Chapter 13 / 13.2 Biodiversity Conservation

Biodiversity Conservation

Narrowly utilitarian value – Nature feeds us (cereals, pulses, fruits), warms us (firewood), builds our homes (timber, fibre), powers industries (tannins, dyes, resins, perfumes) and heals us: over 25 % of modern medicines come from plants, and about 25 000 plant species still support traditional healthcare worldwide. Nations that explore this “bioprospecting” treasure can earn huge rewards. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Broadly utilitarian value – Ecosystem services keep Earth liveable. The shrinking Amazon forest alone produces roughly 20 % of the planet’s oxygen, and busy pollinators (bees, birds, bats) help plants set fruit and seed. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Ethical value – Every species has its own right to exist. We share the planet with millions of other life-forms and have a moral duty to pass this rich legacy intact to future generations. 💚 :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Protect whole habitats—saving the forest naturally saves the tiger. 🐅 :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
Biodiversity hotspots – Regions packed with unique species. Conservationists list 34 hotspots worldwide; three lie in India: Western Ghats & Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Himalaya. Though hotspots cover < 2 % of land, safeguarding them could cut mass extinctions by about 30 %. 🏞️ :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}
Protected areas in India – 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries offer legal shields to ecosystems. 🏕️ :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
Sacred groves – Community-guarded forest patches in Khasi & Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya), Aravalli Hills (Rajasthan), Western Ghats (Karnataka & Maharashtra) and the Sarguja-Chanda-Bastar belt (Madhya Pradesh). These “green temples” shelter many rare species. 🙏 :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Zoological parks, botanical gardens and safari parks care for threatened organisms outside their native homes. 🦓🌸 :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
Cryopreservation freezes gametes for years; in-vitro fertilisation and plant tissue culture multiply endangered species in labs. 🧊🧪 :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
Seed banks store diverse crop strains safely for future farming. 🌾 :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

Convention on Biological Diversity – The 1992 “Earth Summit” in Rio urged every nation to conserve biodiversity and use it sustainably. 🌍 :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
World Summit on Sustainable Development – In 2002, 190 countries meeting at Johannesburg pledged to slow the loss of biodiversity by 2010. 📑 :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}

Remember the three **values of biodiversity** – narrowly utilitarian, broadly utilitarian and ethical. :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
Be ready to **contrast in-situ vs ex-situ conservation** with real-world examples (hotspots, seed banks, cryopreservation). :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}
Know the **Indian hotspots** and the counts of biosphere reserves, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}
Recall **advanced ex-situ tools** – cryopreservation, in-vitro fertilisation and tissue culture. :contentReference[oaicite:15]{index=15}
Cite the **Earth Summit 1992** and **WSSD 2002** pledges when questions mention global conservation efforts. :contentReference[oaicite:16]{index=16}