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Diversity - India as a Biodiversity Hotspot

Grade 9CBSE

Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.

🔑Concepts

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Biodiversity refers to the variety of life forms found in a specific region, including plants, animals, and microorganisms. It is highly influenced by climatic conditions like temperature and moisture.

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The region of the Earth between the Tropic of Cancer (23.5∘N23.5^{\circ} N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.5∘S23.5^{\circ} S) is known as the region of mega-diversity because it is warm and humid, supporting a high density of life.

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India is one of the 1212 mega-biodiversity countries in the world. Despite having only 2.4%2.4 \% of the world's land area, it accounts for nearly 8.1%8.1 \% of the world's total species diversity.

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Biodiversity Hotspots are biogeographic regions that are significant reservoirs of biodiversity and are under threat from human activities. To be qualified as a hotspot, a region must contain a high percentage of endemic species.

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The major biodiversity hotspots in India include the Western Ghats, the Eastern Himalayas, and the Indo-Burma region.

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Endemic species are those species of plants and animals which are found exclusively in a particular area and nowhere else in the world. For example, the Lion-tailed Macaque is endemic to the Western Ghats.

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Species richness is the number of different species represented in an ecological community, landscape or region.

📐Formulae

Pdiversity=(SIndiaSWorld)×100≈8.1%P_{diversity} = \left( \frac{S_{India}}{S_{World}} \right) \times 100 \approx 8.1 \%

Aratio=Land Area of IndiaTotal Global Land Area≈2.4%A_{ratio} = \frac{\text{Land Area of India}}{\text{Total Global Land Area}} \approx 2.4 \%

Species Density=Total Number of SpeciesTotal Land Area (km2)\text{Species Density} = \frac{\text{Total Number of Species}}{\text{Total Land Area (km}^2\text{)}}

💡Examples

Problem 1:

If the total number of identified species in the world is approximately 1.7×1061.7 \times 10^6, calculate the approximate number of species found in India using the mega-diversity percentage of 8.1%8.1 \%.

Solution:

NIndia=8.1100×1.7×106N_{India} = \frac{8.1}{100} \times 1.7 \times 10^6 NIndia=0.081×1,700,000=137,700N_{India} = 0.081 \times 1,700,000 = 137,700

Explanation:

To find the species count in India, we apply the global diversity percentage of 8.1%8.1 \% to the total number of known species worldwide.

Problem 2:

Calculate the ratio of India's contribution to global biodiversity relative to its share of the world's land area.

Solution:

Ratio=% of Biodiversity% of Land Area\text{Ratio} = \frac{\% \text{ of Biodiversity}}{\% \text{ of Land Area}} Ratio=8.1%2.4%≈3.375\text{Ratio} = \frac{8.1 \%}{2.4 \%} \approx 3.375

Explanation:

This ratio indicates that India's biodiversity is 3.3753.375 times higher than what would be expected based on its land size alone, highlighting its status as a mega-diversity nation.