Biological diversity: Introduction, values, threats and conservation measures

Abstract

Earth is the only know planet to have life till date. However, life on the earth has evolved from microscopic organisms (microbes) that left signals of their presence in rocks about 3.7 billion years old to the present time's complex plant and animal forms. Earth has created different forms of life in four different patterns of evolution viz., convergent evolution, divergent evolution, parallel evolution, and coevolution. From these evolutions, different types of animals and plants have emerged as a result of continuous but very slow changes in the genetic materials (RNA and DNA). At present, earth's species range from 10 million to 14 million out of which plants (17%), protists (4%) prokaryotes (0.3%), fungi (4.7%), insects (54%), and other animals (20%) are major candidates. All these species play an important role in earth and it's environmental sustainability with various values. In this, recently emerged anthropogenic activities has contributed in rapid vanishing of biodiversity affecting mostly all compartments of life. However, various steps are being taken at national and international level such as creation of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves, community reserves, biosphere reserves, gene banks, etc. This chapter describes the status and importance of biodiversity conservation in present scenario.