Biodiversity Conservation, Hotspots & Protected Areas – Lecture 6

Mizoram Civil Service Exam Notes | Environment Series

Lecture 6 is extremely important for UPSC and MPSC — it covers Loss of Biodiversity, Mass Extinctions, Biodiversity Conservation methods, Biodiversity Hotspots, India’s 4 Hotspots in detail, and key committees like Gadgil Commission and Kasturirangan Panel. This topic comes up in almost every prelims paper.

Loss of Biodiversity

According to the IUCN Red List (2004), 784 species have gone extinct in the last 500 years.
Since the origin and diversification of life on Earth, there were five episodes of mass extinction

The 5 Mass Extinctions

Sl No.	Name	When (mya = million years ago)
1	Ordovician–Silurian extinction	444 mya
2	Late Devonian extinction	383–359 mya
3	Permian–Triassic extinction	252 mya
4	Triassic–Jurassic extinction	201 mya
5	Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction	66 mya (dinosaurs wiped out)

Presently — the Sixth Extinction is in progress

The Sixth Mass Extinction

Earth is currently experiencing a biodiversity crisis
Recent estimates suggest extinction threatens up to a million species of plants and animals, largely because of human activities — deforestation, hunting, overexploitation, habitat and ecosystem destruction, pollution, climate change, invasive species, etc.
Current species extinction rates estimated to be 100 to 1,000 times faster than in pre-human times
Ecologists warn that if present trends continue, nearly half of all species on Earth might be wiped out within the next 100 years

UPSC 2018: The term “sixth mass extinction/sixth extinction” is often mentioned in news in the context of?
Answer: (d) Mankind’s over-exploitation/misuse of natural resources, fragmentation/loss of natural habitats, destruction of ecosystems, pollution and global climate change

UPSC 2018: Why is a plant called Prosopis juliflora often mentioned in news?
Answer: (b) It tends to reduce the biodiversity in the area in which it grows (invasive species)

Biodiversity Conservation

Conservation can be done both In-situ and Ex-situ:

In-situ (On-site)	Ex-situ (Off-site)
Biodiversity Hotspots	Zoological Parks
Biosphere Reserves	Botanical Gardens
National Parks	Wildlife Safari Parks
Sanctuaries	Seed Banks
Reserved Forests	Germplasm Banks
Protected Forests
Nature Reserves
Sacred Groves

UPSC 2012: Which one is NOT a site for in-situ method of conservation of flora?
Answer: (b) Botanical Garden (Botanical Gardens are Ex-situ)

UPSC 2014: The most important strategy for the conservation of biodiversity together with traditional human life is the establishment of?
Answer: (d) Biosphere Reserves

The official UPSC answer key marks this as Biosphere Reserves.
The defining characteristic of a Biosphere Reserve (under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere programme) is that it explicitly integrates human settlements, sustainable tribal life, and traditional modes of living within its buffer and transition zones. National Parks, by contrast, strictly exclude human habitation and resource exploitation under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Biodiversity Hotspots

Concept given by Norman Myers
A biodiversity hotspot is a bio-geographic region that is both:
A significant reservoir of biodiversity, AND
Threatened with destruction
Most hotspots are located in the tropics but not confined to tropics
These regions are under threat from humans

Criteria to Qualify as a Biodiversity Hotspot

A region must meet two strict criteria:

It must have at least 1,500 vascular plants as endemics (found only in that place — e.g., Muga silk in Assam)

It must have a high percentage of plant life found nowhere else on the planet
A hotspot, in other words, is irreplaceable

It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation remaining (i.e., 70% destroyed)

In other words, it must be threatened

UPSC 2011: Three criteria that contributed to recognition of Western Ghats–Sri Lanka and Indo-Burma regions as hotspots of biodiversity:

Species richness 4. Ethno-botanical importance

Vegetation density 5. Threat perception

Endemism 6. Adaptation of flora & fauna to warm & humid conditions

Answer: (c) 1, 3 and 5

Biodiversity Hotspots Around the World

Around the world, 36 areas qualify as hotspots (Latest addition: The North American Coastal Plain)
They represent just 2.5% of Earth’s land surface (official figure recognized by Conservation International—especially after the addition of the 36th hotspot—is 2.5%
But they support more than half of the world’s plant species as endemics
And nearly 43% of bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species as endemics
Biodiversity hotspots are identified by Conservation International (CI)

PSC 2017: The number of biodiversity hotspots in the world is?
Answer: (d) 36

UPSC 2010 (Statements):

Biodiversity hotspots are located only in tropical regions ❌ (FALSE — not confined to tropics)

India has four biodiversity hotspots i.e., Eastern Himalayas, Western Himalayas, Western Ghats and Andaman and Nicobar Islands ❌ (FALSE — India’s 4 hotspots are different)

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Biodiversity Hotspots in India

Four hotspots fall within Indian territory:

The Himalayan Hotspot
Indo-Burma Hotspot (Mizoram)
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
Sundaland Hotspot

(Note: The Andaman Islands fall under the Indo-Burma hotspot, while the Nicobar Islands fall under Sundaland)

Practice Question: Which biodiversity hotspots fall within Indian territory?

Indo-Burma region 2. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka 3. Sundaland 4. Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands

Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 3 only (Sundaland has a small part in Indian territory; Madagascar is NOT in India)

Practice Question: Which global biodiversity hotspots are located in India either partly/completely?

The Himalayas 2. Indo-Burman region 3. Western Ghats 4. Sundaland 5. Madagascar and Indian Ocean Islands

Answer: (c) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only

India’s Hotspots in Detail

1. The Himalayan Hotspot

Home to the world’s highest mountains, including Mt. Everest
Mountains rise abruptly — creating a diversity of ecosystems (bio-geography)
Vascular plants have been recorded at more than 6,000 metres
Spans India, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar

Flora:

Western Himalayas	Eastern Himalayas
Chir, Pine, Conifers	Oaks, Laurels
Broadleaved temperate trees	Maples, Rhododendrons
Deodar, Blue Pine	Alder, Birch
Spruce, Silver Fir

UPSC 2014: If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants naturally growing there?

Oak 2. Rhododendron 3. Sandalwood

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only (Sandalwood is NOT found in Himalayas)

MPSC 2011: The Himalayan Range is very rich in species diversity. Which among the following is the most appropriate reason for this phenomenon?
Answer: (b) It is a confluence of different bio-geographical zones

2. Indo-Burma Hotspot

Encompasses more than 2.3 million km² of tropical Asia
One of the richest yet very fragile hotspots
Also holds remarkable endemism in freshwater turtle species
Bird life: holds almost 1,300 different bird species including:
The white-eared night heron
The grey-crowned crocias
The orange-necked partridge

3. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka

Rich endemic assemblage of plants, reptiles and amphibians
Sri Lanka alone may be home to as many as 140 endemic species of amphibians

Western Ghats — Key Facts:

Mountain range along the western side of India
Runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan plateau
Separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea
Spanning over 6 states, 44 districts and 142 taluks
Starts near the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra (south of Tapti river)
Runs ~1,600 km through Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala
Ends at Kanyakumari at the southern tip of India
Covers 160,000 km² — forms catchment area for complex riverine drainage systems
Average elevation: 1,200 metres
Western Ghats are older than the Himalaya mountains
High mountain forest ecosystems influence the Indian monsoon weather pattern
Moderates the tropical climate and presents one of the best examples of monsoon system in the planet

Biodiversity of Western Ghats:

Exceptionally high level of biodiversity
Home to at least 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species
One of the world’s ten “Hottest biodiversity hotspots”
More than 1,500 endemic species of flowering plants
At least 500 species of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals

Endemic species found:

Malabar large-spotted civet
Lion-tailed macaque
Crimson-backed sunbird
Nilgiri Marten
Grey Horn Bill
Cochin Cane Turtle
Common Green Forest Lizard

Other endangered species:
Asian elephants, Sloth Bear, Black panther, Leopard, Tiger, Sambar, Wild Boar, Great Indian Hornbill

UPSC 2013: In which states is Lion-tailed macaque found in its natural habitat?

Tamil Nadu 2. Kerala 3. Karnataka 4. Andhra Pradesh

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

UPSC 2013: In which regions of India are you most likely to come across the ‘Great Indian Hornbill’ in its natural habitat?
Answer: (d) Western Ghats

Important Protected Areas in Western Ghats:

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve — 5,500 sq km; evergreen forests of Nagarahole and deciduous forests of Bandipur in Karnataka; adjoining regions of Wayanad-Mukurthi in Kerala
Mudumalai National Park–Santhyamangalam (Tiger Reserve) — links Eastern and Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu; forms the largest contiguous protected area in the Western Ghats
Silent Valley in Kerala — among the last tracts of virgin tropical evergreen forest in India

UPSC 2017: From ecological point of view, which assumes importance in being a good link between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats?
Answer: (a) Santhyamangalam Tiger Reserve

Threat to Western Ghats:

The Ghats have shrunk by 25% over past decades
Will affect rainfall patterns, river flow, water supply and climate across the country

Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) — Gadgil Commission

Also known as the Gadgil Commission after its Chairman Madhav Gadgil
It was an environmental research commission
Submitted report to Government of India on 31 August 2011; released in public domain in 2012

Main aspects:

Designated the entire hill range as an Ecologically Sensitive Area
Classified 142 taluks in the Western Ghats boundary into Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) 1, 2 and 3

Key recommendations:

No new hydro-electric projects in ESZ 1
No new polluting industries (including coal-based power plants) in ESZ 1 and 2
No new mining clearance in ESZ 1 and 2
Moratorium on new clearances in ESZ 2 (can be revisited when situation improves)
Existing red and orange category industries should switch to zero pollution by 2016 with social audit
A statutory authority — Western Ghats Ecology Authority (WGEA) — proposed under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (most powerful)

The Response (Opposition):

Report faced unanimous opposition from state governments
Mainly for recommending that almost three-fourths of the hills (including plantations, cultivated lands, large habitations) be turned into restricted development zones
Felt the report was proposing an over-arching authority to regulate the region, superseding elected authorities

Kasturirangan Panel on Western Ghats

Set up to study the Gadgil Committee report on Western Ghats
Advised bringing cultivated lands, plantations and habitations outside Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA)
Suggested that 90% of the natural forests left in Western Ghats complex — adding up to 60,000 sq km (37% of entire hilly belt) — be conserved under ESA provisions
The forest area falling within the ESA would also cover 4,156 villages across the six states

Kasturirangan Recommendations:

Ban on hydroelectric projects in the zone (while the Gadgil Commission proposed a blanket ban on new large dams, the Kasturirangan Panel did not ban them entirely. Instead, it allowed them subject to strict environmental clearances and a mandate to maintain an uninterrupted ecological flow of at least 30% of the river’s baseline flow).
Complete ban on mining activity in ESA zone
Current mining activities to be phased out within five years
Development of any township or construction over 20,000 sq m in ESA zone should be banned
Stricter clearances for dams and other projects
For dams, an uninterrupted ecological flow of at least 30% level of the rivers’ flow

UPSC 2016: ‘Gadgil Committee Report’ and ‘Kasturirangan Committee Report’, sometimes seen in news, were related to?
Answer: (d) Protection of Western Ghats

4. Sundaland Hotspot

Covers the western half of the Indo-Malayan archipelago
An arc of some 17,000 equatorial islands
Dominated by two of the largest islands in the world: Borneo and Sumatra
Sundaland is one of the biologically richest hotspots on Earth
Holds about 25,000 species of vascular plants; 15,000 (60%) of which are found nowhere else
Covers: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia (Java, Bali, Kalimantan/Borneo)

Quick Revision Summary

Topic	Key Point
5th mass extinction	Cretaceous–Paleogene; 66 mya; dinosaurs
6th mass extinction	Currently in progress; human-caused
Botanical Gardens	Ex-situ conservation (NOT in-situ)
Biodiversity hotspot concept	Norman Myers
Hotspot criteria 1	≥1,500 endemic vascular plants
Hotspot criteria 2	≤30% original vegetation remaining
Total global hotspots	36 (identified by Conservation International)
Hotspots cover	2.4% of Earth’s land; >50% of endemic plant species
India’s 4 hotspots	Himalayas, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats+Sri Lanka, Sundaland
Western Ghats length	~1,600 km; older than Himalayas
Gadgil Commission	WGEEP; 2011 report; ESZ 1, 2, 3 classification
Kasturirangan Panel	37% of Western Ghats as ESA; 4,156 villages affected
Silent Valley	Last virgin tropical evergreen forest in India
Santhyamangalam	Links Eastern and Western Ghats
Sundaland	Borneo + Sumatra; 25,000 vascular plant species

These notes are based on my personal coaching class notes for Civil Services Exam preparation.
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Biodiversity Conservation, Hotspots & Protected Areas – Lecture 6 | Mizoram MPSC Exam Notes