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CHAPTER 15: BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION

1.

INTRODUCTION
There are more than ____ species of ants, ____ species of beetles,
_____ species of fishes and nearly ____ species of orchids on earth.
20,000; 3,00,000; 28,000, 20,000

2.

BIODIVERSITY
In our biosphere, immense diversity (or heterogeneity) exists not
only at the species level but al all levels of biological organisation
ranging from ____ within cells to ____.
macromolecules, biomes

3.

Biodiversity is the term popularised by sociobiologist ____ ____ to


describe the combined diversity at all levels of biological
organisation.
Edward Wilson

4.

Some of the important diversity levels are genetic diversity, species


diversity and ecological diversity.
---

5.

What do you understand by genetic diversity?


(i)

A single species might show high diversity at the genetic level


over its distributional range. (Memorise this sentence)

(ii)

The genetic variation shown by the medicinal plant ____


____ growing in different Himalayan ranges might be in
terms of ____ and ____ of the active chemical, ____, that the

plant produces.
Rauwolfia vomitoria, potency, concentration reserpine
6.

Give examples of genetic diversity in India.


India has more than ____ genetically different strains of rice and
____ varieties of mangoes.
50,000; 1,000

7.

Species diversity is at the ____ level. For example, the Western


Ghats have a greater ____ species diversity than the Eastern Ghats.
amphibian

8.

Ecological diversity is at the _____ level. For instance, 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.
ecosystem
HOW MANY SPECIES ARE THERE ON THE EARTH AND

9.

HOW MANY IN INDIA?


According to IUCN (2004), the total number of plant and animal
species described so far is slightly more than ____ million. But, we
are not clear on how many species are yet to be discovered and
described.
1.5

10.

For many taxonomic groups, species inventories are more complete


in temperate than in tropical countries. Considering that an
overwhelmingly large proportion of the species waiting to be
discovered are in the tropics, biologists make a statistical
comparison of the temperate-tropical species richness of an
exhaustively studied group of ____ and extrapolate this ratio to

other groups of animals and plants to come up with a gross


estimate of the total number of species on earth.
insects
11.

A more conservative and scientifically sound estimate made by


____ ____ places the global species diversity at about _____.
Robert May, 7 million

12.

More than ____% of all the species recorded are animals while
plants (including algae, fungi, bryophytes, gymnosperms and
angiosperms) comprise no more than ____% of the total.
70, 22

13.

Among animals, ____ are the most species-rich taxonomic group,


making up more than ____% of the total animals
insects, 70

14.

The number of ____ species in the world is more than the combined
total of the species of fishes, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
fungi

15.

Look in the figure below for biodiversity of major taxa.

16.

It is difficult to ascertain the number of species. Conventional


taxonomic methods are not suitable for identifying microbial
species and many species are cannot be ____ under laboratory
conditions.
cultured

17.

India has only 2.4% of the worlds land area. But, its share in the
global species diversity is ____%. This makes India one of the 12
mega diversity countries of the world.
8.1

18.

Nearly ____ species of plants and twice as many of animals have


been recorded in India.
45,000

19.

If we accept Mays global estimate, only 22% of the total species


have been recorded so far.

---

20.

PATTERNS OF DIVERSITY
(1) LATITUDINAL GRADIENTS
Many groups of animals or plants show a ____ _____ in the
distribution patterns of diversity. In general, species diversity ____
(decreases/increases) as we move from the equator to the poles.
latitudinal gradient, decreases

21.

With very few exceptions, the tropics harbour more species than
the temperate or polar areas.
---

22.

Colombia, located near the equator, has nearly ____ species of


birds while New York at 410 N has ____ species and Greenland at
710 N has only ____ species of birds. India has more than ____
species of birds.
1400, 105, 56, 1200

23.

A forest in a tropical region like Ecuador has up to 10 times as


many species of vascular plants as a forest of equal area in a
temperate region like Midwest of the USA.
---

24.

The Amazon Rain Forests in South America has the greatest


biodiversity on earth. It is home to more than 40,000 species of
plants, 3,000 species of fishes, 1,300 species of birds, 427 species of
mammals, 427 of amphibians, 378 of reptiles and of more than
_____ species of invertebrates. Scientists believe that in these rain
forests, there may be at least 2 million insect species waiting to be
discovered.
1,25,000

25.

Why do tropics have a greater biological diversity?


(i)
Speciation is generally a function of time. Unlike the temperate
regions, which have been subjected to frequent glaciations in the
past, tropical latitudes have remained relatively undisturbed for
millions of years. Thus, they had a long evolutionary time for
species diversification.
(ii)

Tropical environments, unlike temperate ones, are less seasonal,


relatively more constant and predictable. Such constant
environments promote niche specialisation and lead to greater
species diversity

(iii)

There is more solar energy available in the tropics, which


contributes to higher productivity. This contributes, indirectly, to
greater diversity.

26.

SPECIES AREA RELATIONSHIP


Alexander von Humboldt, from Germany, observed that within a
region species richness increased with increasing explored ____, but
only up to a ____.
area, limit

27.

The relationship between species richness and area for a wide


variety of taxa turns out to be a rectangular ____. On a logarithmic
scale, the relationship is a ___ ____described by the equation ____.
hyperbola, straight line
log S = log C + Z log A
Where,
S = Species richness
A = Area
Z = Slope of the line (regression coefficient)
C = Y-intercept (should be log C?)

28.

Look at the graph below showing species area relationship.

29.

Ecologists have discovered that the value of Z lies in the range of


_____ regardless of the taxonomic group or region. However, when
species-area relationships among very large areas like entire
continents are analysed, the slope of the line is steeper Z values
range from _____.
0.1 0.2, 0.6 1.2

30.

For Frugivorous (fruit-eating birds) and mammals in the tropical


forests of different continents, the slope (Z) is found to be ____.
1.5

31.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SPECIES DIVERSITY


What does one understand by the stability of a community?
A stable community
(i)

Should not show too much variation in ____ from year to


year.

(ii)

It must either be resistant or resilient to occasional ____

(natural or man-made).
(iii) It must also be resistant to invasion by ____ species.
productivity, disturbances, alien
32.

____ ____ long-term ecosystem experiments using outdoor plots


showed that plots with more species showed ____ (less/more) yearto-year variation in total biomass. He also showed that increased
diversity contributed to ____ (higher/lower) productivity.
David Tilmans, less, higher

33.

TRUE OR FALSE? Rich diversity is not only essential for


ecosystem health but imperative for the very survival of the human
race on this planet.
True

34.

Read the rivet popper hypothesis used by Stanford ecologist Paul


Ehrlich.

35.

LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
The colonisation of tropical Pacific Islands by humans is said to
have led to the extinction of more than ____ species of native birds.
2000

36.

The IUCN Red List (2004) documents the extinction of ____ species
in the last 500 years. These include ____ vertebrates, ____
invertebrates and ____ plants.

784, 338, 359, 87


37.

Name the animal of Mauritius that has become extinct recently.


Dodo

38.

Name the animal of Africa that has become extinct recently.


Quagga

39.

Name the animal of Australia that has become extinct recently.


Thylacine

40.

Name the animal of Russia that has become extinct recently.


Stellars Sea Cow

41.

Name the three species of tiger that has become extinct recently.
Bali, Japan, Caspian

42.

The last 20 years alone have witnessed the disappearance of ____


species.
27

43.

Data shows that extinctions across taxa are not random. Some
groups like ____ appear to be more vulnerable to extinction.
amphibians

44.

More than ____ species, worldwide, are facing the threat of


extinction.
15,500

45.

Presently, ____% of all bird species, ____% of all mammal species,


____% of all amphibian species, and ____% of all gymnosperms in
the world face the threat of extinction.
12, 23, 32, 31

46.

During the long period (> 3 billion years) since the origin and

10

diversification of life on earth, there were ____ episodes of mass


extinction of species.
five
47.

The sixth extinction presently in progress is different from the


previous episodes in terms of rate. It is 100 1000 times faster than
in pre-human times. Human activities are the main culprit for this
extinction. Ecologists warn that if the present trends continue,
nearly ____ of all the species on earth might be wiped out within
the next 100 years.
half

48.

What may be the consequences of loss of biodiversity in a region?


(i)
Decline in plant production.
(ii)

Lowered resistance to environmental perturbations such as


drought.

(iii)

Increased variability in certain ecosystem processes such as plant


productivity, water use and pest and disease cycles.

49.

There are four main causes of accelerated rates of species


extinctions. These are called ____ ____ ____.
The Evil Quartet

50.

There are four main causes of accelerated rates of species


extinctions. What are they?
(i)
Habitat loss and fragmentation

51.

(ii)

Over exploitation

(iii)

Alien species invasions

(iv)

Co-extinctions

HABITAT LOSS AND FRAGMENTATION


TRUE OR FALSE? Habitat loss and fragmentation is the most

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important cause driving animals to extinction.


True
52.

The most dramatic examples of habitat loss come from ____ ____
forests. Once covering more than ____% of the earths land
surface, they now cover no more than ____%.
tropical rain, 14, 6

53.

The ____ rain forests are called the lungs of the planet. These
forests are being cleared for cultivating ____ ____ or for conversion
to ____ for raising beef cattle.
Amazon, soybeans, grasslands

54.

Besides total loss, the degradation of many habitats by ____ also


threatens the survival of many species.
pollution

55.

When large habitats are broken up into small fragments due to


various human activities, mammals and birds requiring large ____
and certain animals with ____ habits are badly affected leading to a
decline in their population.
territories, migratory

56.

OVER-EXPLOITATION
Many species have become extinct in the last five years due to overexploitation by humans. Examples are ____ ____ ____ and ____
____.
Stellars sea cow, passenger pigeon

57.

Presently many marine fish are over harvested endangering the


continued existence of some commercially important species.
--ALIEN SPECIES INVASION

12

58.

When alien species are introduced, either unintentionally or


deliberately, for whatever purpose, some of them turn ____ and
cause decline or extinction of indigenous species.
invasive

59.

The ____ _____ introduced into Lake Victoria in east Africa led
eventually to the extinction of an ecologically unique assemblage of
more than 200 species of ____ fish in the lake.
Nile perch, cichlid

60.

Some invasive weed species of plant that are a threat to our native
species are ____ ____, ____ and ____ _____.
carrot grass (Parthenium), Lantana, water hyacinth (Eicchornia)

61.

The recent illegal introduction of the African catfish, ____ _____,


for aquaculture purposes is posing a threat to the indigenous
catfishes in our rivers.
Clarias gariepinus

62.

CO-EXITINCTIONS
When a plant becomes extinct, the plant and animal species
associated with it in an ____ way also become extinct.
obligatory

63.

When a host fish species becomes extinct, its unique assemblage of


____ also meets the same fate.
parasites

64.

In the case of a co-evolved plant-pollinator ____, where extinction


of one invariably leads to the extinction of the other.
mutualism

65.

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION
Arguments for conservation of biodiversity can be broadly grouped

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into three categories. Name them.


Narrowly utilitarian, broadly utilitarian and ethical
66.

Explain

the

narrowly

utilitarian concept

for

conserving

biodiversity.
(i)
Humans derive countless direct economic benefits from nature
food, medicines, industrial products, etc.
(ii)

With increasing resources put into bioprospecting, nations


endowed with rich biodiversity can expect to reap enormous
benefits.

67.

What is bioprospecting?
Bioprospecting includes exploring molecular genetic and species-level
diversity for products of economic importance.

68.

More than ____% of the drugs currently sold in the market


worldwide are derived from plants.
25

69.

____ species of plants contribute to the traditional medicines used


by native people around the world.
25,000

70.

Explain

the

broadly

utilitarian

concept

for

conserving

biodiversity.
(i)
Biodiversity plays a major role in many ecosystem services that
nature provides.
(ii)

Such services include provision of oxygen, pollination,


recreation, etc.

(iii)

The price for such services is immense and is a reason for


preservation of biodiversity.

71.

The

Amazon

forest

is

estimated

to

produce,

through

14

photosynthesis, nearly ____% of the total oxygen in the earths


atmosphere.
20
72.

Explain the ethical concept for conserving biodiversity.


(i)
There is an ethical obligation that we owe to plants, animals and
microbe species with whom we share the planet.
(ii)

Philosophically or spiritually, we need to realise that every


species has an intrinsic value, even if it is not of any economic
importance to us.

(iii)

We have a moral duty of care for their well-being and pass on our
biological legacy in good order to future generations.

73.

HOW DO WE CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY?


What is in situ conservation?
When we conserve and protect the whole ecosystem, its biodiversity at
all levels is protected. For example, we save the entire forest to save the
tiger. This approach is called in situ (on site) conservation.

74.

What is ex situ conservation?


There are situations where an animal or plant is endangered or
threatened and needs urgent measures to save it from extinction. In
such cases ex situ is the desirable approach.

75.

IN SITU CONSERVATION
What is the difficulty with in situ conservation?
(i)
Faced with the conflict between development and conservation,
many nations find it unrealistic and economically not feasible to
conserve all their biological wealth.
(ii)

Invariably, the number of species waiting to be saved from


extinction far exceeds the conservation resources available.

76.

How has the problem of competition between conservation and

15

development been resolved?


(i)
To solve the problem of competition between conservation and
development, biodiversity hotspots have been identified for
maximum protection.
(ii)

These areas have very high levels of species richness and high
degree of endemism.

(iii)
77.

They are also areas of accelerated habitat loss.

What is endemism?
Endemism means that species confined to a region are not found
anywhere else.

78.

Initially ____ biodiversity hotspots were identified, which has now


expanded to ____.
25, 34

79.

Mention three biodiversity hotspots in India that have been


identified.
(i)
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka

80.

(ii)

Indo Burma

(iii)

Himalayas

All the biodiversity hotspots put together cover less than ____% fo
the earths land area, the number of species they collectively
harbour is extremely high. Strict protection of these hotspots could
reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by almost ____%.
2, 30

81.

In India, ecologically unique and biodiversity-rich regions are


legally protected as ____ ____, ____ ____ and _____.
biosphere reserves, national parks, sanctuaries

82.

India now has ____ biosphere reserves, ____ national parks and

16

____ wildlife sanctuaries.


14, 90, 448
83.

India has a history of religious and cultural traditions that


emphasised the protection of nature. In many cultures, tracts of
forest were set aside and all the trees and wildlife within were
venerated and given total protection. Such sacred groves are found
in ____ and ____ hills in Meghalaya, ____ Hills in Rajasthan, ____
____ regions in Karnataka and Maharashtra and the ____, ____
and ____ areas of Madhya Pradesh.
Khasi, Jaintia, Aravalli, Western Ghats, Sarguja, Chanda, Bastar

84.

In _____, the sacred groves are the last refuges for a large number
of rare and threatened plants.
Meghalaya

85.

EX SITU CONSERVATION
In the ex situ conservation approach, threatened animals and plants
are taken out from their natural habitats and placed in special
settings where they can be protected and given special care. ____
parks, ____ gardens and wildlife ____ parks serve this purpose.
Zoological, botanical, safari

86.

TRUE OR FALSE? There are many animals that have become


extinct in the wild but continue to be maintained in zoological
parks.
True

87.

In recent years, ex situ conservation has advanced beyond keeping


threatened species in enclosures. Now, ____ of threatened species
can be preserved in viable and fertile conditions for long periods
using ____ techniques. Eggs can be fertilised ____ ____ and plants

17

can be propagated using ____ ____ methods. Seeds of different


genetic strains of commercially important plants can be kept for
long periods in ____ ____.
gametes, cryopreservation, in vitro, tissue culture, seed banks
88.

Mention some international efforts in biodiversity conservation.


The Convention on Biological Diversity (The ____ Summit) held
in Rio de Janeiro in ____ called upon all nations to take
appropriate measures for the conservation of ____ and ____
utilisation of its benefits.
Earth, 1992, biodiversity, sustainable

89.

In a follow up to the Earth Summit, at the World Summit on


Sustainable Development held in ____ in ____, South Africa, 190
countries pledged their commitment to achieve, by ____, a
significant reduction in the current rate of ____ loss at global,
regional and local levels.
2002, Johannesburg, 2010, biodiversity

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