Biodiversity & its conservation

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life. 

This can refer to  

• Genetic Variation,
• Species Variation, or 
• Ecosystem Variation  within an area, biome, or planet.  

Biodiversity Hotspot:-

A biodiversity hotspot is a region with a high level of endemic species that is under threat from humans.  

Threats to Biodiversity

1. Habitat destruction 
2. Introduction of and use of invasive species  
1. Genetic pollution 
3. Overexploitation 
4. Hybridization, genetic pollution/erosion and food security 
5. Climate change 
6. Human overpopulation

Conservation:-

The protection of natural environment and natural resources for the future. It includes the management of minerals, landscape, soil and forests to prevent their destruction and over exploitation. 

=>Biodiversity Conservation is protection of the biodiversity from further degradation.
 

National Parks, Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves are covered under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. These protected areas focus on conservation on flora/fauna.

• National Park: No cutting, Grazing allowed, Outside Species Allowed
• Sanctuary: Only animals are conserved, Could be private property also, Outside activities allowed  
  
• Biosphere Reserve: 3 areas, Core, Buffer & Marginal, No outside Species allowed, Conservation & reserach purpose both.
• Protected Area: Protected under State/Union forest act, Outside activities allowed unless mentioned
• Reserved Area: Protected under State/Union forest act, Outside activities not allowed unless mentioned

Difference between a Sanctuary and National Park?

The difference between a Sanctuary and a National Park mainly lies in the vesting of rights of people living inside. 

Unlike a Sanctuary, where certain rights can be allowed, in a National Park, no rights are allowed. No grazing of any livestock shall also be permitted inside a National Park while in a Sanctuary, the Chief Wildlife Warden may regulate, control or prohibit it.

=>Biosphere Reserves are not specifically defined by any Parliamentary law, but derived from UNESCO's Man and Biosphere Program (1972).

Biosphere reserves are multi purpose protected areas, where every plant and animal size is to be protected in its natural habitat. Its major objectives are:-

1. To conserve and maintain diversity and integrity of the natural heritage in its full form i.e. physical environment.
2. To promote research on ecological conservation and other aspects of environment at preservation.
3. To provide facilities for education, awareness and explaining.

Reserve Forests and Protected Forests are covered under the Indian Forest Act, 1927.  

List of Biosphere Reserves of India

NB: Those Biosphere reserves in bold are part of World Network of Biosphere Reserves too.

Sl. No	Year	Name	State	Type	Key Fauna
1	2008	Great Rann of Kutch	Gujarat	Desert	Indian Wild Ass
2	1989	Gulf of Mannar	Tamil Nadu	Coasts	Dugong or Sea Cow
3	1989	Sundarbans	West Bengal	Gangetic Delta	Royal Bengal Tiger
4	2009	Cold Desert	Himachal Pradesh	Western Himalayas	Snow Leopard
5	1988	Nanda Devi	Uttarakhand	Western Himalayas	NA
6	1986	Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve	Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka	Western Ghats	Nilgiri Tahr, Lion-tailed macaque
7	1998	Dihang-Dibang	Arunachal Pradesh	Eastern Himalaya	NA
8	1999	Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve	Madhya Pradesh	Semi-Arid	Giant Squirrel, Flying Squirrel
9	2010	Seshachalam Hills	Andhra Pradesh	Eastern Ghats	NA
10	1994	Simlipal	Odisha	Deccan Peninsula	Gaur, Royal Bengal Tiger, Wild elephant
11	2005	Achanakamar -Amarkantak	Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh	Maikala Hills	NA
12	1989	Manas	Assam	East Himalayas	Golden Langur, Red Panda
13	2000	Khangchendzonga	Sikkim	East Himalayas	Snow Leopard, Red Panda
14	2001	Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve	Kerala, Tamil Nadu	Western ghats	Nilgiri Tahr, Elephants
15	1989	Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve	Andaman and Nicobar Islands	Islands	Saltwater Crocodile
16	1988	Nokrek	Meghalaya	East Himalayas	Red Panda
17	1997	Dibru-Saikhowa	Assam	East Himalayas	Golden Langur
18	2011	Panna	Madhya Pradesh	Ken River	Tiger, Chital, Chinkara, Sambharand Sloth bear