Loss of Biodiversity and Conservation of Biodiversity

Loss of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth and is extremely important for the survival of human beings. Every living being in nature depends on another living being all the time. We humans eat plant-based food, some even eat animals. Certain mammals give us milk which we consume after processing. Bacteria are highly useful too, they help digest the food in our mouth, turn milk to curd, and even process the food going through the intestines among a million other uses. To put in simpler words, if biodiversity is affected, millions of people face a future filled with diseases and chaos.

• The human population has been increasing over the last few decades. This rapid population growth has directly led to an increase in the consumption of limited natural resources. This has contributed directly to the acceleration of species and habitat loss all around the world

• Three-fourths of the total human population is contained within the Tropical regions. In comparison, tropical areas only make up one-quarter of the total area of the world

• This large population concentration in a small area has led to overexploitation of resources, with an adverse phenomenon like deforestation coming into play to fulfill human needs

• 50% of all species living on earth are also located in these tropical regions. This overexploitation and deforestation have proved disastrous for a significant portion of the earth’s biosphere

• Earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, forest fires, and other Natural calamities often cause irreparable damage to flora and fauna, directly causing loss of biodiversity in these affected regions

• Pollutants like pesticides, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and toxins wreak havoc in vulnerable and sensitive species

• Exotic Species are introduced to strange ecosystems. Exotic species are defined as those species that do not naturally inhabit a local habitat but are introduced into the system, i.e., Exotic species are all species found in an ecosystem that are not indigenous

• The poaching of endangered animals like tigers, elephants, crocodiles, rhinoceros, certain birds, and minks has increased rapidly during the last few years. Their horns, hides, tusks, and bones are becoming extremely valuable in underground markets, leading to this merciless poaching

Classification of Threatened Species

Threatened species of plants and animals are categorised into three categories by the International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) to help in the conservation of biodiversity.

Endangered Species

• Species that are in immediate danger of extinction are categorised as endangered species 
• The information on these endangered species can be found on the Red List of threatened species, published by the IUCN

Vulnerable Species 

• Species likely to be in danger of extinction shortly, provided the factors that threaten their extinction continue to exist, are called vulnerable species

• These vulnerable species are not guaranteed to survive, as their population has dwindled to extreme lows

Rare Species 

• Species that aren’t in immediate danger of extinction but whose population levels are small, concentrated to limited areas, or scattered thinly over a wide area are categorised as rare species  

Conservation of Biodiversity

• All lifeforms are highly interlinked. Disturbance in one life form can cause a massive imbalance in the survival of other lifeforms. Even if one species of plants or animals are endangered, it could cause permanent loss of biodiversity and degradation in the environment. It directly threatens the survival of human beings

• The need to increase awareness among people and begin adopting eco-friendly practises is urgently required. The necessity to reorient our activities to ensure that our development does not come at the cost of other species and lifeforms but rather is sustainable has never been higher before

• The awareness that conservation of biodiversity with sustainable use is possible only with the cooperation of individuals and local communities is rapidly increasing. Institutional structures are necessary to be developed at local, district, and state levels

The Earth Summit (1992)

During the earth summit, the Convention of Biodiversity, held at Rio De Janeiro, saw The Government of India and 155 other nations participate and sign the convention in June 1992. The steps that were suggested to lead to the conservation of biodiversity are as follows- 

• Extra efforts should be taken to help preserve endangered species

• Planning and management to prevent the extinction of species

• The biodiversity in food crops,  timber trees, animals and livestock, and their wild relatives must be preserved

• Identification of habitats of wild relatives should be made necessary as a measure to ensure their protection

• Natural habitats, i.e., places where species feed, breed, rest, and nurse their young, should be protected at all costs

• The international trade of plants and animals should be regulated

Conservation of Biodiversity steps by India  

To protect and preserve the biodiversity of species within India, the Government passed the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. National parks and sanctuaries were established, along with the declaration of biosphere reserves

Mega Diversity Centres:

• Countries situated in tropical regions that contain a large percentage of the world’s diversity are called Mega Diversity Centres

• There are 12 Mega diversity centres- Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia

Biodiversity Hotspots

• To concentrate resources on the most vulnerable areas, the IUCN has identified specific areas as biodiversity hotspots

• These Hotspots are defined, taking into account the amount and density of vegetation that it contains. The flora are essential as they determine the primary productivity of any ecosystem

Conclusion

So to sum up, the loss of biodiversity that’s happening now is only going to increase with time and we need to act fast to save our future generations from calamities. Biodiversity is extremely interesting to study and analyse, but can cause us great problems if the perfect balance is affected. Conservation of whatever is left is of utmost importance now for the very survival of human species, among other endangered and on-the-verge-of-extinction species.