What are the 3 types of biodiversity?

Genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity are the typical three levels of biodiversity that are covered. The various genes that each unique plant, animal, fungus, and bacterium have constitute genetic variety. It happens both within and between species.

What is biodiversity and examples?

The diversity of living organisms on Earth, including plants, animals, microbes, and fungi, is referred to as biodiversity.

What is biodiversity and why it is important?

The systems that sustain all life on Earth, including humans, depend on biodiversity. We cannot have the healthy ecosystems that we depend on to give us the air we breathe and the food we consume without a diverse variety of animals, plants, and microorganisms. People also appreciate nature in and of itself.

What 3 things define biodiversity?

Genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecological diversity are the three main levels at which biodiversity are typically investigated. The complexity of life on Earth is a result of the interaction of these three levels.

What causes biodiversity?

Temperature, height, precipitation, soils, and their interactions with other species are a few of the many variables that affect biodiversity. For instance, the biodiversity of the oceans is 25 times lower than that of the land. Moving from the tropics to the poles, biodiversity likewise changes shape.

Biodiversity in India: Types, Hotspots, Importance, Threats and Conservation

Table of Contents

Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability of living organisms, including plants, animals, microorganisms and the ecosystems in which they exist. It includes diversity within species, between species and among ecosystems. Pasted text

India is one of the world’s megadiverse countries. Despite occupying only a small share of the world’s land area, India supports around 7–8% of the world’s recorded species and contains four globally recognised biodiversity hotspots.

Biodiversity is fundamental to food security, water resources, agriculture, medicine, climate regulation, livelihoods and ecosystem stability.

What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity can be understood at three major levels:

Genetic diversity – variation within a species.
Species diversity – variety of species in a particular area.
Ecosystem diversity – variety of ecosystems and habitats.

Species diversity can further be assessed through species richness and species evenness. Species richness refers to the number of species present, while species evenness reflects the relative abundance of different species. Pasted text

Species Richness

Species richness is simply the number of different species occurring in a given area.

It is commonly discussed at three spatial scales:

Alpha diversity: Diversity within a particular site or ecosystem.
Beta diversity: Difference in species composition between ecosystems.
Gamma diversity: Overall diversity across a larger geographical region.

Types of Biodiversity

1. Genetic Diversity

Genetic diversity refers to variations in genes among individuals of the same species.

Examples

Different varieties of rice
Different breeds of cattle
Wild relatives of cultivated crops
Different varieties of mango

Genetic diversity is particularly important for crop improvement, disease resistance and adaptation to climate change.

2. Species Diversity

Species diversity refers to the variety of species found within an ecosystem or geographical area.

India’s diverse landscapes—from the Himalayas and Western Ghats to deserts, wetlands, mangroves and islands—support enormous species diversity.

Species diversity is important because the loss of a species can alter food chains, ecological interactions and ecosystem functioning.

3. Ecosystem Diversity

Ecosystem diversity refers to the variety of ecosystems present in a geographical region.

Major Indian ecosystems include:

Himalayan ecosystems
Tropical forests
Grasslands
Deserts
Wetlands
Mangroves
Coral reefs
Coastal ecosystems
Marine ecosystems
Island ecosystems

Thus, India’s biodiversity is not restricted to forests; mountains, grasslands, wetlands, coasts and oceans are equally important.

Biodiversity Hotspots in India

A biodiversity hotspot is not simply an area with many species. To qualify as a hotspot, a region must have:

At least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species, and
Lost at least 70% of its original natural vegetation.

There are currently 36 recognised biodiversity hotspots globally. India has parts of four of these hotspots—not six as stated in the original source.

The Four Biodiversity Hotspots Associated with India

Hotspot	Major Indian region
Himalaya	Himalayan region
Indo-Burma	Northeastern India
Western Ghats–Sri Lanka	Western Ghats
Sundaland	Nicobar Islands

1. Himalaya

The Himalayan hotspot contains highly diverse forests, alpine ecosystems and numerous endemic species.

It is important for:

Snow leopard
Red panda
Himalayan monal
Several endemic plants
Alpine and temperate ecosystems

The Himalayas also provide critical ecosystem services, including water regulation, soil conservation and climate regulation.

2. Indo-Burma

The Indo-Burma hotspot covers parts of Northeast India and extends into several Southeast Asian countries.

It is characterised by:

Tropical and subtropical forests
High species diversity
Numerous endemic species
Major river systems and wetlands

It faces pressure from habitat fragmentation, infrastructure development, hunting, agriculture and climate change.

3. Western Ghats–Sri Lanka

The Western Ghats are among India’s most biologically rich regions and have exceptionally high endemism.

Important species include:

Lion-tailed macaque
Nilgiri tahr
Nilgiri langur
Purple frog

The region is also a major source of water for peninsular India.

4. Sundaland

Within India, the Nicobar Islands form part of the Sundaland biodiversity hotspot.

The island ecosystems contain unique flora and fauna and are particularly vulnerable because of their geographical isolation, limited habitat and exposure to climate-related risks.

UPSC Fact: The Sundarbans is not a separate biodiversity hotspot. It is a globally important mangrove ecosystem and UNESCO World Heritage Site, while the Nicobar Islands are part of the Sundaland hotspot.

Importance of Biodiversity

Biodiversity provides a wide range of ecosystem services and supports human well-being.

1. Ecological Importance

Biodiversity helps maintain:

Food webs
Pollination
Nutrient cycling
Soil formation
Water cycles
Ecological resilience
Carbon storage
Climate regulation

The original source also highlights biodiversity’s role in maintaining ecological processes and ecosystem balance. Pasted text

2. Economic Importance

Biodiversity supports:

Agriculture
Fisheries
Forestry
Pharmaceuticals
Biotechnology
Tourism
Livelihoods of forest-dependent communities

Wild genetic resources are particularly important for developing climate-resilient and disease-resistant crops.

3. Social and Cultural Importance

Biodiversity has deep cultural and traditional significance.

Examples include:

Sacred groves
Traditional medicinal plants
Community conservation practices
Bishnoi conservation traditions

The Bishnoi tradition illustrates how cultural values can contribute to biodiversity conservation. Pasted text

Major Threats to Biodiversity

The major drivers of biodiversity loss include:

1. Habitat Loss and Fragmentation

Conversion of forests, wetlands and grasslands for:

Infrastructure
Agriculture
Urbanisation
Mining
Industrial development

can destroy or fragment habitats. Pasted text

2. Overexploitation

Unsustainable:

Fishing
Hunting
Logging
Collection of biological resources

can reduce populations and disrupt ecosystems.

3. Climate Change

Climate change is altering:

Temperature regimes
Rainfall patterns
Ocean conditions
Species ranges
Breeding cycles

Species with limited ability to adapt or migrate face particularly high risks. Pasted text

4. Pollution

Air, water, soil, plastic and chemical pollution can damage ecosystems and reduce species populations. Pasted text

5. Invasive Alien Species

Species introduced outside their natural range can outcompete native species, alter habitats and disrupt ecological processes. Pasted text

Biodiversity Conservation in India

Conservation broadly follows two approaches.

In-situ Conservation

In-situ conservation means conserving species within their natural habitats.

Examples

National Parks
Wildlife Sanctuaries
Biosphere Reserves
Conservation Reserves
Community Reserves
Protected forests

The approach protects not just individual species but their habitats and ecological interactions. Pasted text

Ex-situ Conservation

Ex-situ conservation protects species outside their natural habitats.

Examples

Seed banks
Gene banks
Botanical gardens
Zoos
Cryopreservation
DNA repositories
Sperm banks

Biological Diversity Act, 2002

The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 was enacted to promote:

Conservation of biological diversity
Sustainable use of its components
Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from biological resources and associated knowledge.

It established a decentralised institutional framework involving:

National Biodiversity Authority — NBA

The NBA operates at the national level and deals with issues related to access to biological resources, benefit sharing and biodiversity governance.

State Biodiversity Boards — SBBs

SBBs function at the state level and advise governments on biodiversity conservation, sustainable use and benefit sharing.

Biodiversity Management Committees — BMCs

BMCs operate at the local level and play an important role in documenting biodiversity and facilitating local participation.

The National Biodiversity Authority confirms the statutory role of SBBs and BMCs under the framework.

Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023

India amended the biodiversity law through the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Act, 2023. The amendment sought to streamline certain regulatory provisions while maintaining the objectives of conservation, sustainable use and benefit sharing.

For UPSC, the key development is that the 2002 Act should now be studied together with the 2023 Amendment and subsequent rules, rather than treating the original Act as the complete current framework.

Biological Diversity Rules, 2024

The Biological Diversity Rules, 2024 were notified through G.S.R. 665(E) on 22 October 2024.

The updated framework is particularly relevant to:

Access and benefit sharing
Biological resources
Traditional knowledge
Biodiversity Management Committees
People’s Biodiversity Registers
Implementation of the amended biodiversity regime

India’s Updated Biodiversity Strategy

India released its updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in October 2024, aligning national biodiversity action with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

The KMGBF contains:

4 global goals for 2050
23 targets for 2030

and provides the principal global framework for reversing biodiversity loss.

The global biodiversity agenda is particularly important in 2026 because the first major global review of collective progress under the KMGBF is scheduled for COP17 in October 2026 in Yerevan, Armenia.

Biodiversity Conservation: Way Forward

India’s biodiversity strategy needs to move beyond isolated protected areas towards landscape-level and community-based conservation.

Key priorities include:

Protecting critical habitats and ecological corridors
Restoring degraded ecosystems
Controlling invasive alien species
Promoting sustainable agriculture and fisheries
Strengthening community participation
Expanding biodiversity documentation
Protecting traditional knowledge
Improving human-wildlife coexistence
Integrating climate adaptation with biodiversity conservation
Strengthening Access and Benefit Sharing
Using technology for biodiversity monitoring

India had established around 2.77 lakh Biodiversity Management Committees and documented about 2.68 lakh People’s Biodiversity Registers according to the Ministry’s 2024–25 Annual Report.