Chapter – 14

Biodiversity and Conversation

In this post we have given the detailed notes of class 11 Geography Book 1 Chapter 14 (Biodiversity and Conversation) in English. These notes are useful for the students who are going to appear in class 11 board exams.

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Chapter 14: Biodiversity and Conservation

Introduction

• Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms found on Earth, encompassing plants, animals, microorganisms, and the ecosystems they form. It is the result of millions of years of evolution. Human activities have led to a rapid decline in biodiversity.  

Levels of Biodiversity

• There are three levels of biodiversity: genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.  
  • Genetic diversity refers to the variation of genes within a species. Genes are the basic building blocks of various life forms. Genetic diversity is essential for a healthy breeding population of species.  
  • Species diversity refers to the variety of species in a given area. It relates to the number of species in a defined area. The diversity of species can be measured through its richness, abundance, and types. Areas rich in species diversity are called hotspots of diversity.  
  • Ecosystem diversity refers to the variety of ecosystems on Earth. The broad differences between ecosystem types and the diversity of habitats and ecological processes occurring within each ecosystem type constitute the ecosystem diversity.  

Importance of Biodiversity

• Biodiversity plays important ecological, economic, and scientific roles.  
  • Ecological role: Biodiversity helps to maintain the balance of nature. Species of many kinds perform some function or the other in an ecosystem. The more diverse an ecosystem, the better are the chances for the species to survive through adversities and attacks, and consequently, is more productive.  
  • Economic role: Biodiversity provides us with food, medicine, and other resources. One important part of biodiversity is ‘crop diversity’, which is also called agro-biodiversity.  
  • Scientific role: Biodiversity helps us to understand how life evolved and how it works. Biodiversity also helps in understanding how life functions and the role of each species in sustaining ecosystems of which we are also a species.  

Loss of Biodiversity

• Human activities, such as deforestation and pollution, are leading to the loss of biodiversity.  
• The IUCN classifies threatened species into three categories: endangered, vulnerable, and rare.  
  • Endangered species are those which are in danger of extinction.  
  • Vulnerable species are those which are likely to be in danger of extinction in the near future if the factors threatening to their extinction continue.  
  • Rare species are those whose population is very small in the world; they are confined to limited areas or thinly scattered over a wider area.  

Conservation of Biodiversity

• There is an urgent need to conserve biodiversity.  
• The Government of India has taken several steps to conserve biodiversity, such as establishing national parks and sanctuaries.  
• There are 12 mega diversity centres in the world, which are home to a large number of the world’s species.  
• The IUCN has identified certain areas as biodiversity hotspots, which are areas of high biodiversity that are threatened by human activities.  

Threats to Biodiversity

• Habitat loss and fragmentation: The destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats, such as forests, wetlands, and grasslands, is a major threat to biodiversity. This can be caused by human activities such as agriculture, urbanization, and infrastructure development.  
• Overexploitation: Overexploitation of natural resources, such as overfishing, hunting, and logging, can also lead to the loss of biodiversity.  
• Pollution: Pollution from various sources, such as industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and vehicle emissions, can contaminate air, water, and soil, harming biodiversity.  
• Climate change: Climate change is altering temperature and precipitation patterns, which can affect the distribution and abundance of species.  
• Invasive species: Invasive species are non-native species that can outcompete native species and disrupt ecosystems, leading to the loss of biodiversity.  

Conservation Efforts

• Protected areas: Establishing protected areas, such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves, is an important way to conserve biodiversity.  
• Sustainable use: Sustainable use of natural resources, such as sustainable agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, can help to conserve biodiversity.  
• Species-specific conservation: Species-specific conservation efforts, such as captive breeding and reintroduction programs, can help to conserve endangered species.  
• Community-based conservation: Community-based conservation involves working with local communities to conserve biodiversity.  
• International cooperation: International cooperation is essential for conserving biodiversity, as many species migrate across international borders.  

Biodiversity Hotspots

• Biodiversity hotspots are areas of high biodiversity that are threatened by human activities.  
• There are 36 biodiversity hotspots around the world, which are home to a large number of endemic species (species that are found nowhere else in the world).  
• India has two biodiversity hotspots: the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas.  

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