WILDLIFE-Conservation Aspect
Biodiversity is a modern term which simply means “the variety of life on earth". This variety can be measured on several different levels. Biodiversity brings enormous benefits to mankind from direct harvesting of plants and animals for food, medicine, fuel, construction materials, and other uses to aesthetic, cultural, recreational and research values Extinction is a fact of life. Species have been evolving and dying out ever since the origin of life.
However, species are now becoming extinct at an alarming rate, almost entirely as a direct result of human activities. Large-scale habitat and biodiversity losses mean that species with potentially great economic importance may become extinct before they are even discovered. The vast, largely untapped resource of medicines and useful chemicals contained in wild species may disappear forever. Evidence suggests that we are currently living in the midst of a global biodiversity crisis. Species extinction is occurring at a higher rate than at any time in evolutionary history, primarily as a result of human activity. The conservation of biodiversity is therefore one of the major environmental challenges currently facing humanity
The most beautiful gift that God has given to nature is the wild creatures. They maintain the natural beauty by their unique way of existence. Many wildlife species have spiritual significance in different cultures around the world, and they and their products may be used as sacred objects in religious rituals. A species is endangered when it is threatened with extinction. Today most species of plants and animals become extinct because of habitat destruction, introduction of non-native organisms, and direct killing . The loss of a single species can set off a chain reaction affecting many other species. Therefore, conserving biological diversity is essential for maintaining intact ecosystems.
Reasons that a particular species may become endangered:
Habitat Destruction: Our planet is continually changing, causing habitats to be altered and modified. Natural changes tend to occur at a gradual pace, usually causing only a slight impact on individual species. However, when changes occur at a fast pace, the individual species find difficulties to adjust to new circumstances. This can create disastrous results, and for this reason, rapid habitat loss is the primary cause of species endangerment. The rapid habitat loss is caused by human beings. Nearly every region of the earth has been affected by human activity. It may take Centuries to re-grow a forest that was cut down by humans, and many of the world's severely threatened animals and plants live in these forests. If the current rate of forest loss continues, huge quantities of plant and animal species will disappear.
Introduction of Exotic Species: Native species are those plants and animals that are part of a specific geographic area. Exotic species however, are species introduced into new environments by way of human activities, either intentionally or accidentally. Exotic species may also disrupt the ecological balances. This can alter the natural habitat and can cause a greater competition for food. Introduced insects, rats, pigs, cats, and other foreign species have actually caused the endangerment and extinction of hundreds of species during the past five centuries.
Overexploitation: One of the major human activities that lead to the irreversible biodiversity loss is the overexploitation of certain animals. Today wildlife is threatened by illegal trades. Demands for elephant tusks, rhino horns, tiger bones and other animal parts drives a growing greed for illegal activities. The wild life and vegetation are the part of our biosphere from which ecological balance is maintained. Once these members of the biosphere are disappeared, they cannot be replaced back by any means. So it is our prompt duty to conserve them for the sake of our future generation.

How Climate Change affects India

Precisely at a time when India is confronted with development imperatives, we will also be severely impacted by climate change. Like other developing countries, several sections of the Indian populace will not be able to buffer themselves from impacts, of global warming. With close economic ties to natural resources and climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water and forestry, India may face a major threat, and require serious adaptive capacity to combat climate change. As a developing country, India can little afford the risks and economic backlashes that industrialized nations can. With 27.5% of the population still below the poverty line, reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change is essential.It is in India’s interest to ensure that the world moves towards a low carbon future. Many studies have underscored the nation’s vulnerability to climate change8. With changes in key climate variables, namely temperature, precipitation and humidity, crucial sectors like agriculture and rural development are likely to be affected in a major way.
Impacts are already being seen in unprecedented heat waves, cyclones, floods, salinisation of the coastline and effects on agriculture, fisheries and health.India is home to a third of the world’s poor, and climate change will hit this section of society the hardest. Set to be the most populous nation in the world by 2045, the economic, social and ecological price of climate change will be massive. The future impacts of climate change, identified by the Government of India’s National Communications (NATCOM) in 2004 include:
Decreased snow cover, affecting snow-fed and glacial systems such as the Ganges and Bramhaputra. 70% of the summer flow of the Ganges comes from meltwater
Erratic monsoon with serious effects on rain-fed agriculture, peninsular rivers, water and power supply
Drop in wheat production by 4-5 million tones, with even a 1ºC rise in temperature
Rising sea levels causing displacement along one of the most densely populated coastlines in the world, threatened freshwater sources and mangrove ecosystems
Increased frequency and intensity of floods. Increased vulnerability of people in coastal, arid and semi-arid zones of the country
Studies indicate that over 50% of India’s forests are likely to experience shift in forest types, adversely impacting associated biodiversity, regional climate dynamics as well as livelihoods based on forest products.
India stands to lose on too many counts to allow a ‘climate-politics-as-usual’ scenario. Therefore, positive engagement

Relevance of MSc. (Biodiversity & conservation) in present scenario

Biodiversity is a modern term which simply means “the variety of life on earth". This variety can be measured on several different levels. Biodiversity brings enormous benefits to mankind from direct harvesting of plants and animals for food, medicine, fuel, construction materials, and other uses to aesthetic, cultural, recreational and research values Extinction is a fact of life. Species have been evolving and dying out ever since the origin of life.
However, species are now becoming extinct at an alarming rate, almost entirely as a direct result of human activities. Large-scale habitat and biodiversity losses mean that species with potentially great economic importance may become extinct before they are even discovered. The vast, largely untapped resource of medicines and useful chemicals contained in wild species may disappear forever. Evidence suggests that we are currently living in the midst of a global biodiversity crisis. Species extinction is occurring at a higher rate than at any time in evolutionary history, primarily as a result of human activity. The conservation of biodiversity is therefore one of the major environmental challenges currently facing humanity
Two linked issues which are currently of great ecological concern include world-wide deforestation and global climate change. Average global temperatures have been showing a steadily increasing trend. Snow and ice cover have decreased, deep ocean temperatures have increased and global sea levels have risen by 100 - 200 mm over the last century. Rising sea levels which could drown many of our major cities, extreme weather conditions resulting in drought, flooding and hurricanes, together with changes in the distribution of disease-bearing organisms are all predicted effects of climate change.
As pressures on the natural environment intensify, there is a growing need for skilled professionals in the areas of biodiversity conservation. The importance of biodiversity has gained increasingly wide international attention. The demand for highly skilled post graduates with a good knowledge and understanding of biodiversity and conservation has increased not only in resource management, conservation, research and education, but also in a broad range of professions including the financial industry, forensic science, regional planning, journalism, law, and bioethics.
The course include the subject Geoinformatics which plays a crucial role by providing the data sets needed to explore spatial and temporal changes in the environment, and by generating the outputs needed to inform policy and practice.
This programme aims to:
develop an advanced understanding of the underlying principles and concepts which may be applied to the; conservation of genes, species, habitats and landscapes; and management of biodiversity;
provide the conceptual, practical and analytical framework for research and employment in ecology;
provide a critical appraisal of the role of theory and the application of scientific strategies in the management of a range of global ecosystems;
develop the ability to write-up a substantial piece of original research.