Theme: “Many Species, One World, One Future.” Thoughts on: Conserving Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or on the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems. The biodiversity found on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The year 2010 has been declared as the International Year of Biodiversity.
The loss of the earth's biological diversity is widely recognized as a critical environmental problem. We as a species are rapidly altering the world that provides our evolutionary and ecological context. The consequences of these changes are such that they demand our urgent attention. The large-scale problems of unprecedented population growth and inappropriate development are degrading the land, water, and atmosphere, and progressively extinguishing a broad array of the Earth's organisms and the habitats they inhabit. By downplaying these problems or putting them aside in favor of what seem to be more imperative personal, group, or national priorities, we are courting global disaster. By attending to them, we can begin to build a more stable foundation for lasting peace and prosperity.
We live in a world in which far more people are well fed, clothed, and housed than ever before. We also live in a world in which thousands of people, primarily women and young children die each day of starvation; in which human beings consume well over a third of total terrestrial photosynthetic productivity; and in which human activity threatens, over the next few decades, to eliminate a quarter of the world's species-species we may not use directly, but on which our survival depends in many other ways.
So let’s join our hands to Conserve Biodiversity.


Dipak Behera

CONSERVE BIODIVERSITY FOR SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

It means to protect the earth's natural system in such a way where all species of plants,animals and other organisms can live harmoniously.

Following could be our guiding principles.

Sharing each other and care for mother earth.We should not exploit nature more than it can replenish.

Our life styles,developmental plan,technology and science all should respect and work within nature's limit.

All living and nonliving things of earth are part of one large interdependent system.We should not use nature and other species cruelly or recklessly.

We should protect natural ecosystem that keep this planet fit for life.

Renewable resources like soil,animals,forests etc should be used in a sustainable manner so that nature can replenish.

We need to use non renewable resources like coal,gas,oil judiciously so their life can be extended for our future generations.

Regulations should be able to bring the necessity of food,water,energy and luxury into a balance with the capacity of earth.

Behabiour and values which are compatible with sustainable future has to be promoted .

Communities should be informed,awakened and empowered so that they can take care of their environment.

All nations belong to this only earth so strong and honest global alliance is required to conserve its biodiversity .

Dr.Asesh Chakrabarti

Saving our Environment

Biodiversity is the variety and differences among living organisms including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems. It represents all life including genetic variation within species, the variety of species and habitat types. Climate change, today a reality, is because of rise in population, consumption levels, burning of fossil fuels for industrialization, and inefficient use of resources. As a result, over the last century, a great deal of damage has been done to the biodiversity through destruction of habitats resulting in imbalance of species composition. Changing temperature due to climate change influences the species to shift towards pole, their reproductive cycles, their growth patterns and the interaction between them. Population of tigers in India has plummeted from 5000 to 1300 in last decade – a case of threatened species today. Hence climate change and the biodiversity loss are connected closely. Biodiversity management is an important means for helping slow down climate change and its impacts.
Conservation strategies for biodiversity are needed for supporting the species’ natural capacity to adapt to change. Biodiversity management measures should constitute active protection and management of existing habitats, increasing the size of existing habitats and creating new habitats, and increasing the connectivity of habitats by creating ecological network and connecting wildlife territories.

Surya N Lenka

Conserving Biodiversity – in our own small way

“Life is given to us, we earn it by giving it” – Rabindranath Tagore

Human life is a boon and we all should live the life in a most happy and peaceful manner with the flora and fauna around us. Biodiversity means not just about the number of species and sites within a specific area, nor is it about the list of populations at risk from extinction. The essence of nature is not only diversity but also dynamism, and the interaction between species and habitat is of crucial importance. Biodiversity is to preserve the ecological status quo.
We all have a moral responsibility to conserve the Biodiversity in our own small way.
We should have regard to nature conservation, alongside the enhancement and maintenance of the natural beauty of the surroundings. We should prevent ground water and surface water contamination, which finally results in loss of drinking water. We may plant a window box, clean up a local pond or plant night blossoming flowers to attract bats. People are encouraged to leave their cars at home and try cycling again. Buy Forest products meeting specific environmental, social and economic criteria. Buy organic produce which don’t use synthetic pesticides and agricultural chemicals.

Tapas Kumar Sen

Conserving Biodiversity - II

We should remember that we are one in million on this wondrous planet. There are ten millions of species in this world from which only two millions of species are identified. Humans are among only handful of species whose population are growing, while most animals & plants are becoming rarer.

The reason behind this is human being activities. With present approach to development, we have cut the forests, drained almost half of the world’s wetlands & emitted enough heat trapping gases to keep our planet warming.

Biodiversity known as variety of life on our planet, which gives us food, clothes, fuel, medicine etc. A world without biodiversity is a very bleak prospect. We may not think that a beetle in our backyard or grass growing by the roadside has a fundamental connection to us, but it does. Millions of people & millions of species are sharing the same planet, only together we can enjoy a safer & prosperous future.

These are some points we have to do for conserving biodiversity.

• We should use public transport instead of individual
• We should prevent water wastage.
• Use of air conditioner should be minimum
• Plant more & more trees.

Debashish Nanda

Conserving Biodiversity

The worst thing that can happen is not energy depletion, economic collapse, limited nuclear war, or conquest by a totalitarian government. As terrible as these catastrophes would be for us, they can be repaired within a few generations. But millions of years will take to correct the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats. This is the folly that our descendents are least likely to forgive us.

Biodiversity is the variability of all living organisms including animal and plant species of the genes of all these organisms, and of the terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems of which they are part. It is virtually synonymous with “Life on earth”.
Biodiversity makes up the structure of the ecosystems and habitats that support essential living resources, including wildlife, fisheries and forests. It helps provide for basic human needs such as food, shelter, and medicine. It composes ecosystems that maintain oxygen in the air, enrich the soil, purify the water, protect against flood and storm damage and regulate climate. Biodiversity also has recreational, cultural, spiritual and aesthetic values.

Values of Biodiversity
1) Food: About 80,000 edible plants and about 90% of present day food crops have been domesticated from wild.
2) Drugs & Medicines: About 75% of world’s populations depend on plants or plant extracts.
3) Fuel: Forests have been used since ages for fuel wood. Fossil fuels are also products of Biodiversity.
4) Social Value: Many of the plants like Tulsi, Lotus, Peepal etc are considered holy and sacred.

Threats to Biodiversity

Extinction is a natural event and, from a geological perspective, routine. But human impact has been so severe that thousands of species and varieties are becoming extinct annually. But some of the main causes are:

Habitat loss, degradation, fragmentation:

1) Habitat loss & degradation are major causes of species extinction, affecting 89% of all threatened birds, 83% of mammals & 91% of all threatened plants assessed globally
2) The main causes of habitat are agriculture activities, Mining, development of human settlement, industry etc.

Poaching of Wildlife:

1) Poaching is another threat that has emerged in recent decades as one of the primary reason for decline in number of species.
2) Wildlife is sold and traded in many countries for live specimens, folk medicines, furs, Skin, and other products such as Ivory, horns etc amounting to millions of dollars.

Man – wildlife conflicts:

1) The conflict between man and wildlife started with the evolution of man, but intensity increased due to the activities of modern man
2) Due to the lack of stable food and disruption of movement, wild animals came out of forest area and attack the agricultural field and humans and in turn got killed by the humans

Introduction of Exotic species:

1) Organisms introduced into habitats where they are not native are termed as exotics.
2) They can be thought of as Biological Pollutants and are considered to be among the most damaging agents of habitat alteration and degradation the world.

Climate change:

A changing global climate threatens species and ecosystems.

1) The distribution of species (biogeography) is largely determined by climate.
2) Climate change may simply shift these distributions but, for a number of reasons, plants and animals may not be able to adjust.

Conservation of Biodiversity

It is the management of human use of the biosphere so that it may yield the greatest sustainable benefit to the present generation while maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of the future generations.

The two basic approaches to wildlife conservation in protected habitats are:

1) In- situ conservation
a) It simply means conservation of species in its natural ecosystem or even in man made ecosystems.
b) This strategy emphasizes protection of total ecosystem through a network of protected area.
c) Protected Areas: an area of land and/or sea specially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity and managed through legal effective means.
d) There are different categories of protected areas which are managed with different objectives. These include; Biosphere reserves, National parks, Wild Life Sanctuaries etc.

2) Ex- situ conservation
a) It is defined as the conservation of component of biological diversity (Sample of genetic diversity, particularly of endangered species) outside their natural habitats.
b) It involves maintenance and breeding of endangered plant and animal species under partially or wholly controlled conditions. E.g. Zoos, Botanical Gardens, Aquaria, Nurseries, DNA bank, Seed bank, Gene bank etc.

With warm regards
Pankaj Kumar

विभिन्न प्रजातियाँ,एक ग्रह, एक भविष्य

विश्व पर्यावरण दिवस 2010 के अवसर पर प्रायोजित प्रतियोगिता मे सहभगिता

पन्छी नदिया पवन के झोंके , कोई सरहद ना इन्हें रोके.
-----------------------------------------------------------
सोंचो, हमने और तुमने क्या पाया इंसान होके.
हम यह कह सकते हैं, हमने पाया है, चिप्स में छिपे मधुर संगीत, कंप्यूटर के पटल पर प्राकृतिक दृश्य, वातानुकूलित कमरे की शीतल हवा.
अब हमें ज़रूरत नही है खुली हवा में सांस लेने की, चिड़ियों की चहचहाहट सुनने की, अलार्म बेल जो है. ज़रूरत नही है बहती हुई सरिता में मीन विहार देखने की, घर में अक्वारियम (मीनशाला) जो है. हमने प्रकृति को क़ैद कर रक्खा है. प्रकृति मचल रही है. कभी कभी क्रुद्ध हो जाती है, जिसका भयंकर परिणाम हमे देखने-सुनने को मिल जाता है, जैसे कोशी का कहर, सूनामी की वेदना, भीषण गर्मी की तपिश, हिमखंडों पर ज्वालामुखी, नभ मे धुयें के बादल.
आख़िर हम क्या सीख रहे हैं इन भयंकर पर्यावरण परिवर्तन से?
हमारे पूर्वज,ऋषि मुनि प्रकृति के साथ जंगलों में रहकर सैंकडो हज़ारों साल तक जिंदा और जवानरहते थे.
हमें भी सभी जैव पदार्थों का संरक्षण कर प्राकृतिक संतुलन बनाकर चलना होगा तभी हमारी पृथ्वी और हमारा भविष्य उज्ज्वल होगा.
जब गंभीर विपत्ति आती है तब सभी प्राणी अपनी जान बचाने के लिए एक साथ रहने को मजबूर हो जाते है. यह दृश्य बाढ् और भीषण गर्मी में सभी देख चुके हैं.
तभी तो कवि बिहारीलाल ने कहा है,
कहलाने एकत बसत अहि मयूर मृग बाघ, जगत तपोवन सो कियो दीरघ दाघ निदाघ.

प्रस्तुति-
जवाहर लाल सिंह