By Jayantha Jayewardene
Conservation has different meanings to different people. It relates to what is in their conservation sights and focus, be it nature, the environment, artefacts and architecture of the past, old traditions, art, etc.
In this article I will focus on biodiversity and its conservation in general. Biodiversity has many interpretations. For our purpose I will use the following interpretation – biological diversity, or biodiversity, refers to the variety of life in all its forms, including plants, animals, and microbes, that exist and interact in the many various biological communities and ecosystems. The components of biodiversity necessary to be preserved are genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystems diversity.
Edward O. Wilson, in his book The Diversity of Life says: “Every country has three forms of wealth: material, cultural, and biological. The first two we understand well, because they are the substance of our everyday lives. The essence of the biodiversity problem is that biological wealth is taken much less seriously. This is a major strategic error, one that will be increasingly regretted as time passes.
“Diversity is a potential source for immense untapped material wealth in the form of food, medicines, and amenities. Fauna and flora are also a part of a country’s heritage, the product of millions of years of evolution centred on that time and place, and hence as much a reason for national concern as the particularities of language and culture.”
Biodiversity conservation is the protection and management of biodiversity to obtain resources for sustainable development. Biodiversity conservation has three main objectives: To preserve the diversity of species, to ensure sustainable utilisation of species and ecosystems, and to maintain essential ecological processes.
Evolution
All living things, including animals, undergo changes as each new generation succeeds the one before. These changes are usually so slight that they are very difficult to see, but over thousands or millions of years, they can completely alter the way animals look and the way they behave.
This process of change is called evolution. It allows animals to take advantage of new opportunities and to adapt to changes that take place in the world around them. Evolution works by modifying existing characteristics, usually through a series of small mutations. The result of this is that every animal is a living store of evolutionary history – one that helps to show how different species are related.
Species
A species is the grouping by which taxonomists classify the different living organisms. In biology, a species is the basic unit that makes up the biodiversity of an area. Usually animals which look similar are placed as members of the same species. But more accurately, a species is a reproductive unit consisting of organisms which can breed and reproduce viable offspring in nature.
Subspecies
There are instances where organisms of the same species, which live in different locations, have taken on certain characteristics that make them different, in some ways, from those of the same species which live in a different location. Therefore they are given a third scientific name to identify them as a subspecies. Two subspecies would be able to breed, since they are from the same species.
Scientific names
All living things known to science have been given scientific names. This is how a species is identified wherever it may be. For instance, the Spotted Deer found in Sri Lanka is known scientifically as Axis axis. Common names can differ in different locations. In India, this deer is commonly called the Chital, but since it has the same scientific name, we know that when we talk of the Chital or Spotted Deer, we are talking of Axis axis.
Scientific names can only be changed with good reason. However, common names are changed easily. For instance what was called the Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus cirrhatus) is now called the Changeable Hawk Eagle. This can lead to confusion between the older and newer generations of naturalists. Similarly, the Rufous Babbler (Turdoides rufescens) is also called the Orange-Billed Babbler and the Ceylon Jungle Babbler. With three common names, a unique scientific name becomes very important to correctly identify this bird.
Endemism
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, country, or other defined area. If it is found in any other location, it is not considered endemic. Sometimes there can be a type of fauna or flora that is found only in one specific place. Then it is called point endemic (Eg. Ritigala Thambergia, Ritigala Wana Mee).
Hotspots
Sri Lanka is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. This means that we have a wide range of biological species of fauna and flora in a variety of habitats and ecosystems. However, all these face the threat of extinction.
Sri Lanka has different forest types. They also include non-forest vegetation areas. Some of these forests are among the most floristically rich forests in Asia and are quite unique for a small country. The diversity comes about as a result of the wide variations in rainfall, altitude, and soil within the country. Vegetation reflects the combined effect of topography, climate, and soils.
Values of biodiversity
It is necessary to protect our biodiversity because there are compelling economic, scientific, aesthetic, ethical reasons or values attached to biodiversity. It is also necessary to conserve our biodiversity so that future generations too could enjoy it and benefit from it.
Our natural resources, which stem mainly from our rich biodiversity, have great economic value through direct use. They are used for food, medicine, timber/firewood, clothes, recreation, biological control, ornamental, and industrial processes. When direct uses are for non-market purposes, they are called consumptive values. When resources are extracted for commercial purposes, they are called productive use values
It is unfortunate that those connected with biodiversity conservation at higher levels of policy and conservation did not seem to seriously feel the need to conserve our biodiversity. No effective action was taken to make use of our biodiversity potential that was available in its many forms, and is still available, although in lesser species and quantities.
The diversity of biological species available now is much less than it was before, with many species having become extinct. However there is still a significant amount that could be conserved scientifically and used for food, medicines, and other uses in a sustainable manner with much being left for future generations as well.
The writer is a member of WNPS and the IUCN/Asian Elephant Specialist Group, and was the editor of its journal Gajah. He is also the Managing Trustee of the Biodiversity and Elephant Conservation Trust, and is the author of four books – ‘The Elephant in Sri Lanka’, ‘The Diversity of Sri Lankan Wildlife’, ‘Sri Lanka’s Tame Elephants’, and ‘Sri Lankave Aliathun’ (in Sinhala). He won a Presidential Award for Scientific Research in 2011.
The history of wildlife protection in Sri Lanka is almost synonymous with that of the Wildlife and Nature Protection Society of Sri Lanka. At 128 years old, the WNPS is the third oldest non-governmental organisation of its kind in the World and was responsible for the setting up of the Wilpattu and Yala National Parks in Sri Lanka, and of the formation of the Department of Wildlife Conservation.
