BIODIVERSITY AND WILDLIFE

Paper Code: 
ENV 202
Credits: 
3
Contact Hours: 
45.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

The course lays emphasis on importance and conservation of biodiversity which will lead to sustain life on earth.  

9.00
Unit I: 
Introduction to Biodiversity
  • Definition and Types – Genetic, Species and Ecosystem Diversity( α, β and γ)
  • Importance - ecological, consumptive, productive, social, ethical and aesthetic
  • Threats to Biodiversity
  • Hotspots in India: Western Ghats ,Eastern Himalya and Indo-Burma
  • Introduction to Ramsar convention, Ramsar sites in India

 

9.00
Unit II: 
Biodiversity Conservation
  • Causes of loss of Biodiversity
  • Extinction of species –causes; examples of extinct species in India
  • Methods  of Conservation (in situ and ex situ )
  • Protected areas-National parks ,sanctuaries and biosphere reserves
  • Role of biotechnology in biodiversity conservation
9.00
Unit III: 
Introduction to Wildlife
  • Historical perspective
  • Wildlife habitats-Ecozones and faunal diversity
  • Factors causing wildlife depletion

 

10.00
Unit IV: 
Wildlife Management and conservation
  • Conservation projects- Project Tiger, Gir lion project, Project elephant, Project Rhino
  • Introduction to Organizations/conventions-WWF, IUCN,CITES,TRAFFIC
  • Red Data Book and categories to evaluate the extinction risk(Extinct, Extinct in the wild,  Critically endangerd, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened, least concerned,Data deficient and not Evaluated
  • Wild life in Rajasthan- Common & Scientific names of

             -20 animals/birds found in Rajasthan

              -State bird/animal/tree/flower

 

8.00
Unit V: 
Legal implementation towards Wildlife and Biodiversity

Salient features of-

  • Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972
  • Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act ,1991
  • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
  • Man And Biosphere (MAB)  programme
Essential Readings: 
  • Mathur,R:Animal behavior,Rastogi Publications,Meerut
  • Kothari, Asish , Understanding Biodiversity, New Delhi: Orient Longman.
  • UNESCO,2002. Biosphere Reserves: Special places for people and nature.UNESCO, Paris.
  • Glowka, L. et.al., (1994) A Guide to the Convention on Biological Diversity, IUCN Gland and Cambridge.
  • Wcmc (1992) Global Biodiversity. Status of the earth’s Living Resources.
  • IUCN (1999) Resource Material on Biodiversity for General Certificate of Education.
  • Agarwal, Anil, Narain, Sunita and Sharma, Anju (Eds.) (1999) Global Environmental Negotiations I: Green Politics, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi.
  • Bharucha Erach, The Biodiversity of India, Mapin Publishing Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad
  • Hawkins R.E., Encyclopedia of Indian Natural History, Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay (R)
  • Heywood, V.H & Waston, R.T. 1995. Global Biodiversity Assessment. Cambridge Univ. Press
  • Jadhav, H & Bhosale, V.M. 1995. Environmental Protection and Laws. Himalaya Pub.
  • Hossetti, B.B.:Wildlife management in India

 

Academic Year: 
2015-2016
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