Why Conservation of Biodiversity is important?

Conservation of Biodiversity

Biodiversity can be effectively summed up as the sum total of all the inhabitants on planet ‘Earth’. To be more precise, it is the combination of all the life forms on Earth. ‘Biodiversity’, the term itself means the diversity of the biological species present on the Earth.

The species richness of a place depicts the biodiversity of that particular place and hence, the biodiversity can be effectively evaluated and compared to any place. The biodiversity of the tropic region is the richest accounting to over 90% of the world’s species despite the fact that the tropical regions account for only 10% of the total world’s area. The elements that constitute the biodiversity of a place are:

• Genetic Biodiversity- The variety in the genetic makeup of the species of a particular area can be termed up as Genetic Biodiversity. This genetic diversity defines the unique traits of the organisms present on Earth.
• Species Biodiversity- The diversity on the specific variation of a species of a region is termed as species Biodiversity. It refers to the individual organisms of a species in population and their distribution.
• Ecosystem Biodiversity- Ecosystem biodiversity refers to the similarities and differences between all ecosystems present on Earth.

Why Biodiversity Needs To Be Conserved

Conservation of biodiversity implies sustaining the diversity in the ecosystem. Speaking of today’s context, the pace at which several species are on the verge of extinction is quite alarming. With the loss of several species, the ecosystem balance is hindered hence all the species on earth are interconnected to each other in every other way. Hence, the loss of one species poses as a threat to the existence of another species. The products and services obtained from the floral and faunal species across the world are numerous. The removal of natural vegetation for development is putting stress on ecosystems.

• It is important for preserving the diversity of species.
• It also helps in sustainable management and utilization of species and ecosystems.
• Biodiversity conservation is critically important for economic development and for poverty alleviation.
• As the agriculture sector is highly dependent on biological diversity, its loss would lead to decreased agricultural production.

Factors affecting Biodiversity

The biodiversity of a place is said to be vanishing or facing the threat of extinction if their natural habitat is destroyed. Extinction of another species that could be directly affecting the species is another reason as earlier mentioned that species are interdependent on each other. Extinction of species is also caused by several other factors like:

• Pollution
• Natural calamities like Landslides, floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.
• Natural competition between species
• Hunting, poaching and illegal trade
• Overexploitation of Wildlife species and resources for commercial use
• Large scale destruction of forest land for urbanization
• Introduction of exotic species that competes with the existing species for habitat as well for food and nutrition
• Several anthropological activities by humans leading to several diseases among faunal species.
• Lack of adequate knowledge about the importance of conserving biological diversity among the natives. 

How Biodiversity can be conserved

Humans are the only species that would be much affected by the growing rate of biodiversity degradation. Humans are directly dependent on biodiversity and vegetation for their survival. As the forest resources provide all the important raw materials for human survival, its destruction is directly affecting human survival. The conservation of biodiversity is the proper management of the biosphere by human beings in such a way that it gives maximum benefits for the present generation and also develops its potential so as to meet the needs of future generations.

Factors that could help in conservation of biodiversity can be listed as:

• Sustainable utilization of resources is a must for the maintenance of biodiversity
• Illegal poaching and hunting of wildlife species should be banned completely
• Several protected areas should be set up for conservation of different species
• Environmental laws associated with biodiversity conservation should be implemented and strictly followed
• Introducing the concepts of gene banks and captive breeding on a wide scale could improve the declining population of a particular species
• Focussing on reducing climate change would also be helpful as it is a major cause for depletion of habitats
• Initiating the concept of Community forest management
• Educating people about the importance of biodiversity conservation proves to be beneficial.

Protected Areas conserving Biodiversity

According to the IUCN, a protected area is termed as a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. These protected areas play a major role in conserving biodiversity. They help in conserving nature as well as providing a livelihood to the locals residing in the protected areas.

Various conservation methods are:

(1) In situ conservation:

The conservation of species in their natural habitat or natural ecosystem is known as in situ conservation. It tries to protect and maintain the natural ecosystem of the species concerned. It is quite a useful method for preserving a large number of organisms simultaneously.

• National parks- These are a set of small areas meant for the protection of wildlife along with their natural habitats. Both the flora and fauna species are being conserved here. These are maintained by the government. Human activities like grazing forestry, cultivation, and habitat manipulation are completely not allowed in these areas. A total of 89 national parks are found in India.

Examples: Bandipur National park in Karnataka, Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, Pin Valley National Park in Himachal Pradesh, Gir National Park in Gujarat etc. 

• Sanctuaries: The protected areas where only wild animal species are being protected are called as sanctuaries. Several human activities like harvesting of timbers, collection of forest products, cultivation of lands, etc. are permitted. A total of 88 Wildlife sanctuaries are present in India.

Examples: Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary in Himachal Pradesh, Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary in Orissa, Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa,  Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, etc. 

• Biosphere reserves: These are the protected areas set up with an aim of preserving the genetic diversity in an ecosystem. These are managed using scientific techniques. Tourists are allowed for visiting the Biosphere reserves. They also support education and research in various ecological aspects. 18 Biosphere reserves are present in India.

Examples: Sundarban Biosphere Reserves in West Bengal, Nokrek Biosphere Reserves in Meghalaya, Panchmarhi Biosphere reserve in Madhya Pradesh, etc.

(2) Ex-situ conservation

It involves conserving the species outside of their natural habitats by creating and maintaining an artificial environment for them so as to maintain their natural habitat. Specific areas are like zoo, gardens, nurseries, etc. It ensures long-term captive breeding and propagation for the species which have lost their habitats permanently.

(3) Hot Spots

Hot spots are the areas with a high density of biodiversity endemic to that particular place which is most threatened or is on the verge of extinction. There are around 36 hot spots in the world, out of which four are located in India.

Also Read: World Wildlife Conservation Day