Class 12 Biology - HARYANA
Biodiversity and Conservation
The chapter Biodiversity and Conservation in Class 12 Biology explores the immense variety of life on Earth at genetic, species, and ecological levels and highlights its critical importance for human survival. Haryana Board (BSEH) students will learn about the patterns of biodiversity, the alarming rates of species extinction due to human activities, and the urgent need to protect ecosystems through in-situ and ex-situ conservation methods. This chapter is a high-scoring section in the board exams, frequently featuring direct questions on conservation strategies, biodiversity loss causes, and ecological formulas.
Start Learning FreeKey Concepts
Levels of Biodiversity
Biodiversity exists at three fundamental levels: genetic diversity (variation within species), species diversity (variety of species within a region), and ecological diversity (variety of ecosystems in a region).
Latitudinal Gradients in Biodiversity
Species diversity decreases as we move away from the equator towards the poles, making tropical regions richer in biodiversity than temperate zones.
Species-Area Relationship
Alexander von Humboldt observed that within a region, species richness increases with increasing explored area, but only up to a certain limit.
Causes of Biodiversity Loss
Often referred to as the 'Evil Quartet', the main drivers of extinction are habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation, alien species invasions, and co-extinctions.
In-situ and Ex-situ Conservation
In-situ conservation protects species in their natural habitats (e.g., national parks, biosphere reserves), while ex-situ conservation protects them outside their natural habitats (e.g., zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks).
Important Formulas
Board Exam Info
In the Haryana Board (BSEH) Class 12 Biology examination, this chapter typically carries around 4 to 6 marks. Common question types include short-answer questions on the 'Evil Quartet', differences between in-situ and ex-situ conservation, and numerical or conceptual questions based on Alexander von Humboldt's Species-Area relationship equation.
Frequently Asked Questions
In-situ conservation involves protecting endangered plants and animals in their natural habitat (like wildlife sanctuaries), whereas Ex-situ conservation involves protecting them away from their natural habitat in artificial settings (like botanical gardens and zoos).
Z is the regression coefficient or slope of the line. For most regions, its value lies between 0.1 and 0.2, but for very large areas like entire continents, the slope is much steeper, with Z values ranging between 0.6 and 1.2.
Tropical regions have remained relatively undisturbed for millions of years, receiving more solar energy which promotes higher productivity and provides a stable environment without harsh seasonal variations.
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