Safeguarding biodiversity for our survival
By: Mohammad Hanief
Biodiversity – the diversity of life on earth – is integral to a healthy and stable environment. It includes variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems to maintain balance and support life.
Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter. Due to the increasing human activities the planet is currently experiencing a biodiversity crisis which is resulting in the loss of species and populations of species and the habitats that support them.
The faunal component of biodiversity of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir is rich with interesting and unique forms both in the forest zone and above forest line. The variety of animal forms ranges from higher groups like vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and lower groups like invertebrates including insects and even unicellular micro-organisms.
In recent times, rich biodiversity of Jammu and Kashmir is experiencing grave threats leading to loss in floral as well as faunal biodiversity due to human-driven pressures. Like other forms of biodiversity, extinction of plants is also worrying as they play a key role in supporting the planet’s ecological balance and being also an irreplaceable component of natural habitats.
Habitat loss and fragmentation, owing to land-use conversion for agriculture and allied activities, mining, infrastructure development, and overharvesting of species of economic interest, are the major threats to plants. The major threats to faunal diversity include habitat loss, habitat degradation and fragmentation, unregulated livestock grazing, poaching, pollution, unsustainable use, over-exploitation, and changing land use patterns. The biotic interference, including unsustainable land use pattern, encroachment and livestock grazing, has resulted in dislocation of many wildlife species.
Jammu and Kashmir is rich in the cultural diversity of the people, as well as diversity of the flora and fauna in the forest areas, and domesticated species outside the forest. The bio-diversity of the rich area of Kashmir happens to be one of the 26 hotspots in India where there are high rates of deforestation and endemicity. The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has a fairly rich diversity of plant life, and on this the people depend for their daily needs of food, medicine, fuel, fibre, etc.
The flora of Himalayan Kashmir comprises about 3054 species. About 506 species found in Jammu. These figures only include the angiosperms, gymnosperms and pteridophytes. The plants of western Himalayas are well known for their medicinal properties. This area is store house of medicinal and aromatic plants which are used in pharmaceutical and perfume industries. The list includes 55 species of important medicinal and aromatic plants. There are 11 medicinal plants in temperate, cold arid regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Several medicinal plants grow wild in temperate and alpine habitats.
Since 1970 there is an average 60% decline in global populations of mammals, fish, birds, reptiles, and amphibians around the world. The 2019 records indicated that the threatened species of animal and plants are around one million, highest number in human history. Three-quarters of the land-based environment have been significantly altered. More than a third of the world’s land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production.
Humans have overfished the lakes, cleared forests, polluted our water sources, and created a climate crisis. These actions are impacting biodiversity around the world, from the most remote locales to our own backyards. The natural world relies on a diversity of organisms to keep it in balance, healthy and thriving. To ensure we protect and nourish this biodiversity it is imperative that we gather and disseminate essential knowledge that can empower people, industries and governments and help them live in harmony with nature. Together, we can take action to create lasting solutions and protect the future of nature.
Global biodiversity is affected by extinction and speciation. Habitat change is the most important driver currently affecting biodiversity, as 40% of forests and ice-free habitats have been converted to cropland or pasture. Other drivers are: overexploitation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. More than 99% of all species on Earth are estimated to be extinct.
Many factors, both natural and man-made, have been responsible for extinction of species. It is well known that several plant species have become extinct due to certain natural phenomena, such as land upheavals, volcanic eruptions, glaciations, protracted periods of drought, spread of desert lands, forest fires and eutrophication in the geological past. In certain other cases species became too old or senescent and suffered genetic depletion, thus becoming unable to adapt to the new environment, leading to restricted distribution and, eventually, extinction.
Normally for a species the processes involved in its evolution, spread and finally extinction are very slow. While such natural processes in the past had no doubt led to the extinction of species, they had also contributed to the evolution and speciation of plants. Anthropogenic factors, on the other hand, have accelerated rarity and extinction of plants species to a level where the very existence of the eco-system is threatened.
The economy of Jammu and Kashmir is essentially based on bio-mass. With a rich biological diversity, and a people that are traditionally dependent on bio-mass based resources, it is easy enough to see that the subsistence requirements of the people for food grains, firewood and fodder, timber for housing, food, milk and medicines are derived from the plant and animal resources available. Even the industrial and commercial sectors have large inputs from the bio-mass resources.
The exports from Jammu and Kashmir, i.e. fresh and dry fruits, the famous saffron and honey, timber, resin, medicinal items, handicrafts, including artefacts carved from walnut wood, shawls, carpets, etc. are items obtained from the bio-mass products. Tourists who visit Jammu and Kashmir and contribute to the economy are attracted largely by the scenic natural beauty with its mountain ranges, towering snow-clad peaks, placid sparking lakes, bubbling streams and springs.
However, the development of the country depends on the enhancement of bio-mass productivity through sustainable management of the natural resources that ensures that conservation of species, including the genetic variability within them, and eco-systems. As such, sustainable management of natural resources along with environmental conservation has to be an integral element of the development process. The natural resources have, over the years, been subjected to serious depletion owing to various factors, stemming mostly from anthropogenic activities.
(The author can be mailed at m.hanief@gmail.com)
