Environment For PRELIMS – Biodiversity Report Summary !!!

Biodiversity Profile Of India:-

India, a megadiverse country with only 2.4% of the world’s land area, accounts for 7-8% of all recorded species, including over 45,000 species of plants and 91,000 species of animals

It is situated at the tri-junction of the Afrotropical, Indo-Malayan and Palaearctic realms, all of which support rich biodiversity.

Being one of the 17 identified megadiverse countries, India has 10 biogeographic zones and is home to 8.58% of the mammalian species documented so far, with the  corresponding figures for avian species being 13.66%, for reptiles 7.91%, for amphibians  4.66%, for fishes 11.72% and for plants 11.80%

Four of the 34 globally identified biodiversity hotspots, namely the Himalaya, Indo-Burma, the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka and Sundaland, are represented in India

Bio-geographic classification and biodiversity characterization:-

India is amongst the few countries that have developed a bio-geographic classification based on which conservation planning has been taken up. This has been done to ensure
that different bio-geographic zones are represented in area-based conservation approaches at the landscape level.

This classification uses four levels of planning units: the biogeographic zone, the biotic province, the land region and the biome.

The Biogeographic Zone:-

Large distinctive units of similar ecology, biome representation, community and species, e.g., The Himalaya, The Western Ghats.

The biotic province:-

Secondary units within a zone, giving weight to particular communities separated by dispersal barriers or gradual change in environmental factors,e.g., North-west and West Himalaya either side of the Sutlej River.

The Land Region:-

A tertiary set of units within a province, indicating different landforms, e.g., Aravalli Mountains and Malwa Plateau in Gujarat-Rajwara Province.

The Biome:-

A biome is an ecological unit, not a bio-geographic unit, such as swamp/wetland or temperate broad leaved forest.

Biodiversity hotspots:-

The idea of hotspots was first mooted in 1988 by ecologist Norman Myers, who defined a hotspot as an area of exceptional plant, animal and microbe wealth that is under threat. The key criteria for determining a hotspot are endemism (the presence of species found nowhere else on earth) and degree of threat.

Out of the 34 global biodiversity hotspots, four are present in India.

1)THE HIMALAYA  –                                                                     

Western and Eastern Himalaya form part of Himalayan global biodiversity hotspot.

The sudden rise of the Himalayan mountains from less than 500 metres to more than 8,000 metres results in a diversity of ecosystems, from alluvial grasslands and subtropical broad-leaf forests along the foothills to temperate broad-leaf forests in the middle elevations, mixed conifer and conifer forests in the higher hills, and alpine meadows 2 above the tree line.

This enormous mountain range, which extends over nearly 750,000 km , lies in two separate regions of India, namely the Eastern Himalaya and the Western Himalaya. Charismatic large mammals such as the tiger and elephant are found in the foothills and Terai region. The Snow leopard, Musk deer, Himalayan tahr, Blue sheep, Black bear, Chir pheasant, Himalayan monal and Western tragopan are some of the characteristic fauna of the mountains. Of the estimated 10,000 species of plants in the Himalaya hotspot, 71 genera and approximately 3160 species are endemic.

The Eastern Himalayan region is exceptionally rich in diversity and endemism and hence is of great significance. The Eastern Himalaya on the whole has an estimated 9000 plant species, out of which 3500 (39%) are endemic. In the Indian portion of the Eastern Himalaya there occur 5800 plant species, approximately 2000 (36%) of which are endemic. The area is also rich in wild relatives of plants of economic significance, for example, rice, banana, citrus, ginger, chilli, jute and sugarcane. The region is also a rich centre of avian diversity-more than 60% of the bird species found in India have been recorded in the North-east. The region also harbours 35 endemic reptilian species including two genera of lizards and two turtle species. Out of 341 Indian amphibian species recorded so far, at least 68 species are known to occur in the North-east, 20 of which are endemic

Tragapon

Snow leopard

Himalyan Monal-

2)THE WESTERN GHATS-

Part of Western Ghats-SriLanka global biodiversity hotspot.

The Western Ghats are part of the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka global hotspot, running roughly in a North-south direction for about 1500 kilometres parallel to the coast bordering the Arabian Sea. The importance of the Western Ghats in terms of their biodiversity can be seen from the known inventory of their plant and animal groups and the levels of endemism in these taxa. Western Ghats harbour 7388 species of flowering plants. Of these, 5584 species are indigenous, 377 are exotic naturalised and 1427 are cultivated or planted. Of the indigenous 5584 species, 2242 species are Indian endemics (found only in India) and 1261 are the Western Ghats endemics. Apart from the above, there are 586 taxa with subspecies and variety status, bringing total taxa in the Western Ghats to 7974.

The Western Ghats region harbours the largest global populations of the Asian elephant and possibly of other mammals such as the tiger, dhole and gaur. The Western Ghats also support a number of wild relatives of cultivated plants, including pepper, cardamom, mango, jackfruit and sandal.

Thirty nine sites in the Western Ghats in the States of Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra were inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012, considering their outstanding universal value and high levels of endemism.

3)NORTH-EAST-

Part of Indo-Burma global biodiversity hotspot.

Some parts of the North-eastern region of India, excluding the Himalayan region, are contiguous with the Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspot, centred on the Indo-Chinese Peninsula, and comprising Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and parts of Southern China.

The topography of the hotspot is complex and is characterised by a series of North-south mountain ranges that descend from the Himalayan chain and its South-eastern
extensions.

Indo-Burma probably supports the highest diversity of freshwater turtle in the world. The hot spot also has a remarkable freshwater fish fauna, with 1262 documented species, accounting for about 10% of the world total, including 566 endemics

4)NICOBAR ISLANDS-

Part of the Sundaland global biodiversity hotspot.

The Nicobar Islands are part of the Sundaland hotspot, which includes a small portion of Southern Thailand;nearly all of Malaysia; Singapore, at the tip of the Malay Peninsula; all of Brunei Darussalam; and all of the western half of the mega-diverse country of Indonesia,including Kalimantan.

These islands are fringed by one of the most spectacular reefs of the Indian Ocean region and are considered to be globally significant.

The Nicobar Islands are characterised by an absence of large mammals and the presence of a significant number of endemics, such as Nicobar tree shrew (Tupaia nicobarica), among the island’s vertebrates.

The only primate, the Nicobar Crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis umbrosa), occurs in the Southern group of the Nicobar Islands.

Importance of biodiversity and its implications for human well-being:-

Biodiversity underpins the form and function of ecosystems, which are of high value due to the life-supporting services they provide that meet human needs, both material and non-material.

They are provisioning services, such as supplying of fuel and fodder, and regulating services, such as carbon sequestration and prevention of soil erosion. Moreover, biodiversity has non-use or existence value.

In the Indian context especially, a range of socio-cultural values are derived from biodiversity that are philosophical, cultural and religious. Biodiversity and ecosystem diversity are reflected in the cultural and religious diversity of India through the varied values attached to biodiversity components and landscapes. India’s many traditional knowledge systems and ethno-medicinal practices are based on a close understanding of and dependence on biodiversity. The cultural or religious importance of species and designation of sacred areas are well-known in India.

Marine biodiversity:-

India’s coastal and marine areas hold many biological treasures. Dense mangrove forest of Sunderbans, the world’s largest congregations of nesting turtles in Odisha, beautiful seagrass beds in Palk Bay, dolphins and dugongs in the Gulf of Mannar, majestic whale sharks in the Gulf of Kachchh and some of the world’s most beautiful coral reefs are just a few examples of the treasures of India’s coastal and marine biodiversity

Endemism:-

Forests of India:-

The forests in India are spread over an area of 2 692,027 km , covering 21.05% of the geographical area of the country.

There are 16 major forest types and 251 sub-types

The forest cover of the country has been classified on the basis of the tree canopy density into pre-defined classes: Very Dense Forest (VDF), Moderately Dense Forest
(MDF) and Open Forest (OF).

Forest cover percentage-
a) VDF – 2.54
b) MDF -9.76
c) OF – 8.75

Wetlands of India

India is bestowed with a rich diversity of wetlands, ranging from high altitude lakes of the Himalayas, floodplains and marshes of the Gangetic – Bramhaputra alluvial plains, saline flats of Green Indian Desert to extensive mangroves marshes bordering the country’s East and West coastline.

Roughly equal to 4.6% of India’s land area is wetland.

India is a signatory to Ramsar Convention and is committed to ‘wise use’ of all wetlands in her territory. As on date, 26 sites have been designated as Wetlands of International importance under the Convention.

Important Wetlands of India:-

1. Ashtamudi Wetland – Kerala
   
2. Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary – Uttar pradesh
   
3. Bhoj Lake – Madhya Pradesh
   
4. Chilika Lagoon – Odisha
   
5. Deepor Beel – Assam
   
6. Kolleru Lake – Andhra Pradesh
   
7. Loktak Lake –  Manipur
   
8. Nalsarovar – Gujrat
   
9. North Reef Island Sanctuary – Andaman & Nicobar Islands
   
10. Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary – Tamilndau
    
11. Pong Dam Lake – Himachal Pradesh
    
12. Sambhar Lake – Rajasthan
    
13. Sundarbans – West Bengal
    
14. Tawa Reservoir – Madhya Pradesh
    
15. Tso Moriri – Jammu & Kashmir
    
16. Udhwa Lake (Bird Sanctuary) –  Jharkhand
    
17. Wular Lake – Jammu & Kashmir
    
18. Wandur Marine National Park – Andaman & Nicobar Islands
    

Wetlands are one of the crucial natural resources. Wetlands are areas of land that are either temporarily or permanently covered by water. This means that a wetland is neither truly aquatic nor terrestrial; it is possible that wetlands can be both at the same time depending on seasonal variability. Thus, wetlands exhibit enormous diversity according to their genesis, geographical location, water regime and chemistry, dominant plants and soil or sediment characteristics.

Because of their transitional nature, the boundaries of wetlands are often difficult to define. Wetlands do, however, share a few attributes common to all forms. Of these, hydrological structure (the dynamics of water supply, throughput, storage and loss) is most fundamental to the nature of a wetland system. It is the presence of water for a significant period of time, which is principally responsible for the development of a wetland

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment estimates conservatively that wetlands cover seven percent of the earth’s surface and deliver 45% of the world’s natural productivity and ecosystem services of which the benefits are estimated at $20 trillion a year

Provisioning services: The resources or products provided by ecosystems, such as food, raw materials (wood), genetic resources, medicinal resources, ornamental resources (skin, shells, flowers).

Regulating services: Ecosystems maintain the essential ecological processes and life support systems, like gas and climate regulation, water supply and regulation, waste treatment, pollination, etc.

Cultural and Amenity services: Ecosystems are a source of inspiration to human culture and education throughout  recreation, cultural, artistic, spiritual and historic information, science and education.

Supporting services: Ecosystems provide habitat for flora and fauna in order to maintain biological and genetic diversity.

Mangroves, corals and seagrasses:-

India has a long coastline of about 7,517 km in length- 2 consisting of 2,383 km of extensive coral reef beds.

The coral reef beds in the Gulf of Kachchh, Gulf of Mannar, Lakshadweep Islands and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are inhabited by several rare and threatened species such as the dugong, the Hawksbill turtle and Giant clams, which indicate the health of these ecosystems.

A total of 478 species of corals belonging to 89 genera have so far been recorded from India, forming 60% of the known hermatypic genera of the world.

The mangrove cover of India (2.69% of the global mangrove area and 8% of Asia’s mangroves) is home to umbrella species such as the tiger as well as many threatened species such as the River terrapin, Gangetic river dolphin, Estuarine crocodile and Fishing cat.

*Umbrella species are species selected for making conservation-related decisions, typically because protecting these species indirectly protects the many other species that make up the ecological community of its habitat. Species conservation can be subjective because it is hard to determine the status of many species.

About 59% of this cover is on the East coast, along the Bay of Bengal, 28% on the West coast, bordering the Arabian Sea, and 13% on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The largest mangrove habitat is found in the Sundarbans, West Bengal. It is the single largest block 2 (>10,000 km ) of tidal halophytic mangroves in the world.

Seagrasses are submerged aquatic vegetation specialised to live in marine environments.They are acting as the carbon sink in the coastal environment by sequestering
12% of the carbon fixed in the global oceans.

In India, extensive seagrass meadows are reported from Gulf of Mannar, Palk Bay, Gulf of Kachchh, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar group of islands.

Flagship Species of India 

Threat To biodiversity:-

National Biodiversity Targets:-

1. By 2020, a significant proportion of the country’s population, especially the youth, is aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve and use it sustainably.
2. By 2020, values of biodiversity are integrated in national and state planning processes, development programmes and poverty alleviation strategies.
3. Strategies for reducing rate of degradation, fragmentation and loss of all natural habitats are finalized and actions put in place by 2020 for environmental amelioration and human well-being
4. By 2020, invasive alien species and pathways are identified and strategies to manage them developed so that populations of prioritized invasive alien species are managed.
5. By 2020, measures are adopted for sustainable management of agriculture, forestry and fisheries.
6. Ecologically representative areas under terrestrial and inland water, and also coastal and marine zones, especially those of particular importance for species, biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved effectively and equitably, based on protected area designation and management and other areabased conservation measures and are integrated into the wider landscapes and seascapes, covering over 20% of the geographic area of the country by 2020 .
7. By 2020, genetic diversity of cultivated plants, farm livestock, and their wild relatives, including other socio-economically as well as culturally valuable species, is maintained, and strategies  have been developed and implemented for minimizing genetic erosion and safeguarding their genetic diversity.
8. By 2020, ecosystem services, especially those relating to water,human health, livelihoods and well-being, are enumerated and measures to safeguard them are identified, taking into account the needs of women and local communities, particularly the poor and vulnerable sections.
9. By 2015, Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization as per the Nagoya Protocol are operational, consistent with national  legislations.
10. By 2020, an effective, participatory and updated national biodiversity action plan is made operational at different levels of governance
11. By 2020, national initiatives using communities’ traditional knowledge relating to biodiversity are strengthened, with the view to protecting this knowledge in accordance with national  legislations and international obligations
12. By 2020, opportunities to increase the availability of financial, human and technical resources to facilitate effective implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the  national targets are identified and the Strategy for Resource Mobilization is adopted.

Green India Mission (GIM):-

GIM is one of the eight missions under the NAPCC. The objectives of the Mission include increased forest/tree cover on 5 m ha of forest/non- forest lands and improved quality of forest cover on  another 5 m ha of non-forest/ forest lands.

Invasive Species:-

India has an estimated 18,000 plants, 30 mammals, 4 birds, 300 freshwater fishes and 1100 arthropods that are invasive.Among the major threats faced by native plant and animal species (and their habitats), the one posed by the Invasive Alien Species, is considered second only to habitat loss. Invasive Alien Species are species whose introduction and/or spread outside their natural  habitats threaten biological diversity. While only a small percentage of organisms transported to new environment become invasive, their negative impacts on food security, plant, animal and  human health, and economic development can be extensive and substantial. Identification, monitoring and management of all Invasive Alien Species in India is a major challenge as in other parts of the world. Addressing the problem of Invasive Alien Species is urgent because the threat is increasing due to global trade, transport, and tourism with several social, economic and environmental  impacts.

Many fresh water and marine algae including species of Kappaphycus (red algae), Microcystis ( freshwater cyanobacteria), Caulerpa (seaweeds ), Cladophora (green algae), etc. causing  extensive damage to the ecosystems and affecting aquatic biodiversity  adversely in India have been identified.

The invasive Carijoa riisei (snowflake coral or branched pipe coral) is found in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Mannar and Gulf of Kachchh.

A recent report on the occurrence of the Spider crab Acanthonyx euryseroche, a seaweed associate along the Central West Coast of India suggests that the epidemic outburst of such population  might be dangerous to native marine biodiversity in India.

Of the eight worst invasive fish species in the world, five species are present in India. For example, Mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis) was introduced in India as a biological control.Brown trout (Salmo trutto) and Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were introduced in streams and rivers of Himalayas for recreational as well as consumption purposes. These three highly predatory fishes eat the eggs of economically desirable fish and prey on an endanger rare indigenous fish and invertebrate species. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambucus), were introduced in Indian aquaculture but later these species spread into large parts of India and are now competing with native species in for food and habitat. African cat fish Clarias gariepinus has been identified as a highly invasive fish in the Indian freshwater ecosystem and is posing a threat to native fish as well as other aquatic animals.

Mangrove For Future:-

Conservation of indigenous livestock:-

NAPCC:-

The eight national missions, which form the core of the NAPCC represent multi-pronged long-term and integrated strategies for achieving key goals in the context of climate change. These are the  (1) Solar Energy Mission, (2) National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, (3) National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, (4) National Water Mission, (5) National Mission for Sustaining the  Himalayan Ecosystem, (6) Green India Mission (7) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture and (8) National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change .

Protected Area Network of India:-

Background :-The Union Environment minister recently launched the Environment Information System (ENVIS) portal.

Protected Areas of India (as on 09 February, 2016)

Biosphere reserves are sites established by countries and recognized under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme to promote sustainable development based on local community efforts and sound science.The programme of Biosphere Reserve was initiated by UNESCO in 1971. The purpose of the formation of the biosphere reserve is to conserve in situ all forms of life, along with its support system, in its totality, so that it could serve as a referral system for monitoring and evaluating changes in natural ecosystems. The first biosphere reserve of the world was established in 1979, since then the network of biosphere reserves has increased to 631 in 119 countries across the world.

The Maps are old, and few of the proposed ones are already approved, so the maps should only be used to know the location of the reserves.

Details:-

The concept of Biosphere Reserves, especially its zonation, into Core Area(s) (dedicated to conservation), Buffer Area(s) (sustainable use) and Transition Area(s) (equitable sharing of benefits) were later broadly adopted under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD ) process which entered into force on 29th December, 1993. TheCBD has two principal objectives, namely ,‘Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biological Diversity’ and ‘Fair and Equitable sharing of benefits arising from its utilization’.

The Articles 6-20 of CBD call for in-situ and ex-situ conservation, incentives for conservation and sustainable use, research and training, awareness and education,impact assessment, regulating access to genetic resources, access and transfer of technology and provisions of financial resources. While dealing with these issues, CBD emphasizes on nationally determined priorities, capacity and needs and with full and effective participation of local communities.

The Core Zone:
The core zone is kept absolutely undisturbed. It must contain suitable habitat for numerous plant and animal species, including higher order predators and may contain centres of endemism. Core areas often conserve the wild relatives of economic species and also represent important genetic reservoirs. The core zones also contain places of exceptional scientific interest. A core zone secures legal protection and management and research activities that do not affect natural processes and wildlife are allowed. Strict nature reserves and wilderness portions of the area are designated as core areas of BR. The core zone is to be kept free from all human pressures external to the system.

The Buffer Zone:
In the Buffer Zone, which adjoins or surrounds core zone, uses and activities are managed in ways that protect the core zone. These uses and activities include restoration, demonstration sites for enhancing value addition to the resources, limited recreation, tourism,fishing and grazing, which are permitted to reduce its effect on core zone. Research and educational activities are to be encouraged. Human activities, if natural within BR, are likely to be permitted to continue if these do not adversely affect the ecological diversity.

The Transition Zone:
The Transition Zone is the outermost part of a Biosphere Reserve. This is usually not delimited one and is a zone of cooperation where conservation, knowledge and management skills are applied and uses are managed in harmony with the purpose of the Biosphere Reserve. This includes settlements, crop lands, managed forests and area for intensive recreation, and other economic uses characteristic of the region. In Buffer Zone and the Transition Zones, manipulative macro-management practices are used. Experimental research areas are used for understanding the patterns and processes in the ecosystem. Modified or degraded landscapes are included as rehabilitation areas to restore the ecology in a way that it returns to sustainable productivity.

The characteristic features of Biosphere Reserves are:-

(1) Each Biosphere Reserves are protected areas of land and/or coastal environments wherein people are an integral component of the system. Together, they constitute a world wide network linked by International understanding for exchange of scientific information.

(2) The network of BRs include significant examples of biomes throughout the world.

(3) Each BR includes one or more of the following categories:-

(i) BRs are representative examples of natural biomes.

(ii) BRs conserve unique communities of biodiversity or areas with unusual natural features of exceptional interest . It is recognized that these representative areas may also contain unique features of landscapes, ecosystems and genetic variations e.g. one population of a globally rare species; their representativeness and uniqueness may both be characteristics of an area.

(iii) BRs have examples of harmonious landscapes resulting from traditional patterns of land-use.

(iv) BRs have examples of modified or degraded ecosystems capable of being restored to more natural conditions.

(v) BRs generally have a non-manipulative core area, in combination with areas in which baseline measurements, experimental and manipulative research, education and training is carried out. Where these areas are not contiguous, they can be associated in a cluster.

Functions of Biosphere Reserves:-

Conservation
• To ensure the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic variations.
• To encourage the traditional resource use systems;
• To understand the patterns and processes of functioning of ecosystems;
• To monitor the natural and human-caused changes on spatial and temporal scales;

Development
• To promote, at the local level, economic development which is culturally, socially and ecologically sustainable.
• To develop the strategies leading to improvement and management of natural resources;

Logistics support
• To provide support for research, monitoring, education and information exchange related to local, national and global issues of conservation and development
• Sharing of knowledge generated by research through site specific training and education
• Development of community spirit in the management of natural resources.

Criteria:-

Primary criteria
• A site that must contain an effectively protected and minimally disturbed core area of value of nature conservation and should include additional land and water suitable for research and demonstration of sustainable methods of research and management.
• The core area should be typical of a biogeographical unit and large enough to sustain viable populations representing all tropic levels in the ecosystem.
Secondary criteria
• Areas having rare and endangered species
• Areas having diversity of soil and micro-climatic conditions and indigenous varieties of biota.
• Areas potential for preservation of traditional tribal or rural modes of living for harmonious use of environment.

How Biosphere Reserves are different from protected areas such as National Parks (NP) and Wildlife Sanctuaries(WS)?

It may be noted that the BR is not intended to replace existing protected areas but it widens the scope of conventional approach of protection and further strengthens the Protected Area Network.  Existing legally protected areas (National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuary, Tiger Reserve and reserve/protected forests) may become part of the BR without any change in their legal status. On the other  hand, inclusion of such areas in a BR will enhance their national value. It, however, does not mean that Biosphere Reserves are to be established only around the National Parks and Wildlife  Sanctuaries. However, the Biosphere Reserves differ from protected areas due to their emphasis on :

(i) Conservation of overall biodiversity and landscape, rather than some specific flagship species, to allow natural and evolutionary processes to continue without any hindrance.

(ii) Different components of BRs like landscapes, habitats, and species and land races.

(iii) Developmental activities, and resolution/mitigation of conflicts between development and conservation,

(iv) Increase in broad-basing of stakeholders, especially local people’s participation and their Training, compared to the features of scheme on Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks.

(v) Sustainable environment friendly development, and sustained coordination amongst different development organizations and agencies.

(vi) Research and Monitoring to understand the structure and functioning of ecological system and their mode of reaction when exposed to human

Natural World Heritage Sites:-

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as of special cultural or physical significance.

Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India in the year 1973 to save the endangered species of tiger in the country.  Starting from nine (9) reserves in 1973-74 the number is grown up to forty eight (48).  A total area of 69793.24 km² is covered by these project tiger areas.

Tiger Reserves of India (as on February, 2016)