VELAMMAL VIDHYASHRAM

SURAPET

BIoLogY INVESTIgAToRY PRoJECT

oN

TYPES oF BIoDIVERSITY AND CAUSES oF ITS LoSS

NAME : PRAVEEN.M

CLASS : 12B2

RoLL NUMBER :

SSCE -2023 -2024

 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that, PRAVEEN.M of class XII B2 has successfully

completed the project on the topic of Types of biodiversity and causes of
its loss under the guidance of Ms.Lanciyet Betzy.L in partial fulfillment
of physics practical examination conducted by SSCE, CBSE, New
Delhi for the academic year 2023 – 2024.

Signature of teacher in charge Signature of Internal Examiner

Signature of Principal Signature of External Examiner

 ACKNoWLEDgEMENT

In the accomplishment of this project successfully, many people have

best owned upon me their blessings and the heart pledged support. So I
am utilizing this opportunity to thank all the people who have been
concerned with my project.

Primarily I would like to thank God almighty for giving me the strength,
knowledge and good health to complete this project with success.

Then I would like to thank our Senior Principal sir and Principal Mam
for their continuous support and our biology teacher whose whole
hearted guidance helped me to patch this project and make it full proof
success. The suggestions and instructions given by them served as the
major contribution to the completion of this project.

Then I would like to thank my parents and friends who have helped me
with their valuable suggestions and guidance, which has been helpful in
various phases of the completion of this project.
Last but not the least I would like to thank my classmates who have
helped me a lot.
 CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY

3. IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY

4. BIODIVERSITY IN INDIA

5. PATTERNS OF BIODIVERSITY

6. LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

7. CAUSES OF BIODIVERSITY

8. BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

9. CONCLUSION

10. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 INTRODUCTION

Biodiversity Definition :
“Biodiversity is the variation among living organisms from
different sources including terrestrial, marine and desert
ecosystems, and the ecological complexes of which they are
a part.”

What is Biodiversity ?
Biodiversity describes the richness and variety of life on earth. It
is the most complex and important feature of our planet. Without
biodiversity, life would not sustain.
The term biodiversity was coined in 1985. It is important in natural as
well as artificial ecosystems. It deals with nature’s variety, the biosphere.
It refers to variability among plants, animals and microorganism species.
Biodiversity includes the number of different organisms and their relative
frequencies in an ecosystem. It also reflects the organization of organisms
at different levels.
Biodiversity holds ecological and economic significance. It provides us
with nourishment, housing, fuel, clothing and several other resources. It
also extracts monetary benefits through tourism. Therefore, it is very
important to have a good knowledge of biodiversity for a sustainable
livelihood.
.

TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY
There are the following three different types of biodiversity:

 Genetic Biodiversity
 Species Biodiversity
 Ecological Biodiversity

Species diversity :
Species diversity refers to the variety of different types of species found
in a particular area. It is the biodiversity at the most basic level. It
includes all the species ranging from plants to different microorganisms.
No two individuals of the same species are exactly similar. For example,
humans show a lot of diversity among themselves.

Genetic diversity :
It refers to the variations among the genetic resources of the organisms.
Every individual of a particular species differs from each other in their
genetic constitution. That is why every human looks different from each
other. Similarly, there are different varieties in the same species of rice,
wheat, maize, barley, etc.
Ecological diversity :
An ecosystem is a collection of living and non-living organisms and their
interaction with each other. Ecological biodiversity refers to the
variations in the plant and animal species living together and connected
by food chains and food webs.

It is the diversity observed among the different ecosystems in a region.

Diversity in different ecosystems like deserts, rainforest, mangroves, etc.,
include ecological diversity.

IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity and its maintenance are very important for sustaining life on
earth. A few of the reasons explaining the importance of biodiversity are:

Ecological Stability :
Every species has a specific role in an ecosystem. They capture and store
energy and also produce and decompose organic matter. The ecosystem
supports the services without which humans cannot survive. A diverse
ecosystem is more productive and can withstand environmental stress.

Economic Importance :
Biodiversity is a reservoir of resources for the manufacture of food,
cosmetic products and pharmaceuticals.
Crops livestock, fishery, and forests are a rich sources of food.
Wild plants such as Cinchona and Foxglove plant are used for medicinal
purposes.
Wood, fibers, perfumes, lubricants, rubber, resins, poison and cork are all
derived from different plant species.
The national parks and sanctuaries are a source of tourism. They are a
source of beauty and joy for many people.
Ethical Importance :

All species have a right to exist. Humans should not cause their voluntary
extinction. Biodiversity preserves different cultures and spiritual heritage.
Therefore, it is very important to conserve biodiversity.

BIODIVERSITY IN INDIA
India is one of the most diverse nations in the world. It ranks ninth in
terms of plant species richness. Two of the world’s 25 biodiversity
hospots are found in India. It is the origin of important crop species such
as pigeon pea, eggplant, cucumber, cotton and sesame. India is also a
centre of various domesticated species such as millet, cereals, legumes,
vegetables, medicinal and aromatic crops, etc.
India is equally diverse in its fauna wealth. There are about 91000 animal
species found here.
However, diversity is depleting at a drastic rate and various programme
on biodiversity conservation are being launched to conserve nature.
 PATTERNS OF BIODIVERSITY
Following are the different patterns of biodiversity

Latitudinal Gradients :
Species diversity decreases towards the poles. There are a number of
species in the tropics as compared to the temperate and polar regions.
This is due to the following reasons:

 The tropical regions have remained undisturbed for several years.

This resulted in the diversification of species in the tropics.
 The environment in the tropics is more predictable and constant.
This is yet another reason for increased species diversity.
 Solar energy adds to higher productivity and helps in increasing
biodiversity in the tropics.

Species-Area Relationship :
The graph between species richness and area for a variety of taxa is a
rectangular hyperbola. The diagram depicts the same.

On a logarithmic scale, the relationship is a straight line described by the

equation
log S = log C + Z log A
where,
S= Species richness
A= Area
Z = slope of the line (regression coefficient)

C = Y-intercept

LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
Loss of biodiversity in a region can lead to

 Deterioration in plant production,

 Decreased resistance to environmental issues such as drought,
global warming, etc., and
 High variability in certain ecosystem processes such as plant
productivity, water use and pest and disease cycles.
 CAUSES OF BIODIVERSITY

The following are the causes of the loss of biodiversity.

 Habitat loss and fragmentation

 Over-exploitation
 Alien species invasions
 Co-extinctions

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

Biodiversity conservation is the protection, enlistment and management

of biodiversity to derive sustainable benefits for present and future
generations.
Biodiversity can be conserved by the following two methods:

 In-situ conservation – It involves the protection and conservation

of a variety of animals and plant species in its natural habitat. It
includes biosphere reserves, hot spots, national parks and
sanctuaries, wild forests etc.
 Ex-situ conservation – It involves the protection and conservation
of rare species of animals and plants outside their natural habitats.
These include zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, gene banks, etc..
 RESONS FOR BIODIVERSITY
CONSERVATION

Biodiversity should be conserved for the following reasons:

1. Humans derive a number of economic benefits from nature, such as

firewood, food, construction material, fibre, and medicines.
2. The Amazon forests provide 20% of the total atmospheric oxygen
on Earth.
3. These are our biological legacies and should be passed on to future
generations.
4. Birds, bees and birds are some of the pollinating agents in the
ecosystem.
 CONCLUSION
Biodiversity and the various methods for its conservation
has been discussed in the article. We have discussed the
various levels of biodiversity like the ecosystem diversity,
genetic diversity, etc. Also, we have learn about the
different types of methods to conserve biodiversity for
example the ex situ diversity and in situ diversity. We
have further discussed the various reasons why it is
important to conserve biodiversity. To sum up, we can
conclude that biodiversity is an important topic to discuss
as it gives us details about various species around us and
their importance and lifestyles.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 NCERT Biology Textbook (2023-2024)

 unacademy.com
 byjus.com/biology/biodiversity