We do not see all the varied functions that biodiversity plays in our lives because they are not obvious. We rarely see how they are controlling our environment unless we study nature. Thus we tend to take short-term actions that can have serious impacts on biodiversity leading to even extinction of species by disturbing their habitats. Man has no right to do so. We only share this planet with millions of other species that also have a right to survive on earth. It is morally wrong to allow man’s actions to lead to the extinction of species.

1. Threats to Biodiversity

2. Introduction

3. Threats to diversity
 The Earth and its biodiversity are dynamic and ever changing. As such extinction of species is a natural
phenomena. Fossil record reveals that all species have a definite life span and it is bound to extinct after that.
 But the cause of concern is the rate at which species extinct in present day context as compared to earlier
undisturbed state.
 It has been estimated that in earlier times, the rate of extinction, in general, through natural evolution was just
one species over a span of 60-70 years (400 years for mammal species and 200 years for bird species) which
gradually has increased to an alarming situation due to constant interference of human activity as is evident:
Time Period Rate of Extinction
1600 to 1900 AD One species in four years
1900 AD onward One species/year
Current Period One species/day
By 2050 AD (with current rate of
deforestation)
100 species/day

4. • It has been estimated that over the next half century, tropical deforestation will be the single largest cause of species
extinction.
• At the current rate of deforestation, about 5-10% of closed tropical forest species will become extinct per decade by
2050 AD i.e. an unimaginable rate of about 100 species a day.
• It is also to be emphasized here that with extinction of one species, the dependent species, which could be even 10-
20, will also become endangered.
• According to the IUCN Red data book the following is a broad list of threatened animals at global scale:
Mammals 507 species
Birds 1029
Reptiles 169
Amphibians 57
Fish 713
Insects 1093
Mollusks 409
Corals & sponges 154
Annelid worms 139
Crustaceans 126
• The situation as regard to plants is even worse. Over 60,000 species at global level may become extinct by the
middle of the next century.

5. • Extinction or elimination of a species is a natural process of evolution.
• In the geologic period the earth has experienced mass extinctions.
• During evolution, species have died out and have been replaced by others.
• However, the rate of loss of species in geologic past has been a slow process, keeping in view the vast span of time
going back to 444 million years.
• The process of extinction has become particularly fast in the recent years of human civilization.
• In this century, the human impact has been so severe that thousands of species and varieties are becoming extinct
annually.
• One of the estimates by the noted ecologist, E.O. Wilson puts the figure of extinction at 10,000 species per year or
27 per day! This startling figure raises an alarm regarding the serious threat to biodiversity.
• Over the last 150 years the rate of extinction has escalated more dramatically.
• If the present trend continues we would lose 1/3rd to 2/3rd of our current biodiversity by the middle of twenty first
century.
• Let us consider some of the major causes and issues related to threats to biodiversity.

6. Loss of Habitat

7. • Destruction and loss of natural habitat is the single largest cause of biodiversity loss. Billions of hectares of forests
and grasslands have been cleared over the past 10,000 years for conversion into agriculture lands, pastures,
settlement areas or development projects. These natural forests and grasslands were the natural homes of
thousands of species which perished due to loss of their natural habitat. Severe damage has been caused to
wetlands thinking them to be useless ecosystems. The unique rich biodiversity of the wetlands, estuaries and
mangroves are under the most serious threat today. The wetlands are destroyed due to draining, filling and
pollution thereby causing huge biodiversity loss.
• Sometimes the loss of habitat is in instalments so that the habitat is divided into small and scattered patches, a
phenomenon known as habitat fragmentation. There are many wild life species such as bears and large cats that
require large territories to subsist. They get badly threatened as they breed only in the interiors of the forests. Due to
habitat fragmentation many song birds are vanishing.
• There has been a rapid disappearance of tropical forests in our country also, at a rate of about 0.6% per year. With
the current rate of loss of forest habitat, it is estimated that 20-25% of the global flora would be lost within a few
years. Marine biodiversity is also under serious threat due to large scale destruction of the fragile breeding and
feeding grounds of our oceanic fish and other species, as a result of human intervention.

8. Case Study: Orangutans
and their habitat in
Indonesia need full
protection now
• A new report underscores the urgency of protecting Indonesia’s
orangutans and conserving their remaining habitat, warning that
Asia’s only great ape is in crisis.
• The report from the Environmental Investigation Agency says the
Indonesian government has systematically failed to protect
orangutan habitat, enforce existing wildlife laws, or reverse the
decline of the three orangutan species.
• “For decades, Indonesia has prioritized industry and profit over
environmental health and biodiversity protection, and orangutans
have paid the price,” said EIA policy analyst Taylor Tench.
• The report calls for protecting all orangutan habitat (much of which
occurs in oil palm and logging concessions), halting a dam project
in the only habitat of the Tapanuli orangutan, and recognizing
Indigenous claims to forests adjacent to orangutan habitat.

9. Case Study: Roadkill
could lead to leopard
population getting
extinct in north India
• The leopard population in north India faces an 83% increased
risk of extinction due to roadkill, a new international study has
found. The study, published in the Global Ecology and
Biogeography journal, quantifies the threat that roads posed to
the survival of animal populations across the globe. The study
identified the north Indian leopard population as the most
vulnerable to extinction in 50 years if the current roadkill levels
persisted. The researchers estimate that at an 83% increased risk,
the north Indian leopard population would become extinct in 33
years.
• Among the four identified animal populations found to be most
vulnerable, the north Indian leopard is followed by the maned
wolf and the little spotted cat in Brazil, and the brown hyena in
southern Africa. Other highly-vulnerable animal populations are
the lion-tailed macaque and the sloth bear in south India.

10. • The researchers used existing roadkill data on six continents for 392 mammal species for calculations based on
roadkill rates, population density, age of sexual maturity, and litter size. The study site covered Rajaji National Park
and the Haridwar Conservation area in Uttarakhand for the north Indian leopard population.
• The researchers said the risk of local extinction could go up 10% if at least 20% of the population were killed by
roadkill.
• The Indian leopard is also found in Bhutan, Nepal, and parts of Pakistan. It inhabits dry deciduous forests, tropical
rainforests, northern coniferous forests, and temperate forests.
• In 2015, an estimated 7,910 of the 12,000-14,000 leopards in India lived in and around tiger habitats. By 2020, the
population in the forested tiger range landscapes was estimated at 12,172 to 13,535 leopards.
• The species features in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List because of population
decline following habitat loss, poaching, and persecution due to conflict situations.
• The study said the results had implications for worldwide mammalian conservation and road mitigation.
• Through the analyses, the researchers have sought to bring attention to south-eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa
as regions where roads can lead to loss of mammalian biodiversity. Thus, road mitigation and areas of future road
development need to be carefully considered, the researchers said in the study.
• Roadkill is recognized as a threat to 10 species of mammals by the IUCN. The researchers, however, noted that these
were not among those they found most vulnerable.

11. Poaching

12. • Illegal trade of wildlife products by killing prohibited endangered animals i.e. poaching is another threat to wildlife.
Despite international ban on trade in products from endangered species, smuggling of wildlife items like furs, hides,
horns, tusks, live specimens and herbal products worth millions of dollars per year continues. The developing nations
in Asia, Latin America and Africa are the richest source of biodiversity and have enormous wealth of wildlife. The rich
countries in Europe and North America and some affluent countries in Asia like Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong are
the major importers of the wild life products or wild life itself.
• The trading of such wild life products is highly profit making for the poachers who just hunt these prohibited wild
life and smuggle it to other countries mediated through a mafia. The cost of elephant tusks can go up to $ 100
per kg; the leopard fur coat is sold at $ 100,000 in Japan while bird catchers can fetch up to $ 10,000 for a
hyacinth macaw, a beautiful colored bird, from Brazil. The worse part of the story is that for every live animal
actually gets into the market, about 50 additional animals are caught and killed.
• If you are fond of rare plants, fish or birds, please make sure that you are not going for the endangered species or
the wild-caught species. Doing so will help in checking further decline of these species. Also do not purchase fur
coat, purse or bag, or items made of crocodile skin or python skin. You will certainly help in preserving biodiversity
by doing so.

13. Case Study: In
Mozambique, mystery of
tuskless elephant points to
poaching as the culprit
• The civil war that caused a steep drop in elephant numbers in
Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park also led to tusk lessness
becoming the norm among its female elephants, a recent study found.
• Only about 200 of an estimated 2,500 elephants living there survived
the ravages of the 15-year-long war during which poachers targeted
tusked elephants for ivory.
• After the civil war, the number of tuskless females tripled in
Gorongosa.
• Scientists agree on the far-reaching consequences of this “artificial
selection,” but how the genetic trait is passed on from one generation
to the next is still being investigated.

14. Case Study: At least 22
leopards poached in
Odisha in a year, say
forest officials
• The Odisha Forest Department and the Special Task Force (STF) of the
state police have seized as many as 20 leopard skins in one year from
10 districts. This indicates how rampantly big cats are poached in the
state.
• Between May 20, 2020 and April 2, 2021, STF seized 12 leopard skins
and forest personnel seized eight. The highest number of leopard
skins were seized from Nayagarh district (4), followed by
Nabarangapur (3), Mayurbhanj (3), Khurda (2), Dhenkanal (2) and one
each from Ganjam, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh and
Nuapada, sources said.
• In the latest case on April 2, two accused, identified as Sudhira Behera
and Subash Chandra Behera from Nayagarh district, were caught red-
handed when they were about to sell a leopard skin. They were
charged with sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and the
animal hide will be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun for
chemical examination, the STF sources said.

15. • Two additional poaching cases were reported in the state during the period. On August 6, 2020, a mutilated leopard
carcass was found from Hemagiri forest range in Sundargarh; on January 28, 2021, a 10-year-old leopard died after
being caught in a trap fixed by poachers at Naguda in Ganjam district, sources said.
• Leopards are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Over 150 leopards have been
poached across Odisha in the last decade. The population of leopards in the state was 760, according to the Status
of Leopards in India, 2018 report by the central government.
• Most leopards are caught and killed by poachers when they venture into human habitats close to forests for prey,
said Mohanty. They are primarily hunted for their skins, bones and other parts for use in traditional medicine in the
international market, Mohanty said.
• The animals enter human settlements also because of the erosion of their habitats, said Sudhakar Mohapatra, a
retired senior forest officer.
• Apart from 12 leopard skins, the STF seized six elephant tusks, two deer skins, two live pangolins and 5 kg of
pangolin scales, and arrested 24 wildlife criminals in the one-year period. A total of 13 cases have been registered by
the STF against wildlife criminals, official sources said.

16. Man-Wildlife Conflicts

17. • We have discussed about the need to preserve and protect our wildlife. However, sometimes we come across
conflicting situations when wildlife starts causing immense damage and danger to man and under such conditions it
becomes very difficult for the forest department to pacify the affected villagers and gain local support for wild-life
conservation.
• Instances of man animal conflicts keep on coming to lime light from several states in our country. In Sambalpur,
Orissa 195 humans were killed in the last 5 years by elephants. In retaliation the villagers killed 98 elephants and
badly injured 30 elephants. Several instances of killing of elephants in the border regions of Kote-Chamarajanagar
belt in Mysore have been reported recently. The man-elephant conflict in this region has arisen because of the
massive damage done by the elephants to the farmer's cotton and sugarcane crops. The agonized villagers
electrocute the elephants and sometimes hide explosives in the sugarcane fields, which explode as the elephants
intrude into their fields. In fact, more killings are done by locals than by poachers. Recently, in early 2004, a man-
eating tiger was reported to kill 16 Nepalese people and one 4-year old child inside the Royal Chitwan National
Park, 240 Km South-west of Kathmandu. The Park renowned for its wildlife conservation effort has became a zone of
terror for the locals. At times, such conflicting situations have been reported from the border regions of Corbett,
Dudhwa, Palamau and Ranthambore National Parks in our country as well. Very recently in June, 2004 two men were
killed by leopards in Powai, Mumbai. A total of 14 persons were killed during 19 attacks since January by the
leopards from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai which has created a panic among the local residents.

18. Causes of Man-animal conflicts:
 Dwindling habitats of tigers, elephants, rhinos and bears due to shrinking forest cover compels them to
move outside the forest and attack the field or sometimes even humans. Human encroachment into the
forest areas raises a conflict between man and the wildlife, perhaps because it is an issue of survival of both.
 Usually the ill, weak and injured animals have a tendency to attack man. Also, the female tigress attacks the
human if she feels that her newborn cubs are in danger. But the biggest problem is that if human-flesh is
tasted once then the tiger does not eat any other animal. At the same time, it is very difficult to trace and
cull the man-eating tiger and in the process many innocent tigers are also killed.
 Earlier, forest departments used to cultivate paddy, sugarcane etc. within the sanctuaries when the favourite
staple food of elephants i.e. bamboo leaves were not available. Now due to lack of such practices the
animals move out of the forest in search of food. It may be noted that, One adult elephant needs 2 quintals
of green fodder and 150 kg of clean water daily and if it is not available, the animal strays out.
 Very often the villagers put electric wiring around their ripe crop fields. The elephants get injured, suffer in
pain and turn violent.
 Earlier there used to be wild-life corridors through which the wild animals used to migrate seasonally in
groups to other areas. Due to development of human settlements in these corridors, the path of wildlife has
been disrupted and the animals attack the settlements.
 The cash compensation paid by the government in lieu of the damage caused to the farmers crop is not
enough. In Mysore, a farmer gets a compensation of Rs. 400/- per quintal of expected yield while the market
price is Rs. 2400/- per quintal. The agonized farmer therefore gets revengeful and kills the wild animals.

19. Remedial Measures to Curb the Conflict
 Tiger Conservation Project (TCP) has made provisions for making available vehicles, tranquillizer guns, binoculars
and radio sets etc. to tactfully deal with any imminent danger.
 Adequate crop compensation and cattle compensation scheme must be started, along with substantial cash
compensation for loss of human life.
 Solar powered fencing should be provided along with electric current proof trenches to prevent the animals from
straying into fields.
 Cropping pattern should be changed near the forest borders and adequate fodder, fruit and water should be
made available for the elephants within forest zones.
 Wild life corridors should be provided for mass migration of big animals during unfavorable periods. About 300
km2 area is required for elephant corridors for their seasonal migration.
 In Similipal Sanctuary, Orissa there is a ritual of wild animal hunting during the months of April-May for which
forest is burnt to flush out the animals. Due to massive hunting by people, there is a decline in prey of tigers and
they start coming out of the forest in search of prey. Now there is WWF-TCP initiative to curb this ritual of
“Akhand Shikar” in Orissa.

20. Case Study: Tigers return
to Gadchiroli forests after
30 years, human-animal
conflict spikes
• Gadchiroli district has seen a sharp increase in tiger population in
recent years thanks to spillover from neighboring Chandrapur district
that is home to Tadoba- Andhari Tiger Reserve.
• Lack of cohabitation experience with the tigers is causing people to
panic, which is leading to aggravated human-animal conflicts.
• Experts and forest department advocate strengthening wildlife
corridors and coexistence as viable solutions.

21. Conclusion
The Rights of Species
We do not see all the varied functions that
biodiversity plays in our lives because they
are not obvious. We rarely see how they are
controlling our environment unless we study
nature. Thus we tend to take short-term
actions that can have serious impacts on
biodiversity leading to even extinction of
species by disturbing their habitats. Man has
no right to do so. We only share this planet
with millions of other species that also have
a right to survive on earth. It is morally
wrong to allow man’s actions to lead to the
extinction of species.