Biodiversity hotspots, conservation strategy, and India's legal framework for protecting biological resources.
Biodiversity is studied at three levels: genetic diversity (variation within a species), species diversity (variety of species within a region), and ecosystem diversity (variety of habitats and ecological processes).
A region qualifies as a biodiversity hotspot if it has at least 1,500 endemic plant species and has lost at least 70% of its original habitat. India has four biodiversity hotspots: the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region, and Sundaland (covering the Nicobar Islands).
India's key legislation for biodiversity conservation, enacted to fulfil obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It establishes a three-tier structure — the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) at the national level, State Biodiversity Boards, and Biodiversity Management Committees at the local level — to regulate access to biological resources and ensure fair benefit-sharing.
Conservation is broadly in-situ (protecting species within their natural habitat, e.g. national parks, sanctuaries) or ex-situ (conservation outside natural habitat, e.g. zoos, seed banks, botanical gardens).
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