GS Environment Ecology Sample Material

Hari Bhawan, 14A/103 WEA, Karol Bagh (Back Side Karol Bagh Metro Station), ew !
elhi " 11000# $h% 011 " &#'1()'&, &#'1()*&, &#'#&444 + Mo,ile% ()103)&30# We,-ite% www.directionia-.co/ + E/ail% in0o1directionia-.co/
Study Material General 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 bio geographic 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 species rich 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!
0aunal diversity in India are being progressively updated and analy#ed with several new
discoveries! .o far, nearly 91,212 of faunal species (1!4%2 of the world3s faunal species) have been recorded in the country! *ndemic rich Indian fauna is manifested most prominently in 4mphibia (51!22) and 6eptilia (412)! /ikewise, Indian fish fauna includes
two endemic families and 121 monotypic genera! 4s per the
International
7nion for 8onservation of 9ature (I789) 6ed /ist (200:), India has 41% globally threatened faunal species, which is appro;imately 4!92 of the world3s total number of threatened faunal species!
8ontinuous surveys and e;plorations have added new discoveries < 41 plant species in .urvey of India (".I) alone! &he uni=ue features of the plant
2001 by "otanical
diversity, among others, include 50 monotypic families and over 5000 endemic species! 6ecent estimates indicate the presence of over 255 globally threatened plant species in India!
/ikewise, India3s contribution to crop diversity has been impressive with repositories of
over 50,000 varieties of rice, 5,000 of sorghum, 1,000 varieties of mango, etc! &he 9ational -enebank, primarily responsible for ex-situ conservation of uni=ue germplasm on long term basis, holds %,55,9%% 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 >94 markers!
India, endowed with vast inland and marine bioresources, is the third largest producer of
fish in the world! 4 database on 2,1:2 fishes found in Indian waters has been developed, which includes %21 fresh water species listed in I789 threat categories and 192 endemic fishes! 4 macro level fish occurrence map of India has been prepared and >94
barcodes of 100 Indian marine fish species developed! 1! The mo !t"i! ecosystems of India are largely described under two global hot spots, vi#!, the *astern +imalaya, and the ,estern -hats and .ri /anka! &hey contribute prominently in geographic e;tent, bio physical and socio cultural diversity and uni=ueness! &he e;tent of species endemism in vascular plants alone ranges from %2 to 402 in the mountain ecosystems! ?ther groups, such as reptiles, amphibians and fish show
Hari Bhawan, 14A/103 WEA, Karol Bagh (Back Side Karol Bagh Metro Station), ew !elhi " 11000# $h% 011 " &#'1()'&, &#'1()*&, &#'#&444 + Mo,ile% ()103)&30# We,-ite% www.directionia-.co/ + E/ail% in0o1directionia-.co/
more than 502 of species endemism in ,estern -hats! ?f the 919 bird species recorded from the +imalayan region, four *ndemic "ird 4reas have been delineated for priority conservation measures and likewise, identification of @'ey "iodiversity 4reas ('"4s)A has been initiated in ,estern -hats! 4t present, there are 1%1 Brotected 4reas (41,20: s= km) in the Indian +imalayan 6egion (I+6) and :: Bas (1%,595 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 402) ?ver 115 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 sub national, regional and global ecological security! ?ut of the five natural ,orld +eritage .ites (,+.) recogni#ed by 7nited 9ations *ducationmal, .cientific, and 8ultural ?rgani#ation (79*.8?) in India, three are located in the +imalayan region vi#, 9anda >evi 9B, 'a#iranga 9B and Canas 9B! 0urther, the $alley of 0lowers 9B has been included in the list of ,+. as an e;tension to 9anda >evi 9B! In addition, 'angchend#onga 9B and 9amdapha 9B are included in the tentative list of ,+.! 8onsidering the importance of natural sites, an e;ternally aided proDect titled E,orld +eritage "iodiversity Brogramme for IndiaF "uilding Bartnerships to .upport 79*.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 9ilgiri "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 %:!:02 of India3s total geographical area! &he cold arid #one located in &rans +imalayan region covers 5!522 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 5:2 species with over 52 of total plant species as endemics! &he cold desert is the home of rare endangered fauna, such as, 4siatic ibe;, &ibetan argali, ,ild yak, .now leopard, etc!, and the flora is rich in endemic and economically important species! India3s &hird 9ational 6eport on the implementation of 7nited 9ations 8onvention to 8ombat >esertification (7988>) indicates that most of arid,
semi arid and dry sub humid areas of India are either subDect to desertification, identified as drought prone or considered wastelands! Biodiversity o) "rid "!d semi'"rid *"!ds 4rid and semi arid region of India covers 121!% mha i!e! %:!:2 of total geographical area and spreads over 10 states! &he hot arid #one occupies maDor part of 6aDasthan (502), -uDarat (202), BunDab and +aryana (9 2), and 4ndhra Bradesh, 'arnataka and Caharashtra (10 2)! &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!522 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 inhospitable
ecoregion in Indo Bacific region! &his large eco region lies to the west of 4ravalli 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 100 150 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 4mong 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 5!42 which is relatively
higher than %2 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 <50o8 during winter, insignificant monsoonal effects, enormous resources, endemic and highly speciali#ed biological elements and diversity of indigenous sociocultural systems!
8old desert comprises of alpine mesophytes and desert vegetation! .ome of the endemic
plants reported from the region includeF 8orydalis adiantifolia, 8! tibetica, "raya acnea,
8apsella
thomsonii,
>ianthus
deltoids,
.tellaria
tibetica,
4stragalus
ciotus, 4!
melanostachys, 4! o;ydon, 4! tribuulifolius, .edum crassipes, 8hrysonthemum tibeticum, 8repis stolic#ka, Inula falconeri, /eontopodium nanum,
.aussurea subulata, . thomsonii, .enicio tibeticus, &anacetum artemesioides,
4cantholimon lycopodiodes and ,aldhamia nivea!
8old desert is the home of highly adaptive, rare endangered fauna, such as 4siatic Ibe;,
&ibetan 4rgali, /adakh 7riyal, "haral, &ibetan 4ntelope, &ibetan -a#elle, ,ild Iak, .now /eopard, "rown "ear, &ibetan ,olf, ,ild >og and &ibetan ,ild 4ss!
4vifauna includes some restricted range species such as "lack 9ecked 8rane which
breeds in the higher reaches of this region!
/and degradation is estimated to affect at least one third of the %29 mha geographical
area in India! 4rid areas (49!5 mha) are the worst affected, especially in the western part of 6aDasthan that includes the &har desert (20!:1 mha), as well as in arid -uDarat (5!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! 4t present, 115 wetlands have been identified under the 9ational ,etland 8onservation Brogramme (9,86) and 25 wetlands of international importance under 6amsar 8onvention! 4bout 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 run off, 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
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 9,8B, of the total 115 wetlands only %1 (212) are covered under B4s! 4 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 :02 (1,529) of total +imalayan wetlands have received little attention! &hese wetlands are important wildlife habitats and have significant socio cultural values! In recent years, India3s response to international commitments under 6amsar
8onvention has resulted in steady progression of designating 6amsar sites! 4t present, 25 wetlands have been designated as 6amsar sites in India,which cover an area of 5,11,1%1 ha! 8hilika /ake (?rissa) and the 'eoladeo 9B (6aDasthan) were the first two #"!(roves
Cangrove ecosystem constitutes a bridge between terrestrial and marine ecosystems and
are found in the inter tidal #ones of sheltered shores, estuaries, creeks, backwaters, lagoons, marshes and mud flats and are regarded as most productive and biologically diverse ecosystems!
Cangroves in India account for about 52 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 0.I in different assessments is given !,est "engal has the ma;imum of mangrove cover in the country, followed by -uDarat and 4ndaman H 9icobar Islands! Types o) thre"ts to m"!(roves i! I!di" Marine and Costal Biodiversity
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"t s 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, 4ndaman H 9icobar 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,%15 s= km &he 4ndaman Islands have around :02 of the global coral diversity, suggesting that a
final count could reach up to 400 species!
&hese include 15 families, 50 genera and 20: species of .cleractinia (reef building and
hermatypic corals) from four maDor reefs of India such as -ulf of 'achchh (%5 species, 20 genera) /akshadweep (91 species, %4 genera), -ulf of Cannar and Balk "ay (:2 species 21 genera) 4ndaman and 9icobar Islands (111 species, 51 genera)! Batterson (2001) updated the number of coral species in -ulf of Cannar to 111 belonging to 40 genera! &he shallow reefs of the -ulf of Cannar had about 412 coral cover and a large proportion of old, dead and turfed corals (%22)! 4! .rotected Are"India3s maDor strength in i!'sit co!serv"tio! lies in its impressive B4 network, which currently comprises 551 Bas L9ational Barks (9Bs) (99), ,ildlife 6eserves (8on6) (4%) and 4ct 8ommunity (,B4), .anctuaries (,/.s) (515), 8onservation
6eserves (8om6) (4), established under the ,ildlife (Brotection) also
1912M covering appro;imately 4!:02 of the total geographical area of the country! India has special flagship programmes for the conservation of tiger and elephant! India3s Bas grew by 152 since the adoption of the Brogramme of ,ork on Bas in 2002!
4rticle : of the 8"> advocates importance of promoting in situ conservation! &he 8">
as well as the ,orld Barks 8ongress, >urban, 200% have marked a significant shift in the historical perception of B4s! &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"t s
B4s are the cornerstones of biodiversity conservation efforts! India has created a
network of Bas and other conservation areas, which include a total of 551 units (i!e! 99 9Bs, 515 ,/s, 4% 8on6 and 4 8om 6), besides identifying a number of wetlands under the 9,8B for conservation!
&he area covered under B4s and other conservation sites accounts for around 92 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 %1 &iger 6eserves and 25 *lephant 6eserves! 4 ,ildlife 8rime 8ontrol "ureau (,88") has been established in 2001 to combat
illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives! NBA.: /#"i!stre"mi!( o) Biodiversity +o!sider"tio!s 0 India 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 L4rticle 4: 4 and 4rticle 51 4(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 4ct (">4), 2002, 9ational ,ildlife 4ction Blan (9,4B) (2002 2015), 9ational
*nvironment Bolicy (9*B) 2005, 9ational "iodiversity 4ction Blan (9"4B), 200: and 9ational 4ction Blan on 8limate 8hange (94B88), 200:! 4 $rie) sy!opsis of the main activities undertaken by India corresponding to the 11 goals of the 2010 target is given belowF
&o"* 1: .romote the co!serv"tio! o) $io*o(ic"* diversity o) ecosystem, h"$it"ts "!d $iomes (i) .etting a target of achieving %%2 forest and tree cover by 2012 (at present 2%!%92)N (ii) .cheme on 9Bs and ,/. modified to cover wildlife habitats outside BasN (iii) Brotection of sacred grovesN (iv) 8onservation of entities of incomparable value < draft notification issuedN (v) "iodiversity heritage sites identifiedN (vi) Increase in coverage of Bas (551 numbers covering 4!:2 geographical area of the country)N (vii) 8onservation of mangroves and coral reefsN (viii) 15 "6s set up, four with international recognition and 15 more potential sites identifiedN and (;) regulatory regime for conservation of wetlands under finali#ation! &o"* 2: .romote co!serv"tio! o) species diversity (i) 6evised 9,4BN (ii) 9&84 set upN (iii) .pecies specific conservation programme undertaken, and sanctuaries for orchids, banana, rhododendron, citrus set upN (iv) 6eintroduction of threatened species into their natural habitats, e!g!, mass propagation of pitcher plant, rehabilitation of mangroves, relocation of rhinocerosN (v) propagation protocols for regeneration, and promotion of cultivation for conservation of threatened species, /a8?9*. established at +yderabadN (iv) ,ildlife 8rime 8ontrol "ureau (,88") set upN (vii) &a;onomy capacity building proDectN (vii) 4ssistance to botanic gardens for conservation of endemic and endangered speciesN and (i;) .ea ranching of threatened marine species! &o"* 3: .romote the co!serv"tio! o) (e!etic diversity (i) 9ational -ene banks for plants, animals, fish and agriculturally important micro organismsN (ii) 8ommunity gene banks by 9-?s and othersN (iii) 6esearch and on farm conservation initiatives specifically with regard to medicinal plants! &o"* 4: .romote s st"i!"$*e se "!d co!s mptio! (i) .ustainable use ingrained in Indian ethosN (ii) .ustainable use integrated into national decision making through policy statements (9*B, 90B, ,/4B, 9"4B), laws (*B4, ,/B4, ">4, 9otification on 86J, 8CJ, *I4, eco sensitive areas), and programmes
(G0C, 94*", proDect on household food and nutritional
securityN (iii) 4ll India +oney
coordinated research proDect on under utili#ed and under e;ploited plantsN (iv)
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) 4s Barty to the 8onvention on International &rade in *ndangered .pecies of 0auna and 0lora (8I&*.), international trade of endangered wild species prohibited!
&o"* 5: .ress res )rom h"$it"t *oss, de(r"d"tio! red ced (i) Barticipatory and sustainable management of degraded forest areas promoted with the help of 9-?s, B6Is, etc!, through programmes of the 94*"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 mined out 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) 4ct, 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 0oreign &rade (>-0&)N (iv) Ouarantine certificates re=uired for e;port of wild animalsKarticles under ,/B 4ctN (v) 9ew scheme on integrated forest protection to cover I4.N (vi) 0orest 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 $iodiversity )rom c*im"te ch"!(e (i) 94B88 launched in 200: under which eight national missions set up for multi pronged, long term and integrated strategiesN (ii) 8hallenges from pollution addressed through legislative framework contained in *B4, 19:5, ,ater (Brevention and 8ontrol of Bollution) 4ct, 1914, ,ater 8ess 4ct, 1911, and 4ir (Brevention and 8ontrol of Bollution) 4ct, 19:1N (iii) India has identified five potential trans boundary Bas along India3s
borders with "hutan, "angladesh and 9epalN and (iv).ignatory to 4ntarctica &reaty < committed to conserve the resources of southern ocean!
&o"* 8: #"i!t"i! c"p"city o) ecosystems to de*iver (oods "!d services "!d s pport *ive*ihoods9 (i) Barticipation of communities for forest conservation through 1,05,000 G0C8s covering 22!02 mha of forest areaN and (ii) .ubstantial increase in coverage area for promoting livelihood opportunities! &o"* :: .rotect tr"ditio!"* ;!o,*ed(e, i!!ov"tio!s "!d pr"ctices (i) >ocumentation of traditional knowledge (&'>/, B"6s, etc!)N (ii) &wo new categories of B4sF 8ommunity and 8onservation 6eserves < 45 set up so farN and (iii) .etting up of "iodiversity Canagement 8ommunities ("C8s) for chronicling of knowledge under ">4! &o"* 1<: E!s re )"ir "!d e- it"$*e sh"ri!( o) $e!e)its "risi!( o t o) the se o) (e!etic reso rces (i) *nactment and implementation of ">4 2002N (ii) 4mendment to the Batent 4ct, 1910N (iii) BB$ H06 4ct, 2001N (iv) -eographical Indications 4ct, 1999 and (v) 8ontribution to 4". negotiations! &o"* 11: ."rties h"ve improved )i!"!ci"*, h m"!, scie!ti)ic, tech!ic"* "!d tech!o*o(ic"* c"p"city to imp*eme!t the +o!ve!tio! (i) 9*B, 2005N (ii) 9"4B, 200:N (iii) +osting of 8"> meetingsN (iv) 8elebration of the International >ay for biological >iversity (I>")N (v) 12 proDects on biodiversity for accessing -*0 fundsN and (vi) Brogrammes and research! courses on speciali#ed biodiversity

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Hari Bhawan, 14A/103 WEA, Karol Bagh (Back Side Karol Bagh Metro Station), ew !

Study Material General Studies

two endemic families and 121 monotypic genera! 4s per the

summers)! 6ainfall is scanty in the range of 100 150 mm!

higher than %2 endemism the .ahara desert! +o*d desert re(io!

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

4cantholimon lycopodiodes and ,aldhamia nivea!

breeds in the higher reaches of this region!

final count could reach up to 400 species!

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

total geographical area of the country!

(G0C, 94*", proDect on household food and nutritional

securityN (iii) 4ll India +oney

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