Biodiversity and Conservation

Biodiversity means the variety of life forms on Earth, and conservation is about protecting and maintaining these species and ecosystems. This topic is important for understanding ecological balance, the value of ecosystems, and the need to preserve life on our planet. Biodiversity and Conservation is a part of the Class 12 syllabus and is an important chapter of Biology. Questions from this chapter are asked in competitive examinations like NEET, AIIMS nursing, and paramedical. This article covers all the parts of biodiversity and conservation, including important questions, and tips for the exam.

Latest: NEET 2024 Paper Analysis and Answer Key 

Don't Miss: Most scoring concepts for NEET | NEET papers with solutions

New: NEET Syllabus 2025 for Physics, Chemistry, Biology

NEET Important PYQ & Solutions: Physics | Chemistry | Biology | NEET PYQ's (2015-24)

This Story also Contains

1. Important Topics of Biodiversity and Conservation
2. Overview of the Chapter
3. What is Biodiversity and its Conservation?
4. Types of Biodiversity
5. Importance of Biodiversity
6. Biodiversity in India
7. Threats to Biodiversity
8. Biodiversity and Conservation NEET PYQs
9. Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to Prepare for Biodiversity and Conservation
10. Weightage and Types of Questions on Biodiversity and Conservation in Exams
11. Prescribed Books for Biodiversity and Conservation

Important Topics of Biodiversity and Conservation

• Biodiversity
• Types of Biodiversity
• Biodiversity Conservation
• Biodiversity in India

Overview of the Chapter

Biodiversity and Conservation class 12 explains the diversity of life on Earth. The earth is surrounded by an amazing variety of living things, including both zooplankton and phytoplankton. The name Biodiversity was coined by Thomas Lovejoy in 1985. There is a huge diversity of living things in nature and all living things depend on one another. The number of species of each species varies from place to place depending on the various aspects of the atmosphere and environment. These are the major factors that determine the density of living organisms in any environment. This shows the richness of biodiversity in any area.

In addition to the importance of the environment, it also has economic value. Biodiversity is a source of food, housing, fuel, clothing and other resources. Some of the most famous natural resources are also advertised as tourist destinations for the benefit of the economy.

Also Read:

• MCQ Practice on Biodiversity and Conservation
• Biodiversity in Plants and Animals
• Biodiversity Pattern Species
• Environmental Issues

What is Biodiversity and its Conservation?

Biodiversity is defined as the diversity of life forms on Earth-plant species, animal species, microorganisms, and the ecosystems they inhabit. Preservation of biodiversity concerns preserving species, habitats, and ecosystems from extinction and degradation by human activities such as deforestation, pollution, and climate change. Conservation methods include in-situ methods, for example, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, and ex-situ methods, for example, zoos and seed banks, to preserve sustainable ecosystems and maintain ecological balance.

Types of Biodiversity

The different types of biodiversity can be explained as:

Genetic Diversity

• Variation in genes for a species, providing it with adaptability and resilience.
• It enables species to adapt, resist diseases, and avoid inbreeding.

Examples of Genetic Diversity within Species

In a species, individuals may also differ in traits such as colour, size, disease resistance, and ability to thrive in certain climates. For example, some plants may be more resistant to drought than others, or more resistant to pests than others.

Importance of Genetic Diversity

Genetic diversity aids species in environmental changes, resistance to diseases, and evolution. It is important for species survival, ecosystem stability, sustainable agriculture, and conservation.

Species Diversity

• Number of species for a given region with species richness and abundance.
• It gives ecosystem stability, productivity, and resilience

Measurement Of Species Diversity

Diversity generally measures the total number of species in a given community or ecosystem equitability on the other hand measures the distribution of the organisms among the species.

Examples of Species Diversity in Different Ecosystems

Tropical rainforests contain a very large number of plants and animals, as well as a good number of microbes. Coral reefs support many species of fish, invertebrates, and corals. Grasslands, deserts, and freshwater ecosystems are home to other species, well adapted to their particular environments.

Ecosystem Diversity

• Number of ecosystems and habitats over the various regions.
• It supports services like clean air, water, and climate regulation.

Examples of Different Ecosystems

Some examples of different ecosystems are:

Forests

Tropical rainforests, temperate forests, and boreal forests teem with their specific kinds of flora and fauna adapted to their climatic conditions.

Grasslands

Savannahs, prairies, and steppes support a wide variety of herbivores and carnivores well adapted to open areas and variable amounts of rainfall.

Aquatic Ecosystems

Freshwater systems, such as lakes and rivers, and marine systems, such as coral reefs and estuaries, are home to a wide variety of organisms and also serve critical roles in regulating climate.

Importance of Diverse Ecosystems

Ecosystems provide human beings with essential resources, such as the provision of food and water, management of climate, and the ability to maintain biodiversity. Maintaining diverse ecosystems ensures the continued supply of these services and enhances the improvement of human well-being while protecting Earth's plants and animals.

Diagram: Different Types of Ecosystems

Importance of Biodiversity

The importance of Biodiversity is explained below:

Ecological Importance

It is vital to protect biological diversity because it supports the ecosystem processes that are necessary for people’s quality of life. Services like pollination, nutrient cycling, and water purification are very important for such activities as farming, food production, and water treatment. Biodiversity also increases the ability of ecosystems to maintain themselves and to recover easily from challenges such as climate change, disease or pollution.

Economic Importance

Biodiversity sustains matters of food, medicine, and industrial usage. A lot of human food and drugs are obtained directly from the cross-sectional classification bolstering the agricultural and pharmaceutical sectors across the world. Further, biological diversity increases ecotourism where people visit areas of conserved biodrural value, for both leisure and learning, which creates income for a nation and employment for its citizens.

Aesthetic and Cultural Value

Other than the utilitarian uses, people associate ecosystems with aesthetic and cultural intrinsic value. They discover how diverse ecosystems and organisms can be depicted in art and can influence peoples’ culture and existence. They give a means of recreation and spirituality to those in the communities as well as teaching spirit of conservation to-do list around the globe.

Biodiversity in India

India is one of the world's most diverse countries. It is ranked ninth in terms of plant species diversity. India is home to two of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots. It is the source of several important crop species, including pigeon peas, eggplant, cucumber, cotton, and sesame. India is also a breeding ground for a variety of domesticated species, including millets, cereals, legumes, vegetables, medicinal and aromatic crops, and so on.

Threats to Biodiversity

The threats to Biodiversity are explained below-

Habitat Destruction

Habitat fragmentation and loss for various reasons such as urban development, agriculture, timber production, and infrastructural development continue to be the leading cause of the decline in biodiversity. Many factors like deforestation and conversion of tracts of land from forests and wetlands to agricultural or built-up land affect ecosystems in such ways as distortion, displacement, and restrictions in the number of habitats available to species.

Climate Change

Global warming is considered an increasing threat to species and ecosystems’ distributions due to shifts in temperature and amount of precipitation. Global warming, enhanced formation of storms, heightening of sea level, and changing weather patterns interfere with the functionality of ecological systems and may affect the creation of life cycles among species besides exposing the most legal species to additional stress.

Pollution

Biodiversity is affected by pollution such as that from industries, agricultural leakages, plastics, and other toxins such as pesticides and heavy metals. Pollutants can bioaccumulate in ecosystems, they can affect the species in the ecosystem by the toxic impact and also by affecting the linkages between the species.

Invasive Species

Some of the invasive species are purposely brought in or they arrive as a consequence of other activities, and they are capable of displacing indigenous species, changing the structure of habitats, and upsetting equilibriums. They generally do not possess their natural enemies or regulators in the new locations, which causes enormous effects on the native species and the function of ecological systems.

Overexploitation

Overexploitation takes place when the rate at which species are caught and killed is beyond their recovery rates. These are through harvesting the stocks in the water bodies such as fish, trading in wildlife products, and cutting down trees in a way that is unprofitable for the species.

Biodiversity and Conservation

Protecting and managing biodiversity resources is essential to maintaining environmental balance and protecting future generations so that they can spend their lives in the most healthy way possible. Biodiversity conservation is important as humans have destroyed biodiversity and if we continue to do so in the same way, our future generations will pay for this loss.

Objectives of Biodiversity Conservation

There are various biodiversity conservation objectives, some of the key objectives are listed below:

• Keeping a variety of species present in the ecosystem.
• For proper flow of the food chain and food web.
• Maintaining the right mixture of air in the atmosphere, as the release of oxygen, carbon dioxide and many other gases depends entirely on the concentration of biodiversity.
• Saving resources such as wood, coal, etc. for the benefit of future generations.
• The equilibrium equation is in both zooplankton and phytoplankton.

Method of Biodiversity Conservation

Since countless species of living things exist in the ecosystem, depending on their existence and density, they are preserved in various ways. Some of these methods are discussed below:

• In Situ conservation
• Ex Situ conservation

In situ Conservation

In-situ conservation forms are conserved in their natural habitat. All in-situ conservation is maintained according to the natural habitat of the organism. There are many positive aspects to in-situ conservation and some of the benefits are discussed below.

• It does not require so much expense in care, it is very easy to save a variety of different types.
• A large number of species can be kept in one place as they have an environment.
• Protected areas under in-situ conservation are known as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and wildlife sanctuaries.

Types of In-Situ Conservation

In particular, there are three types of in situ conservation, namely:

Wildlife Sanctuaries: These are natural areas where wildlife can only be preserved by providing natural habitat. Some of the human activities allowed in the district such as harvesting firewood, planting crops, collecting firewood by local people and tourist activities are also allowed in the area. All of these activities are allowed only if they do not create barriers to the conservation program.

A few examples of wildlife sanctuaries are:

• Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
• Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Rajasthan
• Sariska National Park, Rajasthan,
• Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
• Bandipur National Park, Karnataka
• Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka

National Park: A national park is usually a small area that is maintained and controlled by the government.

In such regions, various human activities that cause disruption such as farming, forestry, pasture, etc. are not allowed.

A few examples of national parks are:

• Kanha National Park
• Kaziranga National Park
• Ranthambore National Park
• Gir National Park
• Bandhavgarh National Park
• Nagarhole National Park
• Periyar National Park
• Sundarbans National Park

Ex Situ Conservation

Under this process, the conservation of endangered species is preserved to prevent extinction. In this ecosystem, an artificial environment is created depending on the living environment. Other examples of ex-situ conservation are zoos, botanical gardens (endangered plants), genetic banks (to preserve seeds of any genetic material), etc.

In this type of conservation competition between biodiversity is often avoided.

Benefits of Ex Situ Conservation

• There is very little competition between living things.
• Various new methods are being used to preserve endangered species.
• Species that are endemic to the reserve can be reintroduced into the wild to increase population density in the ecosystem.

Biodiversity Conservation Strategies

Too many strategies can be implemented for biodiversity conservation. Some of the major strategies are discussed below:

• Endangered species must first be protected as they are at high risk of extinction.
• Poaching should be restricted to avoid a significant decline in biodiversity.
• Pollution must be minimised so that animals do not become infected.
• Deforestation should be stopped and serious action taken against those who do so for their own benefit.
• Various national parks and wildlife sanctuaries should be established for biodiversity conservation.
• Different environmental laws should be applied to preserve biodiversity.
• Endangered species must always be given extra care with safe environmental conditions.
• High-risk ecosystems should be given priority.
• Resources should be consumed or used with extreme caution.
• Public awareness programs should be introduced to spread the importance of the ecosystem within humans.

Biodiversity and Conservation NEET PYQs

Here are some biodiversity and conservation MCQs that focus on the Biodiversity and Conservation Class 12 chapter, this will help you in practising biodiversity and conservation NEET MCQs.

MCQs:

1. Which of the following is the main cause of biodiversity loss?
   a) Habitat destruction
   b) Sustainable agriculture
   c) Pollination
   d) Conservation efforts

   Answer: a) Habitat destruction

2. Which of the following species is known as the “keystone species” in its ecosystem?
   a) Grasshopper
   b) Coral
   c) Panda
   d) Rabbit

   Ans: b) Coral

3. The term “biodiversity hotspots” refers to regions that:
   a) Are extremely cold
   b) Have low species diversity
   c) Are rich in endemic species and under threat
   d) Lack of any conservation concerns

   Ans: c) Are rich in endemic species and under threat

4. Which of the following is a key objective of conservation biology?
   a) Maximizing human resource extraction
   b) Preserving biological diversity
   c) Reducing biodiversity
   d) Encouraging habitat destruction

   Ans: b) Preserving biological diversity

5. The concept of ‘Sacred Groves’ is an example of:
   a) In-situ conservation
   b) Ex-situ conservation
   c) Gene pool conservation
   d) Cloning

   Ans: a) In-situ conservation

These Biodiversity and Conservation NEET MCQs will give you an idea about the Biodiversity and Conservation Class 12 MCQ syllabus, helping in NEET exam preparation.

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies to Prepare for Biodiversity and Conservation

Here are some tips and tricks to prepare for Biodiversity and Conservation:

Mnemonics

Remember the large five threats to biodiversity using "HIPPO": Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, Population, and Overexploitation.

Study Aids

Make diagrams illustrating both in-situ as well as ex-situ methods of conservation.

Prepare tables to state endangered species and their IUCN Red List status.

Multimedia

Watch videos and animations on hotspots of biodiversity as well as their conservation around the world and in India.

Flashcards

Use flashcards to remember words and their meaning, like endemic species, biodiversity hotspots, and various techniques of conservation.

Weightage and Types of Questions on Biodiversity and Conservation in Exams

The table below indicates the weightage and types of questions from Biodiversity and Conservation in different exams:

Prescribed Books for Biodiversity and Conservation

NCERT Biology textbook class 12 forms the base for learning the biodiversity and Conservation. Further extended understanding of the concept can be done through "Trueman's Elementary Biology, Volume 1", which provides all essential explanations with practice questions. Another helpful book is "Pradeep's Biology" which provides proper explanations with solved examples. Other great videos, articles, and practice mock tests are available on the Careers360 website for this topic. Since consistent practice with these resources will prepare you for both board exams and NEET, this combination is excellent.

Also Read:

Recommended Video on Biodiversity and Conservation