GS Environment Ecology Sample Material(1)

7/22/2019 GS Environment Ecology Sample Material(1)

1/12

Hari Bhawan, 14A/103 WEA, Karol Bagh (Back Side Karol Bagh Metro Station), ew !elhi " 11000#$h% 011 " '1'&, '1*&, '#&444 + Moile% 103&30#

We-ite% www.directionia-.co+ Eail% inodirectionia-.co

Study MaterialGeneral Studies

Environment Ecology Sample Material

INDIAS BIODIVERSITY: STATUS, TRENDS AND THREATS

India, known for its rich heritage of biological diversity, has so far documented over

91,200 species of animals and 45,500 species of plants in its ten biogeographic regions!

"esides, it is recogni#ed as one of the eight $avilovian centres of origin and diversity of

crop plants, having more than %00 wild ancestors and close relatives of cultivated plants,

which are still evolving under natural conditions! India is also a vast repository of

&raditional 'nowledge (&') associated with biological resources!

India ranks among the top ten speciesrich nations and shows high endemism! India has

four global biodiversity hot spots (*astern +imalaya, Indo"urma, estern -hats and .ri

/anka, and .undaland)! &he varied edaphic, climatic and topographic conditions and years

of geological stability have resulted in a wide range of ecosystems and habitats such as

forests, grasslands, wetlands, deserts, and coastal and marine ecosystem!

aunal diversity in India are being progressively updated and analy#ed with several new

discoveries! .o far, nearly 91,212 of faunal species (!4% of the world3s faunal species)

have been recorded in the country! *ndemic rich Indian fauna is manifested most

prominently in mphibia (1!2) and 6eptilia (4)! /ikewise, Indian fish fauna includes
http://www.directionias.com/http://www.directionias.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.directionias.com/mailto:[email protected]


2/12

two endemic families and 12 monotypic genera! s per the International

7nion for 8onservation of ature (I78) 6ed /ist (200:), India has 41% globally

threatened faunal species, which is appro;imately 4!9 of the world3s total number of

threatened faunal species!

8ontinuous surveys and e;plorations have added new discoveries < 41 plant species in

200 by "otanical .urvey of India (".I) alone! &he uni=ue features of the plant

diversity, among others, include 0 monotypic families and over 000 endemic species!

6ecent estimates indicate the presence of over 25 globally threatened plant species in

India!

/ikewise, India3s contribution to crop diversityhas been impressive with repositories of

over 50,000 varieties of rice, 5,000 of sorghum, 1,000 varieties of mango, etc! &he ational

-enebank, primarily responsible for ex-situconservation of uni=ue germplasm on longterm

basis, holds %,,9%% uni=ue accessions of plant genetic resources! India is also endowed

with vast and diverse forms of domesticated animal genetic resources, e!g!, cattle,

buffalo, sheep, goat, pig, camel, horse, donkey, yak, mithun, duck, goose, =uail, etc!

"esides, a rich diversity of wild relatives of domesticated animals e;ists here! &he molecular

characteri#ation has been undertaken so far only in a few animals such as cattle, sheep, pig

and poultry, using internationally recommended > markers!

India, endowed with vast inland and marine bioresources, is the third largest producer of

fish in the world! database on 2,1:2 fishes found in Indian waters has been developed,

which includes %2 fresh water species listed in I78 threat categories and 192 endemic

fishes! macro level fish occurrence map of India has been prepared and >

barcodes of 100 Indian marine fish species developed!1! The mo!t"i! ecosystemsof India are largely described under two global hotspots,

vi#!, the *astern +imalaya, and the estern -hats and .ri /anka! &hey contribute

prominently in geographic e;tent, biophysical and sociocultural diversity and uni=ueness!

&he e;tent of species endemism in vascular plants alone ranges from %2 to 40 in the

mountain ecosystems! ?ther groups, such as reptiles, amphibians and fish show




3/12

more than 50 of species endemism in estern -hats! ?f the 99 bird species recorded

from the +imalayan region, four *ndemic "ird reas have been delineated for priority

conservation measures and likewise, identification of @'ey "iodiversity reas ('"s)A has

been initiated in estern -hats! t present, there are 1% Brotected reas (4,20:

s= km) in the Indian +imalayan 6egion (I+6) and :: Bas (1%,95 s= km) in estern -hats!

#o!t"i! $iodiversity In India, mountains are mostly under two global hotspot areas

7ni=ueness of the region is manifested in its rich species endemism (over 40) ?ver 15

tribal groups inhabiting this region depend directly on diversified resource base for

e;istence! &he ecosystem services emanating from the region benefit the plains and

contribute substantially towards subnational, regional and global ecological security! ?ut of

the five natural orld +eritage .ites (+.) recogni#ed by 7nited ations *ducationmal,

.cientific, and 8ultural ?rgani#ation (7*.8?) in India, three are located in the

+imalayan region vi#, anda >evi B, 'a#iranga B and Canas B! urther, the $alley of

lowers B has been included in the list of +. as an e;tension to anda >evi B! In

addition, 'angchend#onga B and amdapha B are included in the tentative list of +.!

8onsidering the importance of natural sites, an e;ternally aided proDect titled Eorld

+eritage "iodiversity Brogramme for IndiaF "uilding Bartnerships to .upport 7*.8?3s

+. programme3 is being undertaken!

The %ester! &h"ts orld 8onservation Conitoring 8entre (8C8) has identified

estern -hats region as one of the important areas of freshwater biodiversity!

&he ilgiri "6 spread over three states in estern -hats was the first "6 to be set up in the

country!

2! Arid "!d semi'"rid re(io!s spread over ten states, cover %:!:0 of India3s total

geographical area! &he cold arid #one located in &rans+imalayan region covers 5!2 area

of the country! &he region is stronghold of three cat predators < the lion, leopard and tiger!

?f the 140 species of birds known, the -reat Indian "ustard is a globally threatened species!

&he flora of the Indian desert comprises :2 species with over of total plant

species as endemics! &he cold desert is the home of rare endangered fauna, such as, siatic

ibe;, &ibetan argali, ild yak, .now leopard, etc!, and the flora is rich in endemic and

economically important species! India3s &hird ational 6eport on the implementation of

7nited ations 8onvention to 8ombat >esertification (788>) indicates that most of arid,




4/12

semiarid and dry subhumid areas of India are either subDect to desertification, identified as

drought prone or considered wastelands!

Biodiversity o) "rid "!d semi'"rid *"!ds

rid and semiarid region of India covers 12!% mha i!e! %:!: of total geographical area

and spreads over 10 states! &he hot arid #one occupies maDor part of 6aDasthan (0),

-uDarat (20), BunDab and +aryana (9 ), and ndhra Bradesh, 'arnataka and Caharashtra

(10 )! &he cold arid #ones are located in the &rans+imalayan region of Gammu H

'ashmir, +imachal Bradesh, 7ttarakhand and .ikkim

covering an area of 1,:4,:2% s= km i!e! 5!2 of the total geographical area!

Hot deserts "!d semi'"rid re(io!

&har desert is the world3s seventh largest desert and is considered the most inhospitableecoregion in IndoBacific region! &his large ecoregion lies to the west of ravalli 6ange

and characteri#ed by e;treme climate (annual temperature ranging from near free#ing in

the winters to over 50?c in summers)! 6ainfall is scanty in the range of 100150 mm!

.everal species have adapted themselves to survive in these harsh conditions! &he

mammal fauna comprises 41 species that include three large cat predators < the lion, leopard

and tiger! It is home to some of India3s most magnificent grasslands and sanctuary for a

charismatic bird, the -reat Indian "ustard mong the mammal fauna, the blackbuck, wild

ass, chinkara, caracal, and desert fo; inhabit the open plains, grasslands, and saline

depressions! "lackbuck, a globally threatened species is found in this area!

&he degree of endemism of plant species in &har desert is !4 which is relatively

higher than % endemism the .ahara desert!

+o*d desert re(io!

&he cold desert regions of &rans+imalayan #one of India are characteri#ed by severe

arid conditions, where temperature drops to


5/12

8apsella thomsonii, >ianthus deltoids, .tellaria tibetica, stragalus ciotus, !

melanostachys, ! o;ydon, ! tribuulifolius, .edum crassipes, 8hrysonthemum tibeticum,

8repis stolic#ka, Inula falconeri, /eontopodium nanum,

.aussurea subulata, . thomsonii, .enicio tibeticus, &anacetum artemesioides,

cantholimon lycopodiodes and aldhamia nivea!

8old desert is the home of highly adaptive, rare endangered fauna, such as siatic Ibe;,

&ibetan rgali, /adakh 7riyal, "haral, &ibetan ntelope, &ibetan -a#elle, ild ak, .now

/eopard, "rown "ear, &ibetan olf, ild >og and &ibetan ild ss!

vifauna includes some restricted range species such as "lack ecked 8rane which

breeds in the higher reaches of this region!

/and degradation is estimated to affect at least onethird of the %29 mha geographical

area in India! rid areas (49!5 mha) are the worst affected, especially in the western part of

6aDasthan that includes the &har desert (20!: mha), as well as in arid -uDarat (!22 mha)!

%! &he et*"!d ecosystems India has a variety of wetland ecosystems ranging from high

altitude cold desert wetlands to hot and humid wetlands in coastal #ones with its diverse

flora and fauna! t present, 115 wetlands have been identified under the ational etland

8onservation Brogramme (86) and 25 wetlands of international importance under6amsar 8onvention! bout 4,445 s=! km area of the country is under mangroves! &he maDor

threats to wetland ecosystems include uncontrolled siltation, weed infestation,

discharge of waste effluents, surface runoff, habitat destruction, encroachment and

hydrological perturbations!ith a long coastline and a vast *;clusive *conomic Jone

(**J), India has a very wide range of coastal ecosystems! .uch regions are prone to

overe;ploitation of bioresources, poorly planned human settlements, improper location of

industries, and pollution from industries and settlements!

%et*"!d pro)i*e

etlands, transition between terrestrial and a=uatic systems, are uni=ue habitats that sustain

substantial biodiversity! etlands are important for regulating water cycle, playing critical

role in maintaining the health of rivers, estuaries and coastal




6/12

waters! &hese are habitats for speciali#ed animals and plants, many of which are threatened!

&he wetlands in India estimated to cover about 5:!2 mha, are distributed in all the

biogeographic regions and show significant ecological diversity ranging from high altitude

cold desert wetlands to hot and humid wetlands in coastal #ones with a range of othertypes

in between!

U!i-e!ess o) $iodiversity

&he wetlands are home to many endemic and threatened species distributed across the

country 7nder the 8B, of the total 115 wetlands only %1 (2) are covered

under Bs! study has indicated that conservation efforts of the +imalayan wetlands

have largely been concentrated in the two western +imalayan .tates (GH' and +B)! &he

eastern +imalaya, that contain :0 (1,529) of total +imalayan wetlands have received little

attention! &hese wetlands are important wildlife

habitats and have significant sociocultural values!

In recent years, India3s response to international commitments under 6amsar

8onvention has resulted in steady progression of designating 6amsar sites! t present, 25

wetlands have been designated as 6amsar sites in India,which cover an area of ,,1%1 ha!

8hilika /ake (?rissa) and the 'eoladeo B (6aDasthan) were the first two

#"!(roves

Cangrove ecosystem constitutes a bridge between terrestrial and marine ecosystems and

are found in the intertidal #ones of sheltered shores, estuaries, creeks, backwaters, lagoons,

marshes and mudflats and are regarded as most productive and biologically diverse

ecosystems!

Cangroves in India account for about 5 of the world3s mangrove vegetation and are

spread over an area of 4,445 km2 along the coastal .tatesK7&s of the country! .tateK7& wise

mangrove cover as assessed by .I in different assessments is given !est "engal has the

ma;imum of mangrove cover in the country, followed by -uDarat and ndaman H icobar

Islands!

Types o) thre"ts to m"!(roves i! I!di"

Marine and Costal Biodiversity




7/12

India with a coastline of about :,000 km, and an **J of 2!02 million s= km, shows a very

wide range of coastal ecosystems like estuaries, lagoons, mangroves, backwaters, salt

marshes, rocky coasts, and stretches and coral reefs which are characteri#ed by rich and

uni=ue biodiversity components

St"ts o) cor"* ree)s

8oral reefs are the protectors of the coastlines of the maritime states! &he coastal

populations of India mostly depend on the coral reef ecosystems! In India, maDor coral reef

ecosystems are -ulf of Cannar, -ulf of 'achchh, ndaman H icobar and

/akshadweep Islands which embrace all the three maDor reef types (atoll, fringing and

barrier) and include diverse and e;tensive reef areas of the Indian ?cean!

&he total area of coral reefs in India has been estimated as 2,%5 s= km

&he ndaman Islands have around :0 of the global coral diversity, suggesting that a

final count could reach up to 400 species!

&hese include 15 families, 0 genera and 20: species of .cleractinia (reef building and

hermatypic corals) from four maDor reefs of India such as -ulf of 'achchh (% species, 20

genera) /akshadweep (91 species, %4 genera), -ulf of Cannar and Balk "ay (:2 species 2

genera) ndaman and icobar Islands (1 species, 5 genera)! Batterson (200) updatedthe number of coral species in -ulf of Cannar to 11 belonging to 40 genera! &he shallow

reefs of the -ulf of Cannar had about 41 coral cover and a large proportion of old, dead

and turfed corals (%2)!

4! .rotected Are"India3s maDor strength in i!'sit co!serv"tio!lies in its impressive B

network, which currently comprises 1 Bas Lational Barks (Bs) (99), ildlife

.anctuaries (/.s) (515), 8onservation 6eserves (8on6) (4%) and 8ommunity

6eserves (8om6) (4), established under the ildlife (Brotection) ct (B),

192M covering appro;imately 4!:0 of the total geographical area of the country! India

also has special flagship programmes for the conservation of tiger and elephant! India3s

Bas grew by 15 since the adoption of the Brogramme of ork on Bas in 2002!




8/12

rticle : of the 8"> advocates importance of promoting insitu conservation! &he 8">

as well as the orld Barks 8ongress, >urban, 200% have marked a significant shift in the

historical perception of Bs! &hey are now steadily being linked with issues related to

people3s concern on livelihood, traditional knowledge, access to genetic resources, national

sovereignty, e=uitable sharing of benefits, intellectual property rights and overall sustainable

development!

.rotected Are" m"!"(eme!t : St"ts

Bs are the cornerstones of biodiversity conservation efforts! India has created a

network of Bas and other conservation areas, which include a total of 1 units (i!e! 99 Bs,

515 /s, 4% 8on6 and 4 8om 6), besides identifying a number of wetlands under the

8B for conservation!

&he area covered under Bs and other conservation sites accounts for around 9 of the

total geographical area of the country!

.pecial flagship programmes for the conservation of tigers and elephants being

implemented on landscape level have led to the recovery of these species and conservation

of their habitats!

8urrently India has % &iger 6eserves and 2 *lephant 6eserves!

ildlife 8rime 8ontrol "ureau (88") has been established in 200 to combat

illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives!

NBA.: /#"i!stre"mi!( o) Biodiversity +o!sider"tio!s 0India is committed to

contributing towards achieving three obDectives of the 8onvention on "iological >iversity

(8">), the 2010 target and the .trategic Blan! .trategies and plans for conservation and

sustainable use of biological resources based on local knowledge systems and practices are

ingrained in Indian ethos and are enshrined in the 8onstitution of India Lrticle 4: and

rticle 51 (g)M in the form of environment protection! In recent times, the maDor building

blocks of policy frameworks, legislations and action plans that drive the country in

achieving all the three obDectives of the 8"> include, among others, "iological >iversity

ct (">), 2002, ational ildlife ction Blan (B) (2002201), ational




9/12

*nvironment Bolicy (*B) 200, ational "iodiversity ction Blan ("B), 200: and

ational ction Blan on 8limate 8hange (B88), 200:!

$rie) sy!opsisof the main activities undertaken by India corresponding to the 11 goals of

the 2010 target is given belowF




10/12

&o"* 1: .romote the co!serv"tio! o) $io*o(ic"* diversity o) ecosystem, h"$it"ts "!d

$iomes

(i) .etting a target of achieving %% forest and tree cover by 2012 (at present 2%!%9)N

(ii) .cheme on Bs and /. modified to cover wildlife habitats outside BasN (iii) Brotection

of sacred grovesN (iv) 8onservation of entities of incomparable value < draft notification

issuedN (v) "iodiversity heritage sites identifiedN (vi) Increase in coverage of Bas (1

numbers covering 4!: geographical area of the country)N (vii) 8onservation of mangroves

and coral reefsN (viii) 15 "6s set up, four with international recognition and 15 more

potential sites identifiedN and (;) regulatory regime for conservation of wetlands under

finali#ation!

&o"* 2: .romote co!serv"tio! o) species diversity

(i) 6evised BN (ii) &8 set upN (iii) .peciesspecific conservation programme

undertaken, and sanctuaries for orchids, banana, rhododendron, citrus set upN (iv)

6eintroduction of threatened species into their natural habitats, e!g!, mass propagation of

pitcher plant, rehabilitation of mangroves, relocation of rhinocerosN (v) propagation

protocols for regeneration, and promotion of cultivation for conservation of

threatened species, /a8?*. established at +yderabadN (iv) ildlife 8rime 8ontrol

"ureau (88") set upN (vii) &a;onomy capacity building proDectN (vii) ssistance to

botanic gardens for conservation of endemic and endangered speciesN and (i;) .earanching

of threatened marine species!

&o"* 3: .romote the co!serv"tio! o) (e!etic diversity

(i) ational -ene banks for plants, animals, fish and agriculturally important micro

organismsN (ii) 8ommunity gene banks by -?s and othersN (iii) 6esearch and onfarm

conservation initiatives specifically with regard to medicinal plants!

&o"* 4: .romote sst"i!"$*e se "!d co!smptio!

(i) .ustainable use ingrained in Indian ethosN (ii) .ustainable use integrated into national

decision making through policy statements (*B, B, /B, "B), laws (*B,

/B, ">, otification on 86J, 8CJ, *I, ecosensitive areas), and programmes




11/12

(GC, *", proDect on household food and nutritional securityN (iii) ll India

coordinated research proDect on under utili#ed and under e;ploited plantsN (iv) +oney

been network to protect and encourage customary use that has over 10,000 e;amples of

customary innovations of use of traditional knowledge in sustainable managementN and (v)

s Barty to the 8onvention on International &rade in *ndangered .pecies of auna and

lora (8I&*.), international trade of endangered wild species prohibited!

&o"* 5: .ressres )rom h"$it"t *oss, de(r"d"tio! redced

(i) Barticipatory and sustainable management of degraded forest areas promoted with the

help of -?s, B6Is, etc!, through programmes of the *"N (ii) +ill area development

programme promotes community participation to improve their livelihoods through

sustainable useN (iii) .ome public and private sector initiatives include reclamation and

afforestation of minedout areas by native species!

&o"* 6: +o!tro* thre"ts )rom i!v"sive "*ie! species

(i) Bhytosanitory certificates for e;port, and permits for import of germplasm re=uired

under Blant Ouarantine ?rder 200% and >estructive Insects and Bests (>IB) ct, 1914N (ii)

+ealth certificates for livestock to be e;ported re=uired under /ivestock Importation act,

1:9:N (iii) /icences re=uired for e;port of living organism by >irector -eneral of oreign

&rade (>-&)N (iv) Ouarantine certificates re=uired for e;port of wild

animalsKarticles under /B ctN (v) ew scheme on integrated forest protection to

cover I.N (vi) orest Invasive .pecies 8ell set upN and (vii) Implementation of /C?

regulations in ballast water e;changes in practice in all maDor ports!

&o"* 7: Address ch"**e!(es to $iodiversity )rom c*im"te ch"!(e

(i) B88 launched in 200: under which eight national missions set up for multi

pronged, long term and integrated strategiesN (ii) 8hallenges from pollution addressed

through legislative framework contained in *B, 19:, ater (Brevention and 8ontrol of

Bollution) ct, 194, ater 8ess ct, 19, and ir (Brevention and 8ontrol of Bollution)

ct, 19:1N (iii) India has identified five potential transboundary Bas along India3s




12/12

borders with "hutan, "angladesh and epalN and (iv).ignatory to ntarctica &reaty meetingsN (iv) 8elebration of the

International >ay for biological >iversity (I>")N (v) 12 proDects on biodiversity for

accessing -* fundsN and (vi) Brogrammes and courses on speciali#ed biodiversity

research!



Documents

GS Environment Ecology Sample Material(1)