Very Short Question and Answers - Introduction

Biodiversity is the variety of life forms on Earth, including different species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, their genes, and the ecosystems they form.

Genetic diversity is variation of genes within a species (e.g., different varieties of rice and wheat); species diversity is the variety of species in an ecosystem (e.g., tigers, elephants, birds in a forest); ecosystem diversity is the variety of ecosystems (e.g., forests, deserts, wetlands, coral reefs).

It maintains ecological balance; provides food, medicine, and raw materials; supports ecosystem services like pollination and climate regulation; and prevents collapse of ecosystems.

Deforestation and habitat destruction, poaching and illegal wildlife trade, pollution and climate change, and the introduction of invasive species.

Protected areas such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves legally safeguard habitats and species from exploitation and disturbance.

Flora refers to plant life and fauna to animal life; India has about 47,000 plant species and about 89,000 animal species, and is one of the 12 mega biodiversity countries of the world.

Mammals: tiger, elephant, rhinoceros, lion, deer, leopard; birds: peacock, eagles, parrots, hornbills; reptiles: cobra, crocodiles, gharial, lizards; amphibians: frogs, salamanders; insects: butterflies, beetles, honeybees.

Normal species: cattle or rats; endangered: Bengal tiger, Indian elephant, Asiatic lion; vulnerable: Gangetic dolphin; rare: Himalayan brown bear; extinct (in India): cheetah.

It provides legal protection to wildlife, bans hunting and poaching of endangered species, and established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves.

Project-based efforts (e.g., Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Crocodile Breeding Project), creation of biosphere reserves and national parks, afforestation through social forestry and agroforestry, and community participation including Joint Forest Management.

Project Tiger is a conservation program launched in 1973 to protect the Bengal tiger and its habitat.

Creation of tiger reserves; anti-poaching laws and enforcement; habitat protection in tiger landscapes; relocation of villages from core areas; monitoring and research using methods like camera traps.

India has 54 tiger reserves; examples include Corbett, Ranthambore, and Sundarbans.

Tiger numbers increased from 1,411 in 2006 to over 3,000 in 2022.

Poaching and illegal wildlife trade, deforestation and habitat loss, and human–tiger conflict due to shrinking habitats.

Project Elephant (1992) aims to protect elephant populations and their habitats and reduce human–elephant conflict.

It is a conservation initiative focused on preserving crocodile species through breeding and habitat protection, helping recover their populations.

Biosphere reserves are large protected areas for conserving biodiversity and ecosystems; India has 18, including Nilgiri, Sunderbans, and Pachmarhi.

JFM involves local communities in protecting and managing forests; examples include the Bishnoi community safeguarding blackbucks and the Chipko Movement protesting deforestation.

Forests and wildlife sustain biodiversity, climate regulation, and ecological balance, but ongoing threats like deforestation, poaching, and climate change require sustained, community-inclusive conservation.