BIODIVERSITY AND HISTORY
1. Context
The scales of space and time have always been fascinating. In our experience, we know what a year feels like, or what a decade feels like. But I don’t have any intuition of what a century feels like, or how much changes in a millennium. Yet, to appreciate life on earth, we need to think in millions of years.
2. Life and History of Life
- Around 4.5 billion years ago, Earth formed as a hot mass of rock. Within 100 million years, it cooled enough for water to condense, leading to the creation of oceans. It took another billion years for the first living cells to emerge in these oceans.
- For the next billion years, bacteria were the only form of life, during which they developed various innovations that drastically transformed the planet.
- About 2.7 billion years ago, photosynthetic bacteria, particularly cyanobacteria, became common in the oceans.
- These organisms harnessed sunlight to produce chemical energy, and oxygen was a byproduct of this process. At the time, oxygen was scarcely present in Earth’s atmosphere.
- Over the following 300 million years, oxygen levels in the atmosphere rose to about 10%. This period, known as the Great Oxidation Event (or Oxygen Catastrophe), led to significant changes, wiping out many organisms unable to survive in the new oxygen-rich environment
3. Cellular Organism
- Multicellular life, or organisms with more than one cell, first appeared about 2.1 billion years ago. By this time, half of Earth's history had already passed, dominated entirely by single-celled organisms.
- Since then, life has evolved and diversified, spreading across the planet. Over millions of years, organisms adapted to various environments, giving rise to a wide variety of life forms.
- However, there have been periods of drastic environmental changes or catastrophic events that caused widespread extinctions.
- These events, known as mass extinctions, have occurred five times in the last 500 million years.
- They have been linked to factors such as environmental shifts, volcanic eruptions, and asteroid impacts. One such impact occurred near modern-day Mexico, creating a crater roughly 200 kilometers wide.
- This event led to the extinction of around 75% of plant and animal species, including all non-avian dinosaurs.
- This extinction event allowed mammals to evolve and occupy the ecological roles once filled by dinosaurs, shaping the world we see today. Birds are the only surviving descendants of dinosaurs
4. Contemporary and Issue of Extinction
- Many experts believe we are currently experiencing a sixth mass extinction, with species disappearing at rates estimated to be 100 times faster than the natural extinction rates of the past 20,000 years.
- This rapid loss of biodiversity is largely driven by human activities. Over the past two centuries, we have significantly increased our consumption of the Earth's energy and resources to support our expanding economy and population.
- In 1804, the global human population was 1 billion, but by 2024, it has grown to 8.17 billion. When we look at the mass of all mammals on Earth, livestock make up about 62%, humans 32%, and wild mammals only 4%.
- Nature plays a critical role in human society and the economy by providing clean air, clean water, food, fuel, healthcare, and more. A decline in biodiversity, even in species we don't directly rely on, weakens ecosystems and their ability to function properly
5. Cost of losing biodiversity
- Imagine a large company losing employees at random. A mid-level manager quits, causing temporary chaos in the team, but eventually, a junior employee steps up and fills the role. Similarly, when one species disappears from an ecosystem, another may take over its function.
- Now, consider if a janitor leaves, and the remaining staff handle the extra work. But if half of the janitors leave, cleanliness deteriorates, and the office becomes difficult to work in. This mirrors how the loss of too many species in a specific role can disrupt an ecosystem's functioning.
- When an office clerk leaves, it may seem insignificant as others can cover the role.
- However, it turns out that the clerk was central to the office’s social network, demonstrating how losing a seemingly minor role can affect the entire system. Much like ecosystems, we often don’t fully understand the importance of certain species.
- If the CEO leaves, the company loses coordination and productivity, just as the loss of a keystone species can drastically impact an ecosystem. Unlike a company, ecosystems don’t follow a designed structure—they are complex systems that evolve according to natural laws, many of which scientists are still uncovering as ecosystems continue to disappear
6. Drivers of biodiversity crisis
- The 2022 report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services identifies five direct human-induced drivers of biodiversity loss: (i) Pollution, (ii) changes in land and sea use, (iii) direct exploitation and resource extraction, (iv) climate change, and (v) invasive alien species.
- These direct drivers are influenced by broader, indirect factors like institutions (both formal and informal), economic forces, technology, governance, conflicts, and sociocultural elements such as values, beliefs, norms, and education. Let’s explore the direct drivers in more detail:
(i) Pollution – Over the past 200 years, pollution has reshaped ecosystems. Excess fertilizers from agriculture enter water bodies, harming aquatic life. Industrial waste dumping also severely affects both humans and wildlife. Industrial accidents, such as the 1984 Union Carbide disaster in Bhopal, caused long-lasting environmental damage. Even 40 years later, communities near the site still consume contaminated water.
(ii) Land and Sea Use Change – This is a major driver of both climate change and biodiversity loss. Tropical forests are being cleared for farmland or livestock pastures. Some governments even classify oil palm plantation expansion as "not deforestation" since trees are planted, though they differ greatly from natural forests. Similarly, deep-sea trawling is comparable to clear-cutting forests on land, as it destroys delicate ecosystems and releases carbon from the ocean floor. Currently, only 17% of the world's land and just 2.7% of the ocean are designated as protected areas.
- Many ecosystems are overexploited by human activities. A 2017 study found that 34% of global fisheries are overfished, with an additional 60% nearing that status. Regulating overfishing has proven challenging since fish populations are mostly invisible, and the oceans fall outside national jurisdictions.
(iii) Climate Change – It is driving many species toward extinction. Species in cold regions, like the poles and mountains, are struggling as temperatures rise, while those in warmer areas face increased risks from drought and heat stress. Insects, particularly in tropical areas, are especially vulnerable to heat.
- Additionally, climate change is exacerbating problems related to diseases and invasive species, as pests that once couldn’t survive cold winters are now thriving in milder conditions
7. Way Forward
When we talk about biodiversity, we often imagine it as something distant, deep within jungles. However, nature is all around us—cities, towns, and even a single tree canopy can host diverse life. Before we start thinking about conserving species, ask yourself if you're aware of the wildlife right outside your window. Try challenging yourself to identify 15 bird species around you in the next week. You'll be surprised—they're out there waiting to be noticed!
The current state of global biodiversity is alarming, and the international response has been much slower and less coordinated compared to efforts to tackle climate change. One reason for this may be that biodiversity loss is more difficult to define and quantify than climate change. However, awareness and action on biodiversity conservation are gaining momentum as the severity of the crisis becomes clearer to everyone
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For Prelims: Biodiversity Act, 2002, Biodiversity Management Committees (BMCs), Access and Benefit Sharing, National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and Nagoya Protocol.
For Mains: 1. Discuss the key provisions and significance of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 in India's efforts towards biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of biological resources, and equitable benefit sharing. (250 words)
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Previous year Question1. How does National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) help in protecting Indian agriculture? (UPSC 2012)
1. NBA checks the biopiracy and protects the indigenous and traditional genetic resources.
2. NBA directly monitors and supervises the scientific research on genetic modification of crop plants.
3. Application for Intellectual Property Rights related to genetic/biological resources cannot be made without the approval of the NBA.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: C
2. With reference to India, consider the following Central Acts. (UPSC 2011)
1. Import and Export (Control) Act,1947.
2. Mining and Mineral Development (Regulation) Act, 1957.
3. Customs Act, 1962.
4. Indian Forest Act, 1927.
Which of the above Acts have relevance to/bearing on biodiversity conservation in the country?
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 2, 3, and4 only
C. 1, 2, 3 and 4
D. None of the above Acts
Answer: C
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Source: The Indian Express
