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Questions and Answers
What is one of the criteria for an area to be declared as a Biodiversity Hotspot?
What is one of the criteria for an area to be declared as a Biodiversity Hotspot?
Which of the following best explains the concept of invasive species?
Which of the following best explains the concept of invasive species?
What significant role does biodiversity play in human life?
What significant role does biodiversity play in human life?
What is the primary significance of sacred groves in ecological conservation?
What is the primary significance of sacred groves in ecological conservation?
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Who is recognized as the Father of Biodiversity?
Who is recognized as the Father of Biodiversity?
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Which of the following is NOT an objective of zoological parks?
Which of the following is NOT an objective of zoological parks?
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What does extinction refer to?
What does extinction refer to?
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What is a potential consequence of invasive species on ecosystems?
What is a potential consequence of invasive species on ecosystems?
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Which statement accurately describes botanical gardens?
Which statement accurately describes botanical gardens?
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What is the main purpose of gene banks?
What is the main purpose of gene banks?
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Which of the following is NOT one of the four biodiversity hotspots in India?
Which of the following is NOT one of the four biodiversity hotspots in India?
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What distinguishes national parks from wildlife sanctuaries?
What distinguishes national parks from wildlife sanctuaries?
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Which aspect of biodiversity helps safeguard against natural disasters?
Which aspect of biodiversity helps safeguard against natural disasters?
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Which source of pollution is categorized as anthropogenic?
Which source of pollution is categorized as anthropogenic?
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What is the primary purpose of a national park compared to a wildlife sanctuary?
What is the primary purpose of a national park compared to a wildlife sanctuary?
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Why are sacred groves considered rich biodiversity areas?
Why are sacred groves considered rich biodiversity areas?
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What is the focus of a biosphere reserve in relation to development?
What is the focus of a biosphere reserve in relation to development?
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What role does the National Gene Bank serve?
What role does the National Gene Bank serve?
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Which of the following accurately describes the core area of a biosphere reserve?
Which of the following accurately describes the core area of a biosphere reserve?
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What role do sacred groves play in local ecosystems?
What role do sacred groves play in local ecosystems?
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How does the buffer zone in a biosphere reserve differ from the core area?
How does the buffer zone in a biosphere reserve differ from the core area?
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Which year was India's first national park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park, established?
Which year was India's first national park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park, established?
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What is one key difference between national parks and wildlife sanctuaries?
What is one key difference between national parks and wildlife sanctuaries?
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What is a significant benefit of sacred groves in conservation?
What is a significant benefit of sacred groves in conservation?
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Study Notes
Biodiversity
- Biodiversity refers to the diverse kinds of living things in a given area.
- Edward O. Wilson is considered the father of biodiversity.
Types of Diversity
- Genetic Diversity: Diversity of genes within a species.
- Species Diversity: Diversity among species in an ecosystem.
- Ecosystem Diversity: Diversity of a habitat in a given unit area.
Importance of Biodiversity
- Promotes soil formation.
- Provides food resources for humans.
- Ensures good health of all living beings.
- Protects natural resources.
- Facilitates fast recovery from natural disasters.
- Maintains food chains.
- Maintains genetic diversity.
- Maintains ecosystem balance.
- Contributes to overall sustainability and growth.
Biodiversity Hotspots in India
- Following criteria for declaring an area as a biodiversity hotspot, India has four major hotspots:
- The Himalayas
- Indo-Burma Region
- The Western Ghats
- Sundaland
Threats to Biodiversity
- Prioritized industrialization (contributes to greenhouse gases).
- Increasing commercialization.
- Expanding residential spaces.
- Deforestation.
- Unscrupulous usage of natural resources.
- Ignorance towards sustainability.
- Increasing demand for food and resources.
- Pollution.
- Climate change.
- Issue of invasive species.
Invasive Species/Exotic Species
- An organism not native to a particular area.
- Introduced species that expands into a new habitat and causes environmental or economical damage.
- A growing threat to ecosystems globally, with consequences for biodiversity, agriculture, and human health.
- Often introduced unintentionally, they spread and outcompete native species.
Extinct Plants & Animals
- Extinction is the death of all members of a species.
- Examples of extinct animals include:
- Dodo
- Saber-toothed cat
- Tasmanian tiger
- Woolly Mammoth
- Passenger Pigeon
- Stellar's sea cow
- Labrador duck
- Rocky mountain locust
- Thylacine
- Golden toad
- Deepwater cisco fish
- Hawaii chaff flower
- St. Helena olive tree
- Numerous other plants and animals have also become extinct, both historical and contemporary.
Endangered Plants & Animals
- An endangered species is a type of organism threatened by extinction.
- Examples of endangered species in India include:
- Bengal Tiger
- Asiatic Lion
- Snow Leopard
- One-horned Rhinoceros
- Blackbuck
- Lion-tailed Macaque
- Resplendent Tree Frog
- Kashmir Red Stag
- Nilgiri Tahr -Indian Bison (Gaur)
Conservation Efforts
- Conservation of Biodiversity: Main goals include preserving genetic diversity of plants and animals, conducting research on biological diversity and ecosystem management to aid sustainable development, and managing in-situ and ex-situ conservation of rare, endangered species.
- In-situ Conservation: Involves conservation within natural habitats (e.g., National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves, Sacred Groves)
- Ex-situ Conservation: Involves conservation outside natural habitats (e.g., Zoological Parks, Botanical Gardens, Gene Banks, Cryopreservation, Sperm Banks)
World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF)
- Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961.
- Dedicated to protecting the world's wildlife by directing its conservation efforts toward protecting endangered species and addressing global threats.
- Red Panda is the symbol of the WWF.
Red Data Book
- Public document recording endangered and rare species of plants, animals, fungi, and local subspecies within specific regions.
Endangered Species
- Endangered species are organisms on the verge of extinction.
- The number of endangered species continues to increase annually.
Endemic Species
- Endemic species are found only in specific geographical regions due to isolation, soil, and climatic conditions.
Pollution
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Environmental Pollution: The introduction of harmful materials into the environment.
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Natural Sources: Volcanic eruptions, windblown dust, sea-salt spray, volatile organic compounds from plants.
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Human-Made/Anthropogenic: Pollution caused by human activities, includes burning fossil fuels in industries, vehicles, and thermoelectric plants; gaseous emissions from industries, mining, processing and stone-crushing.
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Types of Pollution*
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Air
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Water
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Soil
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Noise
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Types of Pollutants*
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Primary
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Secondary
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Causes and Effects of Air Pollution*
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Causes: Industries, automobiles/domestic fuels (high proportions of undesirable gases like sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide), dust (cement, foundry, windblown), mist, smoke, carbon black, aerosols.
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Effects: Human health problems, harm to animals, harms to plants, global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain.
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Water Pollution*: Any physical (temperature, oxygen), chemical (mercury), or biological (disease, sewage) change to water that adversely affects its use by living beings. Effects include diseases like cholera, malaria, typhoid, and aquatic life destruction.
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Eutrophication: Nutrient rich runoff leads to algal bloom which deprives aquatic life of oxygen.
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Nitrate Pollution: Nitrate contamination of water can cause methemoglobinemia (Blue Baby Syndrome).
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Fluoride Pollution: Fluoride contamination of water can result in fluorosis.
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How to Avoid Water Pollution: Do not use rivers for washing clothes/bathing animals; harvest rainwater; construct and maintain dams/embankments; do not contaminate rivers; do not dispose bodies in rivers.
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Noise Pollution*: Unwanted sound resulting from various sources (traffic noise, aircraft noise, construction and civil engineering works, industries). Effects include hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbance. Prevention involves ensuring noise-proofing of new machinery, positioning airports away from residential areas, controlling noise at its source (equipment choice/design modifications/proper layout/isolation/baffles), and use of ear protection devices.
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Land Pollution*: One-fourth of the area is covered by land, used for human activities such as shelter, occupation, buildings, and farming. Causes include mining, erosion, quarrying, household garbage, urbanization, industrial waste, hazardous waste, uncontrolled land treatment, burning open dumps, forest fires, and deforestation. Effects include a loss of land for construction, agricultural losses, contamination of ground water, and death of land-dwelling animals. Prevention involves bringing more land under farming, planting trees, immediate waste disposal, avoidance of drilling for water, avoiding overuse of fertilizers/pesticides, implementing integrated solid waste management, practicing good agricultural practices, and remediating polluted soils.
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