SSC CGL - Detailed Guide 2025

Self-Paced Course

Biodiversity

Reference: Lucent GK, NCERT Class 6–12

Definition: Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms on Earth — from genes to species to ecosystems — and their ecological roles.

Biodiversity exists at 3 main levels:

Level	Description	Example
Genetic Diversity	Variability in genes within species	Different rice or wheat varieties
Species Diversity	Variety of species within a habitat/region	Tigers, elephants, frogs, butterflies in a forest
Ecosystem Diversity	Diversity of habitats, biotic communities, and ecological processes	Forests, deserts, coral reefs, wetlands

India ranks among the top 10 countries in terms of species richness.

India is one of the 17 “megadiverse” countries and hosts four of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots:

Hotspot	Location	Unique Features
Western Ghats	Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu	High endemism (species found nowhere else), evergreen forests
Himalayas	Jammu & Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh	Alpine forests, medicinal plants, snow leopards
Indo-Burma	Northeast India, Myanmar, parts of SE Asia	Rich amphibian and bird species diversity
Sundaland (Nicobar Is.)	Nicobar Islands	Mangroves, coral reefs, endemic reptiles

Biodiversity Hotspots Criteria:

Method	Description	Examples
Biosphere Reserves	Large protected areas for conservation + sustainable use	Nilgiri, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi
National Parks	Strict protection zones; no human activity allowed	Kaziranga, Corbett, Gir, Bandhavgarh
Wildlife Sanctuaries	Protect animals/plants with some permissible activities	Bharatpur, Ranthambore, Periyar
Sacred Groves	Community-protected forest patches	Meghalaya, Western Ghats

India has:

Method	Description	Examples
Zoos	Captive breeding and display of wild animals	Delhi Zoo, Mysore Zoo
Botanical Gardens	Plant conservation and research	Indian Botanical Garden (Howrah)
Seed Banks	Preserve genetic material for future use	National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), Delhi
Gene Banks, Cryopreservation	Long-term storage of genetic material in labs	ICAR, IARI facilities

Ex-situ helps conserve threatened or endangered species.

Threat Type	Description
Habitat Loss	Deforestation, land-use change, mining
Poaching & Hunting	Illegal trade in body parts (e.g., tigers, rhinos)
Pollution	Air, water, soil contamination affecting ecosystems
Invasive Species	Alien species outcompeting native species (e.g., Lantana, Water Hyacinth)
Climate Change	Alters habitats and migration patterns, threatens ecosystems

Biodiversity is most threatened in ecologically fragile zones like mangroves, coral reefs, and mountain regions.

Global efforts help guide biodiversity protection and policy coordination.

Convention	Full Form	Objective
CBD	Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)	Conservation, sustainable use, fair benefit sharing
CITES	Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (1975)	Regulate trade in flora & fauna
Ramsar Convention	Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (1971)	Wetland conservation
IUCN	International Union for Conservation of Nature	Publishes Red List of threatened species
UNESCO MAB	Man and Biosphere Programme	Sustainable development through Biosphere Reserves

India is a party to all above conventions.

Red List: Maintained by IUCN; classifies species as Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, etc.
CITES is legally binding but does not replace national laws.
CBD adopted during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (1992).
Ramsar Sites in India: 75+ wetlands (as of 2024); Chilika Lake, Keoladeo, Ashtamudi, etc.

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