Role of Biodiversity Conservation in Developm...

Role of Biodiversity Conservation in Development of Sustainable Agro-Ecosystem

Author Name : Kushmita Dhan, J.K. Kerketta, M.S. Malik, R.B. Sah

ABSTRACT

Most of the rural India still lives in extreme poverty condition without access to productive assets and less knowledge of importance of conservation of natural resources and biodiversity, resulting in their massive exploitation and gradual depletion on long run. This exerts enormous pressure on the existing natural resources which disturb the balance of the complex agro-ecosystem. Due to this a huge gap in demand and supply of ecosystem produce created, resulting in migration of these people in search of better livelihood and exclusion from the development process. Researches conducted at different institutes mainly rely on reducing this gap of demand and supply through providing scientific knowledge of conserving our biodiversity. Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem and is a measure of the health of an ecosystem. However, these are neither adequately protected nor properly managed and being irreversibly lost through extinction caused by the destruction of more and more natural habitats. It must be treated more seriously as a global resource which is essential for enhancing the productivity, resilience and sustainable functioning of the complex agro ecosystem. There is utmost need to promote appropriate forest based industries in an integrated way through intensification of resource management and development of scientific techniques of harvesting, value addition and efficient marketing system of forest products. A more rational way of rehabilitation of degraded land is integrating forestry into agricultural system through development and promoting social forestry, community forestry and agroforestry through community participatory programmes. These practices will certainly contribute towards creating a sustainable and healthy ecosystem as well as rehabilitation of marginalized people and upliftment of their livelihood conditions.

Key Words: Biodiversity, conservation, agroforestry, degradation, rehabilitation.