Bio Diversity and its degeneration
The biosphere constitutes a vital life support system for man. Its existence in a healthy and functional state is essential for the existence of human race. It is the complex collection of innumerable organisms – the bio-diversity – which makes our lives both pleasant and possible.
No one knows exactly how many species occur on our planet. Scientists believe that the total number of species on earth is in between 10 million to 80 million (Stork 1988, Wilson 1988). We have been able to enlist only 1.4 million species so far.
Nature has taken more than 600 million years to develop this exceedingly complex spectrum of life on this planet. The existence of human race depends on health and well being of other life forms in the biosphere. However, we are losing this accumulated heritage of millions of years at a very fast rate. The very basis of our existence is being undermined. The onset of biological poverty or reduction in diversity of life forms is bound to have grave consequences for the entire living world.
