BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions support fewer species. The United Nations designated 2011-2020 as the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity.

HUMAN BENEFITS

Biodiversity supports ecosystem services including air quality, climate and prevention of erosion. Many industrial materials derive directly from biological sources. These include building materials, fibers, dyes, rubber and oil. Biodiversity is also important to the security of resources such as water, timber, paper, fiber, and food . As a result, biodiversity loss is a significant risk factor in business development and a threat to long term economic sustainability. Biodiversity is also known to have an important role in reducing disaster risk, and in post-disaster relief and recovery efforts

BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in The Environmentalist To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers 2000 edition of the hotspot-map, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation. Around the world, at least 25 areas qualify under this definition

Conservation of Biodiversity
India is one of the 12 mega biodiversity countries in the world. The strategies for conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity have comprised providing special status and protection to biodiversity - rich areas by declaring them as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, ecologically fragile and sensitive areas. Approximately, 4.2 per cent of the total geographical area of the country has been earmarked for extensive conservation of habitats and ecosystems. A protected area network of 85 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries has been created. The results of this network have been significant in restoring viable population of large mammals such as tiger, lion, rhinoceros, crocodiles and elephants.

 To conserve the representative ecosystems, a Biosphere Reserve Programme is being implemented. Twelve biodiversity rich areas of the country have been designated as Biosphere Reserves applying the UNESCO/MAB criteria. The Ministry of Environment and Forests constituted the National Afforestation and Eco-development Board (NAEB) in August 1992. NAEB has evolved specific schemes for promoting afforestation and management strategies which help the states in developing specific afforestation Major central acts relevant to biodiversity include, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The various central Acts are supported by a number of state laws and statutes concerning forests and other natural resources.

FOREST (CONSERVATION) ACT, 1980

The State Government has been empowered under this Act to use the forests only for forestry purposes. If at all it wants to use it in any other way, it has totake prior approval of Central Government, after which it can pass orders for declaring some part of reserve forest for non-forest purposes (e.g. mining) or for clearing some naturally growing trees and replacing them by economically important trees (reforestation). It makes provision for conservation of all types of forests and for this purpose there is any Advisory committee which recommends funding for it to the Central Government.

Salient Features
Any illegal non-forest activity within a forest area can be immediately stopped under this Act. Non-forest activities include clearing of forest land for cultivation of any type of plants/crops or any other purpose (except re-afforestation). However, some construction work in the forest for wildlife or forest management is exempted from non-forest activity (e.g. fencing, making water-holes, trench, pipelines,check posts, wireless communication etc.)