The Biodiversity of India


Book Description

Over 45,000 plant and 77,000 animal species have been recorded in India and make up 7 per cent of the total plant and 6.4 per cent of the total animal species found in the world. The enormous variation of landscapes due to climate and topography has created different ecosystems that support and nurture this bio-diversity. From the majestic Himalayas in the North to the lush tropics of the South, the precious natural resources of this subcontinent are found in forest, grassland, island, coastal belt, marine, desert and semi-arid ecosystems. Industrialization and modern ways of life are pillaging these resources and posing a monumental threat to the natural world. It is estimated that as many as 50 per cent of the earth's species are likely to become extinct during the first two decades of the 21st century.




Biological Diversity: Current Status and Conservation Policies


Book Description

The present book has been designed to bind prime knowledge of climate change-induced impacts on various aspects of our environment and its biological diversity. The book also contains updated information, methods and tools for the monitoring and conservation of impacted biological diversity.




Biodiversity and Conservation of the Yucatán Peninsula


Book Description

This book provides information relevant for the conservation of biodiversity and the sound management of the coastal and forest ecosystems of the Yucatan Peninsula in the face of global change. Various aspects of the biodiversity of the Yucatan Peninsula are analyzed in an integrative manner, including phenological, ecophysiological, ecological and conservation aspects of plants and animals and their relationships with humans in coastal and forest ecosystems.




Wildlife Biodiversity Conservation


Book Description

This book addresses the multidisciplinary challenges in biodiversity conservation with a focus on wildlife crime and how forensic tools can be applied to protect species and preserve ecosystems. Illustrated by numerous case studies covering different geographical regions and species the book introduces to the fundamentals of biodiversity conflicts, outlines the unique challenges of wildlife crime scenes and reviews latest techniques in environmental forensics, such as DNA metagenomics. In addition, the volume explores the socio-economic perspective of biodiversity protection and provides an overview of national and international conservation laws. The field of conservation medicine stresses the importance of recognizing that human health, animal health, and ecosystem health are inextricably interdependent and the book serves as important contribution towards achieving the UN Sustainable Developmental Goals, in particular SDG 15, Life on Land. The book addresses graduate students, scientists and veterinary professionals working in wildlife research and conservation biology.




The Economics of Biodiversity Conservation


Book Description

Economic valuation of biodiversity and ecosystem services is possibly the most powerful tool for halting the loss of biodiversity while maintaining incomes and livelihoods. Yet rarely have such approaches been applied to tropical forest ?hotspots?, which house the vast majority of the planets plant and animal species. This ground-breaking work is the most comprehensive and detailed examination of the economics of environmental valuation and biodiversity conservation to date. Focusing on the Western Ghats of India, one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world, this volume looks at a cross-section of local communities living within or near sanctuaries and reserve forests such as coffee growers, indigenous people and farmers-cum-pastoralists to assess the use and non-use values that people derive from tropical forests. It also looks at the extent of their dependence on forests for various goods and services, and examines their perceptions and attitudes towards biodiversity conservation and wildlife protection. The book concludes with an assessment of the institutional alternatives and policies for promoting biodiversity conservation through economic valuation methods. Related titles Economics for Collaborative Environmental Management (2005) 1-84407-095-6




Conserving Biodiversity


Book Description

The loss of the earth's biological diversity is widely recognized as a critical environmental problem. That loss is most severe in developing countries, where the conditions of human existence are most difficult. Conserving Biodiversity presents an agenda for research that can provide information to formulate policy and design conservation programs in the Third World. The book includes discussions of research needs in the biological sciences as well as economics and anthropology, areas of critical importance to conservation and sustainable development. Although specifically directed toward development agencies, non-governmental organizations, and decisionmakers in developing nations, this volume should be of interest to all who are involved in the conservation of biological diversity.




Socio-economic and Eco-biological Dimensions in Resource Use and Conservation


Book Description

This book presents the outcomes of the 2017 national workshop and international conference organized by CEENR of ISEC, Bengaluru and Assam University Silchar. Addressing the threats to biodiversity and sustainable development resulting from the impacts of human induced pressures on ecosystems and global-warming-driven climate change is a major challenge. It requires increased knowledge and an enhanced information base in order to devise local policies to improve the adaptive capacity of vulnerable socio-ecological systems in developing countries. In this context, the book presents research that has the potential to benefit the environment and empower communities. It appeals to researchers investigating diverse aspects of socio-ecological-biological systems to create strategies for resource use, conservation and management to ensure sustainability.




Biodiversity and Livelihood: Lessons from Community Research in India


Book Description

Biodiversity and Livelihood: Lessons from Community Research in India Is a compilation of research articles on the ecological biodiversity and local conservation efforts of selected regions in India, and among local communities throughout the county. 18 chapters have been contributed by experts in ecology, sustainability and ethnic studies in India. The chapters provide information on a wide range of tops which cover local communities, their agricultural practices and the ecological relationships between their community and the species on which their livelihood depends. Contributions emphasize different aspects of these topics, such as observational ecological information about the aforementioned regions and communities, the local biodiversity, tribal customs of ethnic communities that are linked to conservation, specific programs which are aimed at the conservation of specific plant and animal species endemic to the region, the benefits shared by the communities involved with conservation programs and recommendations shared by the authors for sustainable management of the regional ecosystem and its resources. Readers will find a wealth of information about biodiversity conservation in different regions in India (most notably the western and eastern ghats and provinces such as Kerala and Andhra Pradesh), from a basic and applied perspective. The book is, therefore, an informative reference for conservationists, ecologists, environmentalists and ethnologists who are studying the biodiversity and conservation of India. Readers involved in sustainable development programs in the region will also find the content valuable to their knowledge.




The Diversity of Life


Book Description

This classic by the distinguished Harvard entomologist tells how life on earth evolved and became diverse, and now, how diversity and life are endangered by us, truly. While Wilson contributed a great deal to environmental ethics by calling for the preservation of whole ecosystems rather than individual species, his environmentalism appears too anthropocentric: "We should judge every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity." And: "Signals abound that the loss of life's diversity endangers not just the body but the spirit." This reprint of the 1992 Belknap Press publication contains a new foreword. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR