so in the next lecture when we
talk about sustainable development we'll
be discussing the same thing
that when we are using something we are
consuming something
we must understand that we ensure its
longevity for the next generation we
must ensure its continuity for the next
generation we should not consume
everything irrespective of what happens
in future
right that's our moral responsibility so
in conservation we have two aspects one
is called in situ conservation
which is in situation remember like
weathering in situ
the word so in situation means where it
is
originally located in its own
environment
we conserve it right we make plants so
that it stays in the same
environment where it grows right for a
plant or animal species
and it stays there only and we protect
it from outside
right that's how it is in situ or
on-site conservation
that's important in terms of protected
areas we declare right
so what is the advantage the advantage
is that it
remains in their own motherly
environment right
but the disadvantages if in situ
conservation is that it requires a large
area
and it minimizes the space for
inhibiting human population
now remember the problem is this is not
a disadvantage if you see so
but because of our growing population
our requirement for land is increasing
and if we conserve too many things in
situ
what will happen the expansion or our
development will be hindered so what we
say if we have to construct a road
what you do you take some land and then
you construct a road but
both the sides you leave the green
spaces so development together with
environment we try and plan out at
the minimum loss but remember this is
one disadvantage
of in c2 conservation if you talk about
and then following areas can be
set aside for in situ so remember
national park and my life centuries you
must have heard these words
then for example yellowstone in usa was
established as one of the
first national parks in the world 1872
and the royal near sydney
australia were chosen because of their
scenic beauty recreational values
these were the first step then un has
recognized
more than about one lakh twenty one
hundred
protected areas covering more than 18.8
million kilometers square covering
11.5 percent of earth's land surface
that's important and that was in 2003
there are more than 41
997 it means about 42 000 protected
areas already in the world
that fulfills the norms of iucn
international union
for conservation of nature i would
recommend all the viewers to please go
to the iucn website once
for sure and look into the reports of
this particular nc2 conservation if you
can find out
then look into the marine protected
areas since 1986 the iucn has been
promoting this that marine ecosystem is
as important so let's protect the areas
so many areas have been declared like
that
then you have biosphere reserves we
already know this international
man in biosphere reserve program united
nation environment program
so it represents certain natural biomes
which are very unique
right which are nowhere else in the
world so remember concept of bioreserve
biosphere reserve
was launched in 1975 as part of unesco's
marine biosphere program
so unesco's man in biosphere program not
unap so unesco's program
dealing with conservation of ecosystems
and genetic resources
contained there in all these important
aspects right
and then comes xc2 it means we are
taking something from the natural
environment
to conserve them we are putting it to a
particular environment which we have
made
off-site right for example botanical
gardens
zoo gene bank seed bank tissue culture
cryo preservation right so we have
already the list of seed banks gene
banks vitro gene banks dna
ban network right dna bank networks so
all these things are constructed in
order to protect
these particular species which are now
going downgrading
so we are taking them from their
environment and they are putting them
under
a particular conservation zone right off
site
so these are the important points now
let's talk about indian scenario as well
the national biodiversity act was boxed
in 2002 and it was finally
implemented in 2009 if you see as our
action plan
right and we have a huge biodiversity in
india
and we are also agrarian community in
india predominantly agricultural
community
so policy makers must realize here that
sustainable utilization of biodiversity
is must
in terms of indian con indian scenario
for developmental planning projects
right so
when we say in situ conservation in
india you have protected areas right
basically demarcation of biodiversity in
each area
through the climatic and physiological
conditions so main parameter is climate
and physiology
remember we have so many climatic zones
in india physiological
conditions so some protected areas for
example the cold desert area ladakh and
spiti area
this is where i did my phd my research
is in radhaka inspiti
so i have made some documentaries also
if you have not watched you can go to
the playlist
right and you can watch the playlist on
this particular jio conservation which i
have made the documentaries
on cold dessert ecosystem hot dessert
tar saline swampy areas like sundarban
and vanavkach
tropical moist deciduous forests like
western ghazal northeast these are the
protected areas
right so more than about 37 000
protected areas are already there
throughout the world
and national park centuries biosphere
reserves are what we know them right
world conservation monitoring center
reports that india has more than 581
protected areas
in a country in c2 conservation right
and for example
national parks in india under section 35
of wildlife protection act that was
passed in 1972
so the purpose was to actually propagate
or develop
wildlife where it is situated in the
same sphere
right not change its location so
biological park
corbett national park in manitoba up
then you have kaziranga
in assam hazaribagh bhandavgar bandipur
kanha and you can go into the list of
these
right so these are certain national
parks in india which are important as
in c2 example in c2 conservation for
biodiversity then we have several bio
diversity or wildlife sanctuary as well
so for protection of
diversity we have wildlife sanctuaries
whose main purpose is
to protect but else the same time also
allow tourism or recreation right so
economy plus ecology concept
so that's where we have sanctuaries in
india almost 543 wildlife sanctuaries
are there
and 50 are specialized in tigers project
tigers since 1973 been initiated
right and some of them examples in terms
of sanctuaries are non-canon zoological
park
chileka nilampatu then we have salimali
bird sanctuary then delhi wildlife
century dara wildlife century and
there is a huge list of it right then we
go to the biosphere reserves
now ministry of environment and forest
now remember do visit the website of
moef ministry
ministry of environment and forest which
has notified 18 biosphere reserves in
india
and it is part of world network of
biosphere reserve that is unesco's man
in biosphere
program so it is map program and
remember man and biosphere program
and its main objective is what to
preserve the genetic diversity
and uniqueness traditional lifestyle of
inhabitant
right these are the important things
that our biosphere reserves protects
and it allows very few and limited
regularized tourists
in terms of the recreation facilities
some of the examples in india nanda ravi
manas tihang bibam gulf of manna nilgiri
sunda buns panchmati great nicobar
kansandanga so all these are part of the
biosphere reserves right
so what you can do is you can map all
these aspects in
india and you can look into these
particular zones in india which are
in c2 zones and then also locate some
xc2
conservation zones as well so community
reserves are another institute zones
remember the community reserves are what
where individuals
actually or a community volunteer to
conserve wildlife in its habitat
right so it's kind of a people's
initiative so for example
gurdaspur punjab remember conservation
reserve india's first community reserve
was created
then you have gogabil it's a oxbow lake
in bihar's katihar district
it has been declared at state's first
community reserve so this
is on the basis of community so
community is
in terms of compliance with the state
government they are protecting that land
and that particular biodiversity zones
right so that's important and when we go
to c2 then again we have botanical
gardens and blues remember
indian botanical garden and harvard has
been on 200 years old then in noida also
we have botanical garden of indian
republic
then we have gene banks at different
places in india
right so national bureau of animal
genetic resource at karnal haryana is
very famous
you have national bureau of fish genetic
resources and lucknow which is very
famous
then you have cryo preservation it means
using low temperatures freezing
preservation
right for protection of gene pool so
what you have here is
meristem psychotic somatic embryos
pollens
protoplast cells all these are preserved
for a long time
using liquid nitrogen right so that's
important in terms of
xc2 so now when we have learnt in
details about the biodiversity
its various need and conservation
aspects
various examples from world in india in
these sessions to come
we'll be talking about one of the most
cited and one of the most
important aspects in terms of
environment that is about
sustainable development so stay tuned
stay safe
all the best wishes
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)