- Biodiversity is the variety of life at three levels — genetic, species and ecosystem. The term was popularised by E.O. Wilson in the 1980s.
- India is one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries: with about 2.4% of the world's land, it has around 7–8% of recorded species.
- Conservation is either in-situ (protecting species in their natural habitat) or ex-situ (outside it, such as in zoos and seed banks).
Biodiversity Hotspots
The concept was introduced by Norman Myers in 1988. To qualify, a region must have at least 1,500 endemic species of vascular plants and must have lost at least 70% of its original habitat. There are 36 hotspots worldwide; India includes parts of four:
| Hotspot | Indian region | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Himalaya | Himalayan states | Snow leopard, red panda, rhododendrons |
| Western Ghats and Sri Lanka | Western Ghats | Lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, many endemic amphibians |
| Indo-Burma | North-east India and the Andaman Islands | Hoolock gibbon, great diversity of freshwater fish |
| Sundaland | Nicobar Islands | Nicobar megapode, island endemics |
IUCN Red List Categories
The IUCN (founded 1948, headquarters Gland, Switzerland) publishes the Red List. In order of risk:
- Extinct (EX) → Extinct in the Wild (EW)
- Critically Endangered (CR) → Endangered (EN) → Vulnerable (VU) — together called "threatened"
- Near Threatened (NT) → Least Concern (LC)
- Data Deficient (DD) and Not Evaluated (NE) — not enough information
Indian examples: CR — Great Indian Bustard, gharial; EN — Bengal tiger, red panda, Ganges river dolphin; VU — snow leopard, one-horned rhinoceros.
Hotspots worldwide36
In India4
Megadiverse countries17
IUCN HQGland, Switzerland
Biological Diversity Act2002
NBA HQChennai
India's Protected Areas Compared
| Type | Law | Human activity |
|---|---|---|
| National park | Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 | No grazing or private rights allowed; boundaries changed only by the state legislature on NBWL advice |
| Wildlife sanctuary | Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 | Some activities such as grazing may be permitted |
| Conservation reserve | Added by the 2002 amendment | Government land, usually buffers or corridors next to protected areas |
| Community reserve | Added by the 2002 amendment | Private or community land conserved voluntarily |
| Biosphere reserve | Not a legal category; UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme, 1971 | Three zones: core (strictly protected), buffer (research, limited use) and transition (settlements, sustainable use) |
In-situ vs Ex-situ Conservation
- In-situ: national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, tiger reserves, and sacred groves (e.g., the orans of Rajasthan, devarakadu of Karnataka, the sacred forests of Meghalaya).
- Ex-situ: zoos, botanical gardens, captive breeding, seed banks (the global vault is at Svalbard, Norway), gene banks and cryopreservation at −196°C in liquid nitrogen.
The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Passed to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), it sets up a three-tier structure: the National Biodiversity Authority (Chennai), State Biodiversity Boards, and Biodiversity Management Committees at the local-body level, which maintain People's Biodiversity Registers. Its key principle is access and benefit-sharing — users of biological resources share benefits with local communities, as also required by the Nagoya Protocol (2010). The Cartagena Protocol (2000) under the same convention deals with biosafety of living modified organisms. The Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (2022) set the "30x30" target — protect 30% of land and sea by 2030.
Species Projects in India
| Project | Started |
|---|---|
| Project Tiger | 1973 (now under the NTCA) |
| Crocodile Conservation Project | 1975 |
| Project Elephant | 1992 |
| Project Snow Leopard | 2009 |
| Project Cheetah | First cheetahs released in Kuno National Park (MP) on September 17, 2022 |
- Hotspot criteria: "1,500 endemic plants and 70% habitat loss" — options often swap the numbers.
- National park vs sanctuary: statement questions on whether grazing is allowed.
- Protocol ↔ subject: Nagoya (benefit-sharing), Cartagena (biosafety), Kunming–Montreal (30x30).
Q1. To be a biodiversity hotspot, a region must have lost at least what share of its original habitat?
✅ Answer: (c) 70%
💡 Explanation: Myers' criteria: at least 1,500 endemic vascular plants and at least 70% habitat loss.
Q2. Which of these is an ex-situ method of conservation?
✅ Answer: (a) Cryopreservation
💡 Explanation: Cryopreservation stores genetic material outside the natural habitat, at −196°C.
Q3. People's Biodiversity Registers are maintained by:
✅ Answer: (b) Biodiversity Management Committees
💡 Explanation: BMCs at the local-body level document local biological resources and knowledge.
Q4. The Nagoya Protocol deals with:
✅ Answer: (d) Access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing
💡 Explanation: The Nagoya Protocol (2010) under the CBD covers access and benefit-sharing.
Q5. Which zone of a biosphere reserve is strictly protected?
✅ Answer: (c) Core zone
💡 Explanation: The core zone is legally protected and largely free of human activity.
🔁 Revise in 60 Seconds
- Levels: genetic, species, ecosystem. India: 2.4% land, ~7–8% species, megadiverse.
- Hotspots (Myers, 1988): 1,500 endemic plants + 70% habitat loss; 36 worldwide, 4 in India.
- IUCN order: EX, EW, CR, EN, VU, NT, LC (+ DD, NE).
- BD Act 2002: NBA (Chennai) → SBB → BMC (People's Biodiversity Register).
📌 Prelims Traps to Avoid
- ✘ A biosphere reserve is not a category under the Wild Life (Protection) Act.
- ✘ The Andaman Islands are not in Sundaland — only the Nicobar Islands are.
- ✘ Grazing is banned in national parks but may be allowed in sanctuaries.
What are the biodiversity hotspots in India?
India has parts of four of the world's 36 hotspots: the Himalaya, the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma (north-east India) and Sundaland (Nicobar Islands).
What is the difference between a national park and a wildlife sanctuary?
Both are created under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. National parks have stricter protection: no grazing or private rights are allowed. In sanctuaries, some human activities such as grazing may be regulated and permitted.