UNIT-3 BIODIVERSITY AND BIOTIC RESOURCES

BIODIVERSITY: IT IS A CONTRACTION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY. * IT IS A VARIATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT LIVING ORGANISMS. * THERE ARE 3 TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY.THEY ARE:

1.GENETIC DIVERSITY:
* GENES ARE UNITS OF INFORMATION IN HUMAN BODY TRANSMITTED FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER. * GENES ARE COMPOSED OF DNA. * DNA IS COMBINED WITH SPECIAL PROTEINS. * THE INFORMATION IN DNA IS STORED IN THESE PROTEINS. * EVERY LIVING ORGANISM HAS A DIFFERENT ORDER AND NUMBER OF DNA. * DNA IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DIFFERENT BEHAVIOURAL AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS IN LIVING BEINGS. * GENETIC DIVERSITY IS ACHIEVED BY MUTATION AND SEXUAL REPRODUCTION.

2. SPECIES DIVERSITY: * SPECIES ARE A GROUP OF LIVING ORGANISMS WHICH ARE

SIMILAR TO EACH OTHER. * THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF SPECIES IN ECOSYSTEM. EXAMPLE: A FOREST CONTAINS DIFFERENT SPECIES OF ANIMALS AND PLANTS * ECOLOGISTS HAVE DISCOVERED 1.7 BILLION DIFFERENT SPECIES OF LIVING ORGANISMS IN DA WORLD.. 3.ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY: * VARIETY OF ECOSYSTEMS IS KNOWN AS ECOSYSTEM DIVERSITY. * ECOSYSTEM INCLUDE BOTH LIVING & NON-LIVING ORGANISMS INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER. * AN ECOSYSTEM MAYBE OF LARGE AREA IN KILOMETRES LIKE FORESTS (OR) A SMALL ARE A LIKE PONDS.

USES & VALUES OF BIODIVERSITY:

* WE HAVE MANY DIRECT AND INDIRECT BENEFITS FROM NATURE. * FORESTS AND FISHERY ARE SOURCES OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INCOME FOR MANY COUNTRIES. * AGRICULTURE AND LIVESTOCK(POULTRY & CATTLE) CONTRIBUTE TO THE NATIONAL INCOME OF THE COUNTRY. * WE GET OXYGEN FROM GREN PLANTS. * 118 OUT OF 150 MEDICINES AND DRUGS ARE DERIVED FROM PLANTS. Eg: NEEM TREE-ANTISEPTICS, BARK OF WILLOW TREEASPIRIN, SKIN OF FROGS-PAINKILLLERS. * HYBRID PLANTS AND CROPS ARE BEING DEVELOPED BY BIOTECHNOLOGISTS. * A NATURAL BIODIVERSITY PREVENTS SOIL EROSION, FLOODS AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS. * THERE ARE MANY RELIGIOUS VIEWS ATTACHED TO BIODIVERSITY. * ACCORDING TO ISLAM, THIS WORLD IS A TRUST GIVEN TO HUMAN BEINGS BY ALLAH AND NOT TO BE MISUSED. * MANY PLANTS ARE OF RELIGIOUS VALUE TO HINDUS AND BUDDHISTS. Eg: tulsi plant. * ECOSYSTEM & BIODIVERSITY CONTRIBUTE TO THE AESTHETIC VALUE OF THE WORLD AS MANY ANIMAL & PLANT SYMBOLS ARE USED AS NATIONAL FLAG SYMBOLS AND POLITICAL PARTY SYMBOLS.Eg: MAPLE LEAF OF CANADA, LOTUS OF BJP, LION ON SRI-LANKAN FLAG,PALM TREE ON SAUDI ARABIAN SYMBOL, ETC. * INSECTS LIKE HONEYBEES, WASPS , BEETLES HELP IN POLLINATION OF PLANTS & HELP IN REPRODUCTION OF CROPS.

* OUR EDUCATION WOULD HAVE TAKEN A BACKSEAT WITHOUT STUDY OF BIODIVERSITY. * IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY HUMAN TO PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT AS IT HOLDS INTRINSIC VALUE.

HOT-SPOTS OF BIODIVERSITY: * HOTSPOTS OF BIODIVERSITY ARE THOSE AREAS WHICH ARE

RICH IN ENDEMIC SPECIES . * ACROSS THE WORLD, 18 HOTSPOTS HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED OUT OF WHICH 3 ARE IN INDIA. * THEY ARE EASTERN HIMALAYAS, WESTERN GHATS AND HILLY RANGES OF INDIA MYANMAR BORDER. * ALL THESE HOTSPOTS CONTAIN ABOUT 50,000 ENDEMIC PLANT SPECIES.

EASTERN HIMALAYAS: * THIS AREA IS ALSO CALLED CRADLE OF SPECIATION.

* IT HAS 9000 ENDEMIC PLANT SPECIES WHICH ALSO HAVE FLOWERING PLANTS. * NEPAL, BHUTAN AND NORTH- EASTERN STATES ARE A PART OF THIS AREA. * IT IS ALSO RICH IN RICE, BANANA, GINGER, CHILLI, SUGARCANE , ETC. * THIS REGION IS ALSO A HOME TO MANY MAMMALS, INDIAN BIRDS, ENDEMIC REPTILES AND FOUR NEW SPECIES OF FISH.

WESTERN GHATS: * THE WESTERN GHATS IS RICH IN 1500 ENDEMIC SPECIES OF

DICOTYLEDOUNOUS PLANTS. * IT ALSO HAS MANY SPECIES OF VERTEBRATES,AMPHIBIANS AND ENDEMIC RARE SPECIES. * NILGIRI LANGUR, FLYING SQUIRREL ARE SOME OF THE RARE SPECIES.

HILLY RANGES OF INDIA MYANMAR BORDER

* THIS REGION IS FAMOUS FOR ITS EVERGREEN FORESTS WHICH TOUCHES BANGLADESH, MEGHALAYA, MANIPUR, MIZORAM & NAGALAND.

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY:
* MINING,OIL DRILLING, HYDROPOWER-IRRIGATION PROJECTS AND FAULTY AGRICULTURE METHODS. * SHIFTING CULTIVATION, OVERGRAZING ON GRASS, SILTATION OF RIVERBEDS. * OIL SPILLS, FLOODS, FOREST FIRES AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS. * HABITAT LOSS AND EXTICTION OF SPECIES. * POACHING AND HUNTING OF ANIMALS ILLEGALLY FOR THEIR SKIN,MEAT ,ETC. *URBANIZATION & DEFORESTATION LEAD TO DISTURBANCE IN BIODIVERSITY.