Professional Courses
Industry-relevant training in Business, Technology, and Design to help professionals and graduates upskill for real-world careers.
Categories
Interactive Games
Fun, engaging games to boost memory, math fluency, typing speed, and English skills—perfect for learners of all ages.
Typing
Memory
Math
English Adventures
Knowledge
Enroll to start learning
You’ve not yet enrolled in this course. Please enroll for free to listen to audio lessons, classroom podcasts and take practice test.
Interactive Audio Lesson
Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.
Introduction to Global Biodiversity
Unlock Audio Lesson
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson
Let's start our discussion today with what biodiversity is. Can anyone tell me why biodiversity is important?
It's important because it makes up the different forms of life on Earth.
That's right! Biodiversity includes the variety of species we see in ecosystems, from plants to animals and even microorganisms. How many species do you think we currently know about?
Is it around 1.5 million?
Exactly! We've identified about 1.5 million species, but estimates suggest that this number could be as high as 50 million! This leads us to a key concept: Discoverability. Can anyone summarize what discoverability means in this context?
It means that there are possibly many species that we have yet to identify.
Great! As we move forward, we'll explore the specifics of species diversity in India.
Species Diversity in India
Unlock Audio Lesson
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson
Now, let’s talk about India. Despite being only 2.4% of the world's land, how is it positioned in terms of global species diversity?
India has 8.1% of the world's species diversity!
Correct! That's a remarkable figure! Can anyone tell me how many plant and animal species have been documented in India?
About 45,000 plant species and even more animal species, right?
Yes, nearly double that for animals. It’s also crucial to note that many species are unexplored. What do you think could be the implications of not discovering these species?
I guess they might go extinct before we even know about them.
Precisely! This highlights the urgent need for biodiversity conservation. Let's summarize what we've learned: India is a biodiversity hotspot, and many species are still waiting to be identified.
Threats to Biodiversity
Unlock Audio Lesson
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Lesson
We've made great progress in understanding biodiversity, but what threats do you think are impacting it?
Human activities like deforestation and pollution should be major threats.
Absolutely! Human activities are driving many species to extinction at alarming rates. Can someone explain how we can classify these extinctions?
They can be categorized into direct causes, like habitat loss, and indirect causes, like climate change.
Excellent point! Understanding these causes is vital to developing effective conservation strategies. To wrap up, protecting biodiversity is critical not just for the environment but for our future as well.
Introduction & Overview
Read a summary of the section's main ideas. Choose from Basic, Medium, or Detailed.
Quick Overview
Standard
The section emphasizes that over 1.5 million species have been recorded globally, with estimates suggesting there could be between 7 million to as many as 50 million species in total. In India, although only 2.4% of the world’s land area, it hosts 8.1% of global species diversity, with many more waiting to be discovered.
Detailed
How Many Species are There on Earth and in India?
Biodiversity represents the total variety of life on our planet, encompassing different species, genetic variations, and ecosystems. Globally, over 1.5 million species have been documented, comprising primarily animals, with insects being the most abundant group. Recent estimates suggest that the actual number of species could be significantly higher, with some projections ranging from 20 to 50 million. More conservatively, the estimated global species diversity is around 7 million.
In terms of India, despite accounting for only 2.4 percent of the Earth's land area, the country boasts an impressive 8.1 percent of the world's species diversity. Approximately 45,000 plant species and double that number of animal species have been recorded. However, many species remain undiscovered, with predictions indicating over 100,000 plant and 300,000 animal species yet to be described.
The rapid loss of biodiversity, primarily due to human activities, poses a severe threat to this wealth of species, necessitating urgent attention and conservation efforts.
Youtube Videos
Audio Book
Dive deep into the subject with an immersive audiobook experience.
Understanding Species Estimates
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Since there are published records of all the species discovered and named, we know how many species in all have been recorded so far, but it is not easy to answer the question of how many species there are on earth. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (2004), the total number of plant and animal species described so far is slightly more than 1.5 million, but we have no clear idea of how many species are yet to be discovered and described.
Detailed Explanation
Scientists have recorded over 1.5 million plant and animal species that have been identified and described. However, the total number of species on Earth is uncertain because many species are still undiscovered. The difficulty arises from the vast biodiversity present, especially in tropical regions, where many species have not yet been studied and categorized.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine exploring a massive library but only having cataloged a small fraction of the books. While some books (species) are easily found and described, many others remain hidden in the stacks, waiting for someone to discover and document them.
Species Discovery Challenges
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Estimates vary widely and many of them are only educated guesses. For many taxonomic groups, species inventories are more complete in temperate than in tropical countries. Considering that an overwhelmingly large proportion of the species waiting to be discovered are in the tropics, biologists make a statistical comparison of the temperate-tropical species richness of an exhaustively studied group of insects and extrapolate this ratio to other groups of animals and plants to come up with a gross estimate of the total number of species on earth.
Detailed Explanation
Estimates of undiscovered species can vary significantly, often depending on where scientists focus their studies. In temperate regions, many species have been documented, while the tropics, which are often far richer in biodiversity, remain less explored. Biologists use known data from well-studied species, especially insects, to infer the potential number of species in less studied groups, providing educated estimates on the total species count.
Examples & Analogies
Think of it like attempting to calculate how many different types of fruit exist in a large orchard. If you only assess one section thoroughly (temperate areas) while ignoring others (tropical areas), your total count will be limited and likely underestimate the true diversity.
Species Diversity Statistics
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Some extreme estimates range from 20 to 50 million, but a more conservative and scientifically sound estimate made by Robert May places the global species diversity at about 7 million. Let us look at some interesting aspects about earth’s biodiversity based on the currently available species inventories. More than 70 per cent of all the species recorded are animals, while plants (including algae, fungi, bryophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms) comprise no more than 22 per cent of the total.
Detailed Explanation
While the estimates of global species diversity vary greatly—from 20 million to possibly as high as 50 million—scientist Robert May suggests that there might be around 7 million species in total. Of these, a majority (over 70%) are animals, with plants making up a smaller fraction (22%). This shows that animals, particularly insects, are far more diverse than plant species.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a huge party where most of the attendees are wearing unique costumes (animals), while only a handful are dressed in formal wear (plants). The party is vibrant and festive, but the vast majority of unique presentations come from those in costumes, symbolizing the rich diversity of animal species compared to plants.
Prokaryotic Species Uncertainty
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
It should be noted that these estimates do not give any figures for prokaryotes. Biologists are not sure about how many prokaryotic species there might be. The problem is that conventional taxonomic methods are not suitable for identifying microbial species and many species are simply not culturable under laboratory conditions.
Detailed Explanation
When considering biodiversity estimates, prokaryotic life forms (like bacteria) are often excluded because scientists find it challenging to count them accurately. Traditional methods used to classify species are ineffective for microbes, and many cannot be cultured outside their natural environments, making it difficult to determine how many exist.
Examples & Analogies
Think of it like figuring out how many different types of music exist in a vast collection. If many artists (bacteria) refuse to perform live or cannot be recorded (cultured), it becomes challenging to assess how many unique sounds (species) are present in the overall collection.
India's Biodiversity Overview
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Although India has only 2.4 per cent of the world’s land area, its share of the global species diversity is an impressive 8.1 per cent. That is what makes our country one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world. Nearly 45,000 species of plants and twice as many of animals have been recorded from India.
Detailed Explanation
Despite comprising only a small portion of the Earth’s land area, India boasts a remarkable 8.1% of the world's total species diversity. This makes India one of the 12 recognized megadiversity countries, with approximately 45,000 recorded plant species and even more animal species, underlining the richness of its ecosystems.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine a small garden that contains a surprising variety of flowers and plants compared to the vast park nearby. While the park may cover more land, the garden's compact area showcases an incredible concentration of unique species, just like India's rich and diverse natural heritage.
Estimation of Undiscovered Species in India
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
How many living species are actually there waiting to be discovered and named? If we accept May’s global estimates, only 22 per cent of the total species have been recorded so far. Applying this proportion to India’s diversity figures, we estimate that there are probably more than 1,00,000 plant species and more than 3,00,000 animal species yet to be discovered and described.
Detailed Explanation
Utilizing Robert May's estimate that only 22% of all species have been documented, researchers speculate that India may have over 100,000 undiscovered plant species and around 300,000 undiscovered animal species. This highlights the extent of biodiversity that remains uncharted, emphasizing the need for continued exploration and conservation.
Examples & Analogies
Consider a hidden treasure chest filled with countless gems (species) waiting to be found. Just because many have yet to be discovered doesn’t mean they don’t exist; ongoing exploration is essential to uncover the riches hidden beneath the surface.
Challenges of Biodiversity Inventory
Unlock Audio Book
Signup and Enroll to the course for listening the Audio Book
Would we ever be able to complete the inventory of the biological wealth of our country? Consider the immense trained manpower (taxonomists) and the time required to complete the job. The situation appears more hopeless when we realize that a large fraction of these species faces the threat of becoming extinct even before we discover them.
Detailed Explanation
Completing a comprehensive inventory of India's biodiversity is daunting due to the shortage of taxonomists—scientists trained to classify species—and the extensive time needed for thorough study. Compounding this issue is the alarming rate of species extinction, meaning many organisms may vanish before they are ever identified.
Examples & Analogies
Imagine trying to catalog every book in a vast library, but each day, more books are being permanently removed from the shelves. This urgency heightens the pressure to document what we can before it's too late, illustrating the race against time in biodiversity conservation.
Definitions & Key Concepts
Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.
Key Concepts
-
Global Species Diversity: Over 1.5 million documented species, with estimates suggesting up to 50 million.
-
Indian Biodiversity: India hosts 8.1% of species diversity with nearly 45,000 plant and more than 90,000 animal species recorded.
-
Undiscovered Species: Significant numbers of species potentially remain to be identified, particularly in tropical regions.
Examples & Real-Life Applications
See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.
Examples
-
The Amazon rainforest is estimated to have over 40,000 plant species and countless undiscovered species.
-
India, with 45,000 documented plant species, is home to diverse ecosystems like rainforests and deserts.
Memory Aids
Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.
🎵 Rhymes Time
-
Biodiversity is life galore, so many species to explore!
📖 Fascinating Stories
-
Once upon a time, in a vast forest, many unknown creatures lived, waiting to be discovered by curious explorers who loved nature.
🧠 Other Memory Gems
-
DIP (Discoverability, India's Biodiversity, Preservation) helps remember key topics in this section.
🎯 Super Acronyms
BES (Biodiversity, Estimation, Species Richness) can help you recall the core themes in understanding global biodiversity.
Flash Cards
Review key concepts with flashcards.
Glossary of Terms
Review the Definitions for terms.
-
Term: Biodiversity
Definition:
The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.
-
Term: Species Diversity
Definition:
The number of different species in a given area.
-
Term: Discoverability
Definition:
The potential for a species to be discovered and identified.
-
Term: Conservation
Definition:
The act of preserving, protecting, or restoring the natural environment and wildlife.
-
Term: Extinction
Definition:
The end of a species, typically occurring when it is unable to adapt to environmental changes or pressures.