Conservation of Biodiversity – In-Situ & Ex-Situ YouTube Lecture Handouts

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In-situ & Ex-situ Conservation; Topological and Non-Topological Conservation

Strategies of Conservation

  • Protect threatened species
  • Conserve possible varieties
  • Conserve wild relatives
  • Habitat for feeding/breeding/resting
  • Life supporting system of water and soil
  • Enact wildlife protection laws
  • Preserve ecosystem on priority basis
  • Development of reserves
  • Reduce pollution
  • Public awareness

In India

  • Wildlife Institute of India – Dehradun
  • Indian Institute of Forest Management – Bhopal
  • Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History – Coimbatore
Illustration: In India

Topological & Non-Topological Conservation

Topological Conservation - shape and structure of networks of interacting organisms in ecological systems

In-Situ Conservation

Protect whole ecosystem at all levels to protect threatened species (save entire forest to save tiger)

Hot Spots – High endemism & high species richness (in India – Western Ghats) , (Agasthyamalai hills, Silent valley, Amambalam reserve) & Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma (NE India) - angiosperms, Sundalands (Nicobar Is.) & Himalaya – (dicot species) – cover less than 2% area with 44% species – if conserved extinction with decline by 30%

4 factors that determine hotspots

Degree of endemism

Degree of exploitation

Degree of threat to habitat due to degradation and fragmentation

Number of species or species diversity

Protected Areas – biological diversity along with natural and cultural resource is protected - worldwide 37,000 areas with India having around 651 (4.7% compared to 10% internationally)

Maintain diversity, native population, resilience in species and exotic species

National Parks – by government and for betterment of wildlife – cultivation, grazing, forestry not allowed; private ownership not allowed, boundary is demarcated – around 100 in India covering 1.1% area – Some as heritage sites like Kaziranga, Keoladeo, Manas

Sanctuaries – tracts of land where fauna takes refuge without being hunted – forest activity, grazing and cultivation is permitted; private ownership is allowed but boundary is not well demarcated

Biosphere Reserves – preserve genetic diversity by protecting wild population, tribals and domestication – initiated in 175 under MAB (UNESCO) – India has 18 of 669 in world (2016)

4 of these are part of heritage sites – Nanda Devi, Sunderbans, Niligiris and Gulf of Mannar (also as national parks)

3 zones:

Core – no human activity, undisturbed and legally protected

Buffer – limited human activity for research and education

Transition (Manipulation) – outermost or periphery – settlement, cropping, recreation

Aim – restoration, conservation, development, monitoring, education and research

MAB (Man & Biosphere) Program started in 1971 & in India in 1986 – human environment, impact of human interference, conservation strategies and pollution

Ramsar Sites

Wetlands – Low lying marshy areas filled with rain due to rain off

1st international convention as held in Ramsar, Iran in 1971

Help to recharge

Recharge groundwater

Protection from floods

Source of siltation and purification

Home for aquatic biota

Residence to native and migratory birds

Fresh water wetlands over land & saltwater over estuaries and mangroves

Sacred Forests – temples built by tribals in deodar forest in Kumaon; Jaintia & Khasi in Meghalaya; Sarguja, Chanda & Bastar in Chattisgarh; Aravallis in Rajasthan

Aquatic sacred areas – Khecheopalri (Sikkim)

Bishnois protect Prosopis cineraria & Black Buck

Ex-Situ Conservation

Conservation of plants and animals outside their natural homes

Offsite Collections - 1500 botanical gardens and 800 zoological gardens – captive breeding program (species with less number of individuals – when number increases they are released in wild) – restock depleted population, reintroduce species in wild and restore degraded habitats

Gene Banks – stock of viable seeds, live growing plants, tissue culture and frozen germplasm

Seed banks – orthodox seeds (tolerate reduction in moisture, low anaerobic conditions & low temperature for prolonged period) and recalcitrant seeds (killed on reduction of moisture or temperature like jackfruit, cocoa, tea and coconut)

Orchards – Plants with recalcitrant seeds are grown in orchards where all possible strains are maintained – litchi, oil palm

Tissue Culture – callus, embryoid, pollen grain culture, shoot tip culture for seedless plants, recalcitrant seeds, variable seed progeny or clones to be maintained – banana, potato

Cryopreservation – preservation at -196 (liquid nitrogen)

International Efforts

1. Earth Summit – Agenda 21 📹

Earth Summit & Conventions: 3 Aspects - Climate Change, Biodiversity & Sustainable Development

2. Environmental Conventions 📹

30 Environmental Conventions & Agreements in 15 minutes (Besides Earth Summit)

3. IUCN 📹

IUCN and Red Data List - Knowing about Biodiversity

Organizations – Greenpeace (NGO) , CITES, WWF

Conservation in India

Origin & natural home of 167 cultivated species

Home to animal species like Zebu, Water Buffalo, Camel

Bamboo and tree cotton originated in India

Secondary home to animals like sheep, goat, horse & plants like maize, potato and tobacco

In-Situ managed by Ministry of Environment and Forest

Joint Forest Management is practiced in India

Ex-situ managed by National Bureau of Plants, Animals & Fish Genetic Resources

International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Hyderabad is conserving germplasm of groundnut, pigeon pea, chick pea, pearl millet and sorghum

3rd December – World Conservation Day

29th December – Biological Diversity Day

Manishika