Contents

• Introduction to
Biodiversity
• Types of Biodiversity

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❑INTRODUCTION

• Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability among living

organisms and ecological complexes in which they occur.

• Biodiversity deals with the degree of natures variety in

biosphere.

• Major components in biodiversity are ecosystem diversity,

species diversity and genetic diversity.

• Biodiversity is intimately related to the function and stability

of communities and ecosystems.
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 Types of Biodiversity

❑Ecosystem diversity:
It is related to variety of habitats, biotic
communities and ecological processes in the
biosphere.
❖Alpha diversity:
The biodiversity within a particular area,
community or ecosystem. It is usually expressed
by the number of species in that ecosystem.

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❖Beta diversity:
• It is a measure of biodiversity within a particular
area, community or ecosystem.
• This involves comparing the number of taxa that
are unique to each of the ecosystem.
❖Gamma diversity:
• It refers to the total species richness over a large
area or region.
• It is a measure of the overall diversity for the
different ecosystem within a region.
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❑Genetic diversity:
• Each member of any animal or plant species
differs widely from other individuals in its genetic
makeup because of large number of combinations
possible in the genes that give every individual
specific characteristic.
• This variation is good for healthy breeding
population of a species.
• Therefore the diversity among the individuals of a
population of particular organism at genetic level
is called genetic diversity.

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 ❑Species diversity:
• It refer to the diversity of organisms at a
place in term of number of species.
• Species is a basic unit of classification and
is defined as a group of similar organisms
that mate and produce offspring's with one
another and thus share a common lineage
eg. Human, dog, horse etc.

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• Biodiversity refers to the variety
and variability among living
organisms and ecological
complexes in which they occur.
Major components in biodiversity
are ecosystem diversity, species
diversity and genetic diversity.
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❑Value of Biodiversity

➢Consumptive and Productive (Direct value):

➢As source of food
➢As source of medicine
➢As source of fodder
➢As source of industrial material
➢As potential source of new medicine and food
➢As source of livelihood
➢As a source of revenue

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➢Non Consumptive (Indirect values):
➢Ecological balance
➢Carbon sink
➢Maintain water cycle
➢Nutrient recycling
➢Recharging groundwater
➢Soil formation
➢Protect soil erosion
➢Pollution
➢Climate regulation
➢Amusement

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➢Social value:
➢The social value of biodiversity includes aesthetic,
cultural and spiritual values.
➢The life of the indigenous people in many part of
the world still revolves around the forest and
environment, even in these modern times many of
them still live in the forest and meet their daily
requirements from their surrounding.
➢The biodiversity in the different part of the world
has been largely preserved by the traditional
societies.

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➢Ecosystem Services:
➢The production of oxygen
➢The maintenance of fresh water quality
➢Production and maintenance of soil.
➢Source of genetic diversity
➢Role of insects in pollination
➢Bioremediation
➢Maintenance of habitat for plants and
animal

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❑Biodiversity at Global, National and Local Level

❑Global level:
➢On earth there are 10 million species of living
being excluding 30 million species of insects.
➢Till now only 1.4 million species have been
identified and named.
➢This includes 98% of birds, 95% of
amphibians and reptiles, 90% fish and about
85% of higher plant.
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❑National Level:
➢India have 108276 species of various living
being already described.
➢Among this bacteria constitute only
0.8%,fungi 21.2, algae 2.3, bryophytes 2.4,
pteridophytes 0.9, gymnosperm 0.1,
angiosperm 13.9, insects 49.3, mollusca 4.7,
pisces 2.4, amphibian 0.2,reptiles 0.4, aves
1.1and mammals 0.3%.
➢This includes 19.6% plants, 22% microbes and
58.4% animals.
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• India is 10th on plant rich countries of the world, fourth
among Asian countries, 11th on the basis of number of
endemic species and 10th in the world as far as richness
of the mammals is concerned.
• Out of 35 hot spots of the biodiversity in the world
India has four that includes Eastern Himalaya, Western
Himalaya, Western Ghats and Andaman and Nicobar
Island.
• India also rank sixth among the centres of biodiversity
and origin in term of agro biodiversity.

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• India has 410 mammals species, 1200
species of birds, 453 species of
reptiles and 45,000 species of plants.
• Among plants ferns have 1022
species and orchids 1082.
• India also has 50,000 known species
of insects and 13,000 species of
butter flies and moths.
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• It is estimated that 18% of Indian
plant species are endemic to the
country.
• Among amphibians, 62% are
unique to this country.
• Among 153 reported species of
lizards, 50% are endemic to India.
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 Bio geographical Classification of India

• India is among the 17 megabiodiversity countries of the

world.
• Other megadiverse countries are - USA, Mexico,
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Democratic
Republic of Congo, South Africa, Madagascar, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, China, and
Australia.
• On geographical basis India consist of three well
defined regions:
➢The trans Himalayan mountains:
✓Distributions: The region of Ladakh in Kashmir and Lahul-
Spiti region in Himachal Pradesh.

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✓ Flora: The trans Himalayan region is mostly bare with
its sparse vegetation.
✓ Fauna: The wildlife is represented by richest wild sheep
and goat community in the world. The snow leopard
and the migratory black necked crane are found.
➢The Indo-Gangetic Plain:
✓ Distribution: In north Indo-Gangetic plain extends up to
Himalayan foot hills.
✓ Flora: The tree belonging to these forests are Teak,
Saal, Shisham, Mahua, Khair etc.
✓ Fauna: It is represented by Elephants, Tigers, Leopards,
Deer's, Boar, Bear etc.
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➢ The Peninsula:
✓ Distribution: West and east coast of India
✓ Flora: Lush green forest that includes Sandal wood forest of
Karnataka and Tamilnadu.
✓ Fauna: Western Ghats region harbour 14 endemic species of
caecilians (legless amphibians). It also supports certain unique
animal like Lion-tailed Macaques, Nilgiri Langurs etc.
➢ Himalayan Region:
✓ Distribution: Kashmir in north west to Aurnachal Pradesh in the
north east.
✓ Flora: Oak, Chestnut, Conifers, Walnuts, Pines etc.
✓ Fauna: Wild Sheep, Mountain Goat, Ibex, Shrew, Snow Leopard
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etc.
➢ Semiarid areas:
• Distribution: A transition zone between deserts and denser
forest of the western Ghats.
• Flora: Thorny forests
• Fauna: Jackals, leopards, eagles, snakes, fox etc.

➢ North west desert region:

• Distribution: Rajasthan, Kutch, Delhi, and parts of Gujarat.
• Flora: Xerophytic plants like Babul, Kikar, Wild palm etc.
• Fauna: Indian bustard, Camels, Wild asses, Foxes etc.

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➢ Deccan Plateau:
• Distribution: a semi arid region beyond the western Ghats.
• Flora: Dry deciduous forest like Teak and Sal
• Fauna: Tigers, Leopards, Sambhars, Neelgais, Wild buffaloes,
Elephants etc.

➢ Nort East India:

• Distribution: Northern region of India
• Flora: Orchids, Bamboos, Fern etc.

➢ Island:
• Distribution: Andaman Niccobar and Lakshadweep
• Flora: Tropical evergreen to moist deciduous and mangroves.
• Fauna: Turtles, Crabs, Molluscs and Fishes.
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