IUCN Categories & Biodiversity
Forest & Wildlife · IUCN श्रेणियां और जैव विविधता · 18 facts
IUCN Red List: Global database of species conservation status; maintained by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); updated regularly.
IUCN categories: EX (Extinct), EW (Extinct in Wild), CR (Critically Endangered), EN (Endangered), VU (Vulnerable), NT (Near Threatened), LC (Least Concern), DD (Data Deficient).
India's biodiversity: 8% of world's recorded species on just 2.4% of world's land area; 4 biodiversity hotspots.
India's 4 Biodiversity Hotspots: Himalayas, Western Ghats (with Sri Lanka), Indo-Burma (NE India), Sundaland (Andaman & Nicobar); all have endemic species.
India's species count: 45,000+ flowering plant species (11% of world), 91,000+ animal species (7.4% of world), 15% of world's fish species.
CBD (Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992): Signed at Earth Summit Rio de Janeiro; India is a signatory; 3 objectives: conservation, sustainable use, benefit-sharing.
Nagoya Protocol (2010): Supplementary agreement to CBD; Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) mechanism; regulates use of genetic resources.
COP15 Kunming-Montreal Agreement (2022): 30x30 target — protect 30% of world's land and oceans by 2030; also called Global Biodiversity Framework.
Critically Endangered species in India: Great Indian Bustard (<150), Gharial (<300), Namdapha Flying Squirrel (unknown), Red-headed Vulture, Bengal Florican, Himalayan Quail.
IUCN Protected Area Categories: Ia (Strict Nature Reserve), Ib (Wilderness Area), II (National Park), III (Natural Monument), IV (Habitat/Species Management), V (Protected Landscape), VI (Protected Area with Sustainable Use).
Mass extinction: Earth is experiencing 6th mass extinction (Holocene extinction); species dying 1000x faster than natural rate due to human activities.
India's invasive species: Lantana camara (shrub), Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), Prosopis juliflora (Vilayati kikar) are major invasive species threatening Indian biodiversity.
Tiger reintroduction in India: After tigers went locally extinct in Sariska (2004) and Panna (2009), tigers were successfully relocated from other reserves.
Species Endemic to India: Lion-tailed Macaque, Nilgiri Tahr, Indian Star Tortoise, Malabar Civet, Great Indian Bustard, Indian Giant Squirrel.
Western Ghats: UNESCO World Heritage Site (2012); one of world's 8 'hottest hotspots'; 5000+ flowering plant species, 139 mammals, 508 birds; 325 globally threatened species.
Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS): Areas rich in biological diversity; declared by state governments; Nallur Tamarind Grove (Karnataka) was India's first BHS (2007).
People's Biodiversity Register (PBR): Local-level document on biological diversity; prepared by Local Biodiversity Management Committees under Biological Diversity Act 2002.
India's mammals: 410 species (8.58% of world); 45 endemics; includes world's second-largest number of mammal species after Indonesia.