ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY
BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS
JAYAKRISHNA
Contents
1. Basic concepts in Biodiversity
2. Types and Measurement of Biodiversity
3. Importance of Biodiversity
4. Threats to Biodiversity
5. Conservation techniques
1. Exsitu and Insitu
2. Sacred Grooves
3. Protected Areas
4. National Parks
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5. Wildlife Sanctuaries a il.c
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6. Biosphere Reserves bd
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7. Conservation and Community Reserves ah
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6. Biodiversity Hotspots & Hopespots ly for
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7. Bio Geographical zones of India
8. Ramsar Convention on Wet lands
9. Forest and its types
Reserve and protected forest
village and panchayat forest
10. Biodiversity Conventions - CBD
11. Biodiversity & India
12. Miscellaneous
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Biodiversity Hot Spots
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that is both a
significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with
destruction.
Around the world, 36 areas qualify as hotspots. They represent
just 2.4% of Earth’s land surface, but they support more than half of
the world’s plant species as endemics and nearly 43% of bird,
mammal, reptile and amphibian species as endemics.
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Two strict criteria: ahs
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The region must have at least 1,500 for
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vascular plants as endemics —
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which is to say, it must have a high percentage of plant life found
nowhere else on the planet. A
hotspot, in other words, is irreplaceable.
The region must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation.
In other words, it must be threatened.
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In 1988, British ecologist Norman Myers published a
seminal paper identifying 10 tropical forest “hotspots.”
These regions were characterized both by exceptional
levels of plant endemism and serious levels of habitat loss.
Conservation International, adopted Myers’ hotspots as
its institutional blueprint in 1989. In 1996, m
the
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organization made the decision to undertake a l@
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reassessment of the hotspots sconcept, ma
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including an
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examination of whether key O n ly f
areas had been overlooked.
In 2011, the Forests of East Australia was identified as the
35th hotspot
In February 2016, the North American Coastal Plain was
recognized as meeting the criteria and became the Earth's
36th hotspot. JAYAKRISHNA
BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS IN INDIA
1. The Himalayas: Includes the entire Indian
Himalayan region (and that falling in Pakistan, Tibet,
Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar)
2. Indo-Burma: Includes entire North-eastern India,
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except Assam and Andaman group@gof m Islands (and
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Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam,ahLaos, sa
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Cambodia and
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southern China) On
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3. Sundalands: Includes Nicobar group of Islands (and
Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines)
4. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka: Includes entire
Western Ghats (and Sri Lanka)
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THE HIMALAYAS
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1. THE HIMALAYAS
The Himalaya Hotspot is home to the world's highest mountains,
including Mt. Everest. The mountains rise abruptly, resulting in a
diversity of ecosystems that range from alluvial grasslands and
subtropical broadleaf forests to alpine meadows above the tree line.
Vascular plants have even been recorded at more than 6,000 m. The
hotspot is home to important populations of numerous large birds and
mammals, including vultures, tigers, elephants, rhinos and wild water
buffalo. This immense mountain range, whichail.ccovers om nearly 750,000
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km², has been divided into two regions: abthe d a l@ Eastern Himalaya, which
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covers parts of Nepal, Bhutan, ther smnortheast
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Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, and Arunachal
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(Autonomous Region of China), and northern Myanmar; and the
Western Himalaya, covering the Kumaon-Garhwal, northwest Kashmir,
and northern Pakistan. While these divisions are largely artificial, the
deep defile carved by the antecedent Kali Gandaki River between the
Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountains has been an effective dispersal
barrier to many species. JAYAKRISHNA
INDO BURMA
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2. INDO-BURMA
The hotspot contains the Lower Mekong catchment. It begins in eastern
Bangladesh and then extends across north-eastern India, south of the
Brahmaputra River, to encompass nearly all of Myanmar, part of southern and
western Yunnan Province in China, all of the Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, the
vast majority of Thailand and a small part of Peninsular Malaysia. In addition,
the hotspot covers the coastal lowlands of southern China (in southern
Guangxi and Guangdong), as well as several offshore islands, such as Hainan
Island (of China) in the South China Sea and the someil.coof m the islands of
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Andamans (of India) in the Andaman Sea. d a l@
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Encompassing more than 2 million km² of tropical ah
sa n Asia, the Fauna includes
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large-antlered muntjac, the Annamite nmuntjac,
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or the grey-shanked douc, the
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Annamite striped rabbit, the leaf deer, and the saola. This hotspot also holds
remarkable endemism in freshwater turtle species, most of which are
threatened with extinction, Bird life in IndoBurma is also incredibly diverse,
holding almost 1,300 different bird species, including the threatened
white-eared night-heron, the grey-crowned crocias, and the orange-necked
partridge.
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3. SUNDALAND
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SUNDALAND
This region lies in South-East Asia and includes
Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, and Malaysia. The
Nicobar Islands represent India. These islands were
declared as the world biosphere reserve in 2013 by the
United Nations. These islands have a richcoterrestrial m
as well
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as marine ecosystem including mangroves, d al@
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and coral reefs. Species such asr smdolphins,
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crocodiles, fishes, prawns, lobsters and seashells comprise
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the marine biodiversity. In case the marine resources are
over-used, it can pose a serious threat to biodiversity.
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WESTERN GHATS & SRILANKA
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The Western Ghats & Sri Lanka
These hills are present along the western edge of peninsular India. Since
they are situated near the ocean, they are likely to receive a good amount
of rainfall. Most of the deciduous, as well as rainforests, are present in this
region. Around 77% of the amphibians and 62% of the reptiles found here
cannot be spotted elsewhere in the world. Sri Lanka in South India is a
country which is rich in species too. It is connected to India through a land
bridge which has a width of nearly 140 km. om c
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There are more than 6000 vascular plants here a nawhich belong to more than
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2500 genus. 3000 plants out of these areorendemic.
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found in the world such as black pepper
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have originated in the Western Ghats. Most of the species are however
present in the Agasthyamalai Hills situated in extreme South. The region is
also home to around 450 species of birds, 140 mammals, 260 reptiles and
175 amphibians. Such diversity is quite beautiful as well as rare but now lies
on the verge of extinction. The vegetation in this region was originally
spread over 190,000 square kilometres but has reduced to 43,000 square
kilometres today. Only 1.5% of the original forest is still prevalent in Sri
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Lanka.
HOPE SPOTS
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HOPE SPOTS
Hope Spots are special places that are critical to the health of the ocean.
Sylvia Earle introduced the concept and since then the idea has inspired
millions across the planet. While about 12 percent of the land around
the world is now under some form of protection a il.c(as national parks
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etc.), less than six percent of the ocean is nprotected
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in any way. Hope
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Spots allow us to plan for the future foand
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protected areas (MPAs), which areOnlike national parks on land where
exploitative uses like fishing and deep sea mining are restricted. Hope
Spots are often areas that need new protection, but they can also be
existing MPAs where more action is needed.
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Andaman
Island
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Located in the Bay of Bengal, the vast Andaman Islands of
India comprise around 325 volcanic islands and islets, and
are home to more than 250 species of bird and an upward
of 200 species of coral – making these reefs the most
bio-diverse in India. High-diversity fringing reefs, extensive
mangroves and seagrass meadows characterize the marine
environment. The extensive seagrass meadows i l. co
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are home to the highly endangeredabdugong, da
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represent the most feasible place f or
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the subcontinent. Unfortunately, the area has experienced
threats from unsustainable tourism, illegal logging,
aquaculture activities and the clearing of mangroves for
housing. However, several local groups are hard at work
developing effective conservation strategies based on each
island's socio-ecological system
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Lakshadweep
Islands
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The Lakshadweep Islands are home to some of the highest
diversity of reefs in India and are an important
biogeographic link between the subcontinent and East
Africa. The islands' waters are home to a high diversity of
marine life, including spinner and bottlenose dolphins,
killer whales, melon-headed whales, ggreen ma il.c
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and Hawksbill
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sea turtles and beautiful coral reefs. h sa
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Unfortunately, this
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area experiences pressuresOnlyfrom
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urbanization, population
growth and coral destruction. Luckily, the local
government and several organizations have been hard at
work putting policies in place and creating a culture of
conservation to preserve the islands and their waters for
future generations to enjoy.
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