Biodiversity
Biomes on Earth
India and Its Biodiversity
Indo-German Biodiversity
Elements of Nature
| Abiotic components | Abiotic components of an ecosystem are the non-living elements of the environment such as air, water, soil, sunlight, temperature, and moisture. |
| Access and benefit-sharing | The sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way. Access to Genetic Resources and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources (ABS) is one of the three main objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). |
| Alien species | A species occurring in an area outside of its originally known natural range |
| Anthropogenic impacts | Impacts resulting from human activities are called anthropgenic. |
| Aichi Biodiversity Targets | In 2010, Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, known as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. These 20 targets provide a ten-year framework for action by all countries and stakeholders to safeguard biodiversity and the benefits it provides to people. Governments have committed to establishing national targets in support of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The development of national targets and their incorporation into updated National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) is a key process in fulfilling the commitments set out in the Strategic Plan. Five strategic goals are as follows
|
| Biodiversity | Diversity of species, ecosystems and genes together add up to make biodiversity. |
| Biodiversity loss | The Earth has experienced six major extinction events over the past 450 million years, out of which we are currently experiencing the sixth one. This sixth extinction has been called the Holocene extinction, because the loss is driven by human actions. We are losing biodiversity more quickly now than at any other time in Earth’s recent history. Main factors responsible for biodiversity loss are habitat loss and fragmentation, climate change, over-exploitation, introduction of invasive species and pollution. |
| Biotic components | Living things such as plants, animals, and micro-organisms form the biotic components of an ecosystem. |
| Biodiversity hotspots | Norman Myers, had introduced the idea of hotspots in 1998, and had defined a hotspot as an area of exceptional plant, animal and microbe wealth that is under threat. The key criteria for determining a hotspot are the a) number of total species (species richness), b) number of unique species (endemism), and c) number of species at risk (threat of extinction). To qualify as a hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria. |
| Biodiversity and Sustainable Development | Nations across the world have made a commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in order to create a sustainable future, while ensuring a balance between social equity, environmental quality and economic efficiency. The need to conserve biodiversity becomes crucial, as it’s a prerequisite for natural systems to continue to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services, upon which the economy and society depend. The 13 out of 17 SDGs have direct and indirect links with Aichi Biodiversity Targets and our National Biodiversity Targets for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of biodiversity. |
| Biological Resources | Biological Resources are the components of biodiversity that have a direct, indirect, or potential use to humanity. |
| Biome | A biome is way to describe a large group of similar ecosystems. Biomes have similar weather, rainfall, animals, and plants. There are a number of biomes on planet Earth. |
| Biosphere | Part of the earth where living organisms exist. The entire world can be divided into four spheres- the atmosphere (air), the lithosphere (earth), the hydrosphere (water) and the biosphere |
| Biosphere reserve | A Biosphere reserve is a large protected area for the conservation of wildlife, plant, and animal resources. A biosphere may contain National Park and Sanctuaries, so it is much larger than a National Park or a Sanctuary. |
| Botanical garden | Botanical garden is a place where wide variety of plants are cultivated for scientific, educational, and ornamental purposes. |
| Capacity development | Capacity Development is a process which enables individuals, organisations and societies as a whole to shape their own development sustainably and adapt to changing conditions. In order to trigger sustainable changes in social systems, capacity development always addresses three levels – the individual, the systems of reference, and the systemic level. |
| Cultural diversity | Cultural diversity means a range of different societies or people of different origins, religions and traditions all living and interacting together. |
| Conservation | Conservation is the act of preserving, guarding or protecting. |
| Conservation of Biodiversity | Saving life on Earth in all its forms and keeping natural ecosystems functioning and healthy refers to conservation of biodiversity. |
| Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) | On June 5 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was opened for signature and it came into force on 29 December 1993. To date, there are 193 Parties. The CBD is an international legally-binding treaty with three main goals
The CBD covers biodiversity at all levels ecosystems, species and genetic resources. In fact, it covers all possible domains that are directly or indirectly related to biodiversity and its role in development, ranging from science, politics and education to agriculture, business, culture and much more. The CBD’s governing body is the Conference of the Parties (COP). The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD) is based in Montreal, Canada. Its main function is to assist governments in the implementation of the CBD and its programmes of work, to organise meetings, draft documents, and coordinate with other international organisations and collect and spread information. |
| Conservation and Sustainable Management of Coastal and Marine Protected Areas (CMPA) | The CMPA project is one of the flagship projects of the Indo-German technical cooperation supporting the CBD’s Aichi targets. The Project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB). It is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of BMUB. |
| Chloroplasts | Chloroplasts are responsible for photosynthesis. Chloroplasts are green because of the pigment chlorophyll. |
| Chromoplast | Non-green pigments, which gives colour to fruits and flowers |
| Critically Endangered | Critically endangered refers to a category which is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction. |
| Deforestation | Cutting of trees in large numbers is called deforestation. |
| Desertification | Degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas into deserts is called desertification. |
| Diversity | Diversity refers to variety of species/life such as trees, plants, animals, micro-organisms and living beings. |
| Ecosystem | The interaction amongst the diverse species of plants, animals, and other living organisms in a habitat, together add to form an ecosystem. |
| Ecosystem services | Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. These include provisioning services, regulating services, cultural services, and supporting services.
|
| Eco-tourism | Travel undertaken to witness sites or regions of unique natural or ecologic quality, or the provision of services to facilitate such travel that have the least impact on biological diversity and the natural environment. |
| Endangered species | The species that are at high risk of becoming extinct are called endangered species |
| Endemic species | plants and animals that are found exclusively in a particular geographical area are called Endemic species |
| Eutrophication | Eutrophication is the gradual increase in the concentration of phosphorous, nitrogen, other plant nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem such as lake. |
| Extinct species | The species of plants and animals which have been lost forever |
| Ex-situ Conservation | Ex-situ conservation is the preservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats. |
| Fauna | Different animals in a particular area. |
| Flora | Different plants growing in a particular area. |
| Food chain | The process of transfer of food from the source in plants through a series of organism, with repeated eating and being eaten, is called a food chain. The network of food chains is called a food web. The different steps in a food chain form different trophic levels. The green plants/producers are the first trophic level. Herbivores/ primary consumers such as insects, rabbits, deer etc feed on plants make the second trophic level. Carnivores/secondary consumers such as frogs, lizards, snakes, small birds make the third trophic level. The animals of the third trophic level are eaten up by still larger carnivores example hawk, tiger, lion. |
| Flagship species | Flagship species are used to help raise awareness, to help conservation, by acting as an ambassador, icon or symbol for a defined habitat, issue, campaign or environmental cause. They are usually relatively large, and considered to be 'charismatic' in western cultures. |
| Genetic diversity | genetic diversity makes every living organism unique. It is because of this variation in traits of the genes that some animals are faster or bigger, while some flowers are more colourful than the others. |
| Habitat | It is the special environment of an organism in which it lives and grows. Different habitats have their own unique climate, flora and fauna. |
| Indicator species | An indicator species is an organism whose presence, absence or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition. |
| In-situ Conservation | Conservation of organism in its natural home. |
| Invasive species | Invasive species are those that are introduced—intentionally or unintentionally—to an ecosystem in which they do not naturally appear and which threaten habitats, ecosystems, or native species. |
| Keystone species | A keystone species is a species that plays an essential role in the structure, functioning or productivity of a habitat or ecosystem at a defined level (habitat, soil, seed dispersal, etc). Without the keystone species, the ecological community to which it belongs would be greatly altered and many other species would be negatively impacted. A keystone species is often a dominant predator whose removal allows a prey population to explode and often decreases overall diversity. |
| Leucoplast | Colourless pigments, which stores food in the form of fats, proteins and carbohyderates.. |
| Metamorphosis | The drastic changes a young one of a insects, frogs etc undergoes before becoming an adult. |
| Migration | The seasonal, mass movement of animals from place to another to escape from extreme cold, due to shortage of food or to breed. |
| Micro-organisms | The tiny microorganisms that cannot be seen with naked eyes but can only be seen under microscope are called microorganisms. Microorganisms can be classified into five groups, namely, bacteria, fungi, algae, protozoa, viruses. |
| Multicellular organisms | Multicellular organisms organisms that consist of more than one cell. In multicellular organisms, different organs perform different functions in the body. Example cats, dogs, mango and banyan trees. |
| Nagoya Protocol | Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and Benefit-Sharing The fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources is one of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity. At the tenth Conference of the Parties, held in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation was adopted. It is an international agreement which aims at sharing the benefits arising from the utilisation of genetic resources in a fair and equitable way, thereby contributing to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
It aims to create incentives to conserve and sustainably use genetic resources by ensuring a greater legal certainty and transparency for both the providers and users of genetic resources. . Genetic resources, whether from plant, animal or micro-organisms, are used for a variety of purposes ranging from basic research to the development of products. Users of genetic resources include research and academic institutions, and private companies operating in various sectors such as pharmaceuticals, agriculture, horticulture, cosmetics and biotechnology. |
| National parks | National parks are protected land areas preserved in natural conditions to provide natural habitat to wildlife. In these areas, forestry, grazing, cultivation and free entry of people are not allowed. |
| Ocean acidification | Increased concentrations of CO2 in sea water causing a measurable increase in acidity |
| Overexploitation | Due to overexploitation biodiversity is being removed at a higher rate than it can be replenished. This unsustainable use can result in extinction of species. |
| Plastids | Are only found in plant cells and there are three types leucoplast, chromoplast, chloroplast. |
| Priority species | A “priority species” is one that forms a key element of the food chain, which help the stability or regeneration of habitats and demonstrate broader conservation needs |
| Protected Areas | Protected areas include national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves. |
| Ramsar sites | Wetlands of international importance are known as Ramsar sites. Ramsar is a city in Iran. The 2nd of February each year is celebrated as World Wetlands Day, marking the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971.
|
| Red data book | Red data book is a record of all threatened species of planst and animals. It is published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural resources (IUCN). |
| Reforestation | The planting of new trees where forests have been destroyed is called reforestation. |
| Rio Earth Summit | In 1992, the Rio Earth Summit brought world leaders together around the frame of “sustainable development” and launched global agreements on biodiversity, climate change and desertification. Three conventions that were adopted at this summit were the
|
| Species | The group of population which are capable of interbreeding is called a species |
| Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): | The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. |
| Sustainable development | Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. |
| Taxonomy | Taxonomy is the classification of animals and plants based upon natural relationships. |
| Threatened species | Any species that face the threat to become extinct within the foreseeable future. |
| Unicellular organisms | Organisms like amoeba, yeast, bacteria which consist of a single cell are called unicellular organisms. In such organisms, all necessary functions like respiration, reproduction, nutrition, etc are carried out by a single cell. Example amoeba, yeast, bacteria. |
| Umbrella species | Species that have either large habitat needs or other requirements whose conservation results in many other species being conserved at the ecosystem or landscape level. |
| Vulnerable species | Vulnerable species of plants and animals that have a high risk of becoming endangered species are called vulnerable species |
| Wildlife sanctuary | Wildlife sanctuary is an area where only animals are protected |
| Zoological park | Also referred to as a “zoo”, where animals are protected by keeping them in special enclosures and cages for public exhibition. A zoo plays a special role in creating awareness among people about the need to conserve nature. |
