Advanced Paper II Paper IV: Biodiversity and Its Conservation

Paper Code: 
25LSC144H
Credits: 
04
Contact Hours: 
60

Unit I

 Biodiversity-Perception , Concept and Values

  • History, definition and concept of Biodiversity
  • Biodiversity Values
  • Hierarchical components of Biodiversity- Species Diversity, Genetic diversity and Ecosystem diversity
  • Causes of Biodiversity Loss-Habitat fragmentation, habitat degradation, hunting,Over exploitation of Natural resources, Population growth, International trade of biotic resources, pollution of various habitats, exotic introductions
  • Extinction

12

Unit II

Biodiversity Measurement

  • Sampling, Inventorying and Monitoring
  • Biodiversity indices: Simpson Index, Shannon Weiner Index
  • Remote Sensing as a tool for measuring biodiversity

 

12

Unit III

Conservation Practices

  

  • History of Conservation
  • Conservation ethics
  • In-situ and ex-situ conservation
  • Social Forestry
  • Joint Forest Management
  • Sacred Groves
  • The Biodiversity Act,2002

12

Unit IV

Earth Environment

  • Physiochemical characteristics: Solid phase, liquid phase, atmosphere
  • Soil sampling
  • Physico-chemical analysis of soil sample
  • Biological parameters affecting soil fertility
  • Soil as a microbial environment :Biotic and abiotic stresses

12

Unit V

Study of Microbial Diversity

  • Microorganisms in soil-Bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, algae, protozoa
  • Distribution of microorganisms in soil
  • Biochemical based techniques to assess microbial diversity-Plate count, Sole carbon source utilization patterns, Fatty acid methyl ester analysis
  • Molecular based  techniques to assess microbial diversity-PCR based approaches

12

 

ESSENTIAL READINGS: 
  • Chandel, K.P.S. Shukla, G. And Sharma, N. (1996). Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India Conservation and Utilization. New Delhi: National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources.
  • Chaudhuri, A. B. and Sarkar D.D. (2003). Megadiversity Conservation, Flora, Fauna and Medicinal Plants of India’s Hotspots. New Delhi: Daya Publishing House.
  • Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (1986). The Useful Plants of India New Delhi: Publication and Information Directorate, CSIR.
  • Dasmann, R. F. (1984). Environmental Conservation. JohnWiley.
  • Groombridge, B. (Ed.) (1992).Global Biodiversity Status of the Earths Living Resources. London: Chapman & Hall.
  • Kato, M. (1999). The Biology of Biodiversity.Tokyo: Springer Verlag.
  • Kotwal, P.C. and Banerjee, S. (2002). Biodiversity Conservation – In Managed forest and protected areas. India: Agrobios.
  • Krishnamurthy, K.V. (2003). An Advanced Textbook on Biodiversity – Principles and Practice. New Delhi: Oxford and IBH Publishing.
  • Meffe, G. K. and Carroll, R. C. (1994). Principles of Conservation Biology. Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates Inc.
  • Murthy, J.V.S. (1994).Watershed Management in India.New Delhi: Wiley Eastern Limited.
  • Nair, M. N. B. et. al. (Eds.) (1998). Sustainable Management of Non-wood Forest Products.Serdong, Selangor, Malaysia: Faculty of Forestry, University Putra.
  • Sharma, P. D. (2000). Ecology and Environment. Meerut: Rastogi Publications, India.
  • Singh, B. (1992). Social Forestry for Rural Development. New Delhi:Anmol Publishers.
  • Singh, J. S. Singh, S.P. and Gupta, S.R. (2006). Ecology, Environment and Resource Conservation. New Delhi: Anamaya Publishers.
  • Singh, M. P. Singh, B. S. and Dey, S. S. (2004). Conservation of Biodiversity and Natural Resources. New Delhi: Daya Publishing House.
  • Soule, M. E. (1986). Conservation Biology. The Science of Scarcity and Diversity. Sunderland, Massachusetts: Sinaur Associates, Inc.
  • Virchow, D. (1998). Conservation and Genetic Resources. Berlin: Springer Verlag.

 

Academic Year: 
2025-2026
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