Topper’s Copy

Significance of Decline

[FLOWCHART:
"Significance of Decline"
├──> "Ecosystem instability"
│ "Populations decline weaken food webs and ecosystem resilience"
│ │
│ v
│ "example: Freshwater populations declined by 85% reflecting severe pressures on rivers, lakes & aquatic habits"
└──> "threat to Human well-being"
"Biodiversity loss undermine food security, livelihood & ecological services."
│
v
"Example: Pollinator decline threatens crop yields by reducing pollination in Agricultural ecosystems."
]

Causes of Biodiversity Loss

① Habitat Destruction: Agriculture, mining and infrastructure fragment natural habitats. Example: Forest fragmentation in western Ghats disrupts elephant movement, increasing human-elephant conflict.

② Overexploitation: Poaching, hunting & unsustainable fishing deplete wildlife populations. Example: Illegal tiger poaching removes breeding adults, slowing population recovery.

③ Climate Change: Warming & extreme weather alter habitats & species distribution. Example: Marine heatwaves cause coral bleaching, degrading habitats supporting diverse marine organisms.

④ Pollution & invasive species: Contaminants and alien species disrupt ecological balance. Example: Water hyacinth chokes Indian lakes, reducing oxygen availability & threatening native aquatic life.

Measures.

① In-situ conservations: Expand protected areas and wildlife corridors. Example: Project Tiger protects habitats & breeding populations through reserves and anti-poaching patrols.

② Ex-situ conservation: Strengthen captive breeding and re-introduction. Example: India's crocodile conservation programme combines captive breeding with releases to restore threatened crocodilian populations.

③ Community participation: Link local livelihoods with sustainable resource management. Example: Joint Forest Management involves communities in protecting forests, improving stewardship and reducing degradation.

④ Nature-positive development: Integrate biodiversity into Agriculture, infrastructure and finance. Example: Wildlife crossings on highways reduce animal mortality by reconnecting fragmented habitats.