Sanjeet Kumar
The loss of biodiversity is a global crisis. There is hardly any region on the earth that is not facing ecological catastrophes. Of the 3.4 million species known to inhabit the earth, one fourth is likely to become extinct within the next few decades. Biological extinction has been a natural phenomenon is geological history. But the rare of extinction was perhaps one species every 1,000 years. But man’s intervention has speeded up the extinction rates all the more. Between 1600 and 1950, the rate of extinction went up to one species every 10 years now we are probably losing one species every year.
The destruction of the world’s tropical forests, which are disappearing at an alarming rate, is one of today’ most urgent global environmental issues. A rich species diversity is slowly being lost forever. Tropical forests are estimated to contain 50 to 90 % of the world’s biodiversity. The report, based on studies carried out by FAO, found the tropical forests is strinking at the rate of 0.8 % each year. About 154 ha of tropical forest equivalent to almost three times of size of France have been destroyed if the current rate of deforestation continues scientists estimate 5 to 10 % of tropical forest species may face extinction within next one or two decades.
Rainforests the home to half of the world’s life forms, continue to be destroyed at the rate of ever 100,000 kilometre square every year. This loss of biodiversity has immediate and long terms effects on human survival. The majority of the world’s human population still depends on wild plant and animals for their daily food, medicine, housing and household material, agriculture, fodder, fuel wood and intellectual stimulation.
The loss is ever more direct in the case of domesticated biodiversity. Traditional farmers of the world have developed an incredible variety of crops and livestock. This to has been eroded over the last few decades, as thousands of traditional crop strains and hundreds of domesticated livestock breeds being replaced by and handful of laboratory generated hybrids or by dominant cash crops.
Speciation and extinction are natural processes. Traditionally, from the Darwinian perspective, extinction is the fate of species which lose in the struggle for survival.
Major Causes for the loss of Biodiversity
1. Destruction of habitat
2. Hunting
3. Exploitation of selected species
4. Habitat fragmentation
5. Collection for zoo and research
6. Introduction of exotic species
7. Pollution
8. Control of Pests and predators
9. Natural calamities
Other factors
a) Distribution range
b) Degree of specialization
c) Position in the food chain
d) Reproductive rate
The major IUCN threatened categories are
a) Extinct
b) Endangered
c) Vulnerable
d) Rare
e) Indeterminate
Components of Biodiversity
1. Identification
2. Protection in situ
3. Protection ex situ
4. Access / extraction
5. Use
6. Breeding / Cultivation / Multiplication
7. Trade
8. Introduction / Augmentation
9. Release
10. Movement
11. Intellectual property right
