Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Conservation of Biodiversity in India: Current Status and Future Strategies

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Towards Sustainable Natural Resources

Abstract

India being one among the various biogeographical provinces of the world embraces a huge variety of biological diversity. The country has diverse climatic zones ranging from subtropical, tropical, arctic, and temperate climatic conditions. The various climatic zones have produced diverse ecosystem types varying from the cold-deserts (Ladakh), humid tropical (Western ghats), and warm coastline to hot deserts (Rajasthan). The altitudinal gradients along various climatic zones coupled with diversified ecosystems subsidized enormously to the rich biological wealth of the nation with diversified fauna and flora. India is regarded as a mega-biodiverse nation among the 17 megadiversity regions of the world. Despite having only 2.2% of the world’s geographical area, the country represents 12% of the world's species. Globally, out of the entire figure of 12,44,360 species, India ranked 12th by having a total estimate of 1,50,170 catalogued species. These comprise of 1,01,167 animal species and 49,003 plant and fungal species. The country has a dense web of protected areas including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation reserves, and community reserves covering a total of 1,71,921 km2 (5.03%) of the total geographical area of the country. This chapter is therefore aimed to provide a complete picture of the status of biodiversity of the country with special insights about the species richness, the pressures they face, and various strategies in place for their conservation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adeoye NO, Ayeni B (2011) Assessment of deforestation, biodiversity loss and the associated factors: case study of Ijesa-Ekiti region of Southwestern Nigeria. GeoJournal 76(3):229–243

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agarwal, Danai (2017) Biodiversity evaluation. Int J Curr Res Acad Rev. 5(3):86–92. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcrar.2017.503.013

  • Alfred JRB (1998) Faunal diversity in India: an overview. Faunal Divers India 1(7):1–495

    Google Scholar 

  • Bachman SP, Field R, Reader T, Raimondo D, Donaldson J, Schatz GE, Lughadha EN (2019) Progress, challenges and opportunities for Red Listing. Biol Cons 234:45–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balakrishnan NP (1996) Phytogeographic division: general considerations. In: Hajra PK et al (ed) Flora of India (Intro), vol 1, pp 197–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Balasubramanian A (2017) Biodiversity profile of India. Tech Rep. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10664.57601

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnosky AD, Matzke N, Tomiya S, Wogan GO, Swartz B, Quental TB, …, Ferrer EA (2011) Has the Earth’s sixth mass extinction already arrived? Nature 471(7336):51–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackmore S, Gibby M, Rae D (2011) Strengthening the scientific contribution of botanic gardens to the second phase of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. Bot J Linn Soc 166(3):267–281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bolte A, Czajkowski T, Kompa T (2007) The north-eastern distribution range of European beech—a review. Forestry 80(4):413–429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burkmar R, Bell C (2015) Drivers of biodiversity loss. a research synthesis for the tomorrow’s biodiversity project. Field Studies Council, Montford Bridge Shrewsbury

    Google Scholar 

  • CBD (1992) Convention on biological diversity. interim secretariat for the convention on biological diversity. Geneva, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • Corlett RT (2016) Plant diversity in a changing world: status, trends, and conservation needs. Plant Divers 38(1):10–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crawford AR (1971) Gondwanaland and the growth of India. Geol Soc India 12(3):205–221

    Google Scholar 

  • D’Antonio C, Meyerson LA, Denslow J (2001) Exotic species and conservation: research needs. Conservation biology: research priorities for the next decade/edited by Michael E. Soule and Gordon H. Orians

    Google Scholar 

  • Devi LS, Khaund P, Nongkhlaw FM, Joshi SR (2012) Diversity of culturable soil micro-fungi along altitudinal gradients of Eastern Himalayas. Mycobiology 40(3):151–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dudley N, Stolton S (eds) (2008) Defining protected areas: an international conference in Almeria, Spain. IUCN, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland, p 220

    Google Scholar 

  • Duenas MA, Hemming DJ, Roberts, A., & Diaz-Soltero, H. (2021). The threat of invasive species to IUCN-listed critically endangered species: a systematic review. Global Ecology and Conservation, e01476.

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2019) The state of the world’s biodiversity for food and agriculture. In: J BĂ©langer, D Pilling (eds) FAO commission on genetic resources for food and agriculture assessments. Rome. 572 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gebeyehu MN, Hirpo FH (2019) Review on effect of climate change on forest ecosystem. Int J Environ Sci & Nat Resour 17(4):126–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Giam X (2017) Global biodiversity loss from tropical deforestation. Proc Natl Acad Sci 114(23):5775–5777

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter P (2007) The human impact on biological diversity: How species adapt to urban challenges sheds light on evolution and provides clues about conservation. EMBO Rep 8(4):316–318

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • International Union for Conservation of Nature, & World Wildlife Fund (1980) World conservation strategy: living resource conservation for sustainable development. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland

    Google Scholar 

  • Irwin SJ, Narasimhan D (2011) Endemic genera of angiosperms in India: a review. Rheedea 21(1):87–105

    Google Scholar 

  • IUCN (2014) The IUCN red list of threatened species. Version 2014.3. http://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed 21 December 2014

  • IUCN (2017) The IUCN red list of threatened species (V2017-3). IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed 14 Dec 2019

  • IUCN (2012) IUCN red list categories and criteria: version 3.1. second edition. Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK: IUCN. iv + 32pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Jalonen R, Choo KY, Hong LT, Sim HC (2009) Forest genetic resources conservation and management: status in seven South and Southeast Asian countries. Bioversity International

    Google Scholar 

  • Kasso M, Balakrishnan M (2013) Ex situ conservation of biodiversity with particular emphasis to Ethiopia. Int Sch Res Not

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar A, Khanna V (2006) Globally threatened Indian fauna. Zoological Survey of India. 1–104 (Published by the Director” Zool. Surv. India, Kolkata)

    Google Scholar 

  • Maxwell SL, Fuller RA, Brooks TM, Watson JEM (2016) Biodiversity: the ravages of guns, nets and bulldozers. Nature 536:143e145

    Google Scholar 

  • Melfi VA (2012) Ex situ gibbon conservation: status, management and birth sex ratios. International Zoo Yearbook 46(1):241–251

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mittermeier RA, Robles Gil P, Hoffmann M, Pilgrim J, Brooks T, Mittermeier CG, Lamoreux J, da Fonseca GAB (2004) Hotspots revisited: Earth’s biologically richest and most endangered ecoregions. CEMEX, Mexico City, Mexico

    Google Scholar 

  • Mora C, Tittensor DP, Adl S, Simpson AGB, Worm B (2011) How many species are there on earth and in the ocean? PLoS Biol 9(8):1–8. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001127

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeier CG, da Fonseca GAB, Kent J (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403:853–858

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nayar MP (1980) Endemism and patterns of distribution of endemic genera (Angiosperms) in India. J Econ Tax Bot 1:99–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton I, Dale L (2001) A comparative analysis of the avifaunas of different zoogeographical regions. J Zool 254(2):207–218

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raju VS, Reddy CS, Suthari S (2010) Flowering plant diversity and endemism in India: an overview. Algae 2(40,000):6–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Reid GM, Contreras MacBeath T, Csatádi K (2013) Global challenges in freshwater-fish conservation related to public aquariums and the aquarium industry. International Zoo Yearbook 47(1):6–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers WA, Panwar HS, Mathur VB (2000) Biogeographical classification of India. In: Wildlife protected area network in India: a review (executive summary). Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. 49pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers WA, Panwar HS (1990) A biogeographical classification for conservation planning. Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues AS, Pilgrim JD, Lamoreux JF, Hoffmann M, Brooks TM (2006) The value of the IUCN Red List for conservation. Trends Ecol Evol 21(2):71–76

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy A, Roy PS (2015) Biodiversity information in India: Status and future scope. In: Biodiversity in tropical ecosystem. Today and Tomorrow's Printers and Publishers, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Rybicki J, Abrego N, Ovaskainen O (2018) Habitat fragmentation and species diversity in competitive species communities. bioRxiv, 363234

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh P, Dash SS (eds) (2018) Plant discoveries 2017. BSI, Kolkata

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh P (2020) Floristic diversity of India: an overview. Biodiversity of the Himalaya: Jammu and Kashmir State, 41–69. In: Dar GH, Khuroo AA (eds) Biodiversity of the Himalaya: Jammu and Kashmir State, Topics in Biodiversity and Conservation 18, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9174-4_3

  • Telwala Y, Brook BW, Manish K, Pandit MK (2013) Climate-induced elevational range shifts and increase in plant species richness in a Himalayan biodiversity epicentre. PLoS ONE 8(2):e57103

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Venkataraman K, Sharma G, Banerjee D (2020) Faunal diversity of India. In: Dar GH, Khuroo AA (eds) Biodiversity of the Himalaya: Jammu and Kashmir state. Springer, Singapore

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhai DL, Cannon CH, Dai ZC, Zhang CP, Xu JC (2015) Deforestation and fragmentation of natural forests in the upper Changhua watershed, Hainan, China: implications for biodiversity conservation. Environ Monit Assess 187(1):1–12

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao Y, Liu X, Li G, Wang S, Zhao W, Ma J (2018) Phenology of five shrub communities along an elevation gradient in the Qilian Mountains China. Forests 9(2):58

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190006, India

    Shahid Ahmad Dar

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Uttarakhand Technical University, Dehradun, India

    Sajad Ahmad Dar

  3. Department of Environmental Science, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, 190006, India

    Masarat Nabi

Authors
  1. Shahid Ahmad Dar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sajad Ahmad Dar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Masarat Nabi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shahid Ahmad Dar .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India

    Meenu Rani

  2. Department of Geophysics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India

    Bhagwan Singh Chaudhary

  3. Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Saleha Jamal

  4. College of Horticulture and Forestry, Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural Un, Jhansi, India

    Pavan Kumar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Dar, S.A., Dar, S.A., Nabi, M. (2022). Conservation of Biodiversity in India: Current Status and Future Strategies. In: Rani, M., Chaudhary, B.S., Jamal, S., Kumar, P. (eds) Towards Sustainable Natural Resources. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-06443-2_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation