In the last article, I had tried to create a connection for the importance of biodiversity,
which in a country like India is not getting the kind of awareness, attention, and interest,
required for our own and country’s benefits. Let’s try to understand it in a better way and
its importance for our survival.
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Read Also : Most Polluted Major City on Earth – Delhi
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WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?
Biodiversity is the variety of kinds of life in different forms from plants, animals to all kinds of microorganisms in different ecosystems including deserts, grasslands, rainforests, coral reefs, tundra (treeless region), and polar ice caps. Every form of life on earth is an important and integral part of the system which helps in sustaining life on the planet earth. It’s like a chain, which starts malfunctioning on the missing and discontinuation of any part, however small it may be. So, the well-being of every species on Earth is very important for the well-being of the whole ecosystem. Each species in the ecosystem has a specific role to play. Good and healthy biodiversity supports a larger number of the plant system, greater variety of crops, protect freshwater resources, promote soil formation and protection, aid in breaking pollutants, contribute to climate stability, provide more food, medicinal, and drugs resources, and support in nutrient storage and recycling.
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Read Also : Uncultivated food: food that money can’t buy,
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During the last 200 million years, as part of the process of evolution, 100 to 1000 species became extinct every century. In recent centuries, human activities have accelerated the extinction rate of species considerably. Now it is 100 to 10000 times higher than the natural rate in the past. More than 700 major species of VERTEBRATES, INVERTEBRATES, and VASCULAR PLANTS have become extinct since 1600 AD. Our environment and the species that live, in them need a diverse population of genes. More genetic defects are caused by inbreeding. With reduced diversity in the gene pool, the chances of extinction increases.
India is one of the world’s most biologically and culturally diverse countries. It is a country with huge and tremendous biodiversity which can be attributed to the vast variety of landforms and climates, resulting in habitats ranging from tropical temperature, alpine to deserts. As a consequence of both the diversity of these conditions and various ethnic populations, the country has become an important center of diversity of many domesticated species including various cereals, millets, legumes, vegetables, temperate and tropical fruits, fiber crops, medicinal and aromatic plants. Of the total 25 hotspots of biodiversity, recognized in the world, two are found in India. Why do we call them hot spots is because the 35 known biodiversity hot spots cover only 2.3% of the earth’s surface! yet more than 50% of the world’s plant species and 62% of all terrestrial vertebrates’ species live in the hot spots. The two biodiversity hotspots in India are WESTERN GHAT and THE INDO BURMA REGION.
Today let’s try to gauge the richness of western Ghats.
The Western Ghats run parallel to the west coast of India. It constitutes more than 1600
km. the strip of forests in the states of Gujrat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, and Tamil
Nadu, covering a total area of 160000 square km. The northern portion of the narrow
coastal plain between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea is known as KONKAN.
The central portion is known as KANARA, the southern part is called MALABAR.
Western Ghats are also known as the Great Escarpment of India along with SAHAYDRI
in Maharashtra. Agumbe Rainforest, Shivsamundra falls, Jog Falls, Coorg country,
Chikmagalur Coffee estate, all in Karnataka and Ambelli Hill Station, Vajrai waterfalls,
Kaas plateau, Mahabaleshwar, Alsej Ghat, all in Maharashtra, Ponmudi peak,
Eravikulam National Park, Munnar Tea Garden, all in Kerla, and Ooty Udgamandalam
and Valprai road hill station in Tamil Nadu are some of the renowned tourist spots in the
Western Ghats.
The Western Ghats is one of the most biodiverse places on the earth. New species are
being discovered even today in these forests. It has some of the wettest climates and
supports extensive grasslands interspersed (untouched by human hands), tropical evergreen forest cover known as SHOLAS occur in Nilgiri hills. They have dense and lofty trees with much species diversity, mosses, ferns, epiphytes, orchids, lianas, and vines, herbs shrubs make it a diverse habitat. There are wild elephants, gaur, and other larger animals. Most species are tree dwellers. Out of the 17000 flowering plant species, more than 4500 occurs in the Western Ghats.
The Western Ghats form one of the four watersheds of India, feeding the perennial
rivers like Godavari, Kaveri, Krishna, Thamiraparni, and Tungabhadra. There are 50
major dams along the length of the Western Ghats. Koyna in Maharashtra, Krishna Raja
Sagar in Karnataka, Methur, and Pykara in Tamilnadu and Idukki in Kerla are some of
them.
These hill ranges serve as important wildlife corridors. The largest population of tigers
outside Sunderbans is in the Western Ghats. The Western Ghats eco-green has the
largest Indian elephant population. The major population of snake families is restricted
in this region. It has a significant population of the vulnerable mugger crocodiles. More
than 80% of 180 amphibian species are there in the rainforest of the mountains. About
290 freshwater fish species are noticed in the Western Ghats. There are at least 510
bird species. There is a minimum of 6000 insect species. Out of the total 336 butterfly
species, 316 have been found here. There are endless varieties of different life forms
here.
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Read Also : This Kerala man maintains a roadside vegetable garden open to all,
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Do you know that India was an island about 100 million years ago? It collided with the
Asian continent somewhere 50 to 60 million years ago and thus Himalayas was born.
India is a unique country that has many special privileges bestowed upon us by Mother
Nature. Varanasi is 5000 years old and is one of the oldest inhabited places in the
world. Mysterious anti-gravity hills in Ladakh (magnetic hills), Mawsyriam – the wettest
place on earth (11880 mm), the population of a maximum number of vegetarians, Tulsi
Shyam – the hills that defy gravity are some very special places and facts about India.
India is the largest producer of milk in the world. The Himalayan ranges have 9 out of 10
world’s highest peaks, a large part of which is in India. We have about 300000 mosques
in India. India is the richest and bio diversified place on earth. That’s why culturally we
are so rich. Let’s recognize our heritage richness, appreciate it, conserve it, save it, and
transform it in the form of a dynamic tool by imbibing modern values. Only then we will
be able to bring back the past glory we have inherited.
Tags: #animal, #boidiversity, #crops, #earth, #getgreengetgrowing, #gngagritech, #goa, #greenstories, #gujrat, #karnataka, #maharashtra, #plant, #rainforest, #tamilnadu, #tree, #treelessregion, #vegetables
