216 public questions tagged with this topic.
Climate change significantly impacts biodiversity by altering habitats, increasing extreme weather events, and affecting species interactions. This follows from NCERT principle where relation explains outcome clearly for students.
Ref: NCERT Biology Textbook for Class XI and XII (Botany section), Chapter: Biology - Botany portion covering relevant concept, Topic: Plant structure, physiology and applications.
Monetary inflation is unrelated to biodiversity conservation, whereas utilitarian and ethical values justify conservation efforts. This follows from NCERT principle where the relation explains the outcome clearly for students in simple steps.
Ref: NCERT Biology Textbook for Class XI and XII (Botany section), Chapter: Organism and Population, Ecosystem and Biodiversity, Topic: Ecological interactions and conservation.
Bioaugmentation deliberately introduces selected allochthonous or enriched autochthonous microorganisms with laboratory-verified superior degradative capabilities to contaminated sites where native community density or catabolic potential insufficient to achieve remediation goals within regulatory timeframe. Pure cultures or consortia such as Alcanivorax borkumensis specialized for branched alkanes, Dehalococcoides mccartyi containing tceA, bvcA and vcrA reductive dehalogenase genes for complete detoxification of tetrachloroethene to ethene, and genetically engineered strains expressing broad-substrate biphenyl dioxygenase bphA for polychlorinated biphenyls are cultivated in fermenters to high density 10^10 cells per mL, sometimes encapsulated in protective carriers like alginate, biochar or agar to improve survival against desiccation, predation and pH stress upon inoculation. Success hinges on compatibility with abiotic matrix, ability to compete with indigenous flora for nutrients, retention of catabolic plasmids without horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance markers, and avoiding biofouling. Contrasted with biostimulation which merely amends nutrients, bioaugmentation provides specific biocatalyst itself especially useful for recalcitrant xenobiotics requiring pathways absent naturally. Field implementation demands risk assessment under TSCA, monitoring via 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and functional gene arrays to track persistence.
Ref: Hosokawa et al. Journal Hazardous Materials 2009 Bioaugmentation strategies; NCERT Environmental Biotechnology bioaugmentation; EPA guide.
Biostimulation enhances pollutant degradation capacity of indigenous microbial communities already adapted to site conditions without introducing foreign organisms, focusing instead on relieving nutritional, redox or environmental constraints limiting rate. Petroleum hydrocarbons, chlorinated solvents and pesticides often persist not due to absence of degraders carrying alkB alkane hydroxylase, xylE catechol dioxygenase or dehH haloacid dehalogenase genes, but because electron acceptor oxygen, nitrogen as ammonium, phosphorus as phosphate, or carbon as electron donor scarce, causing C:N:P imbalance away from optimal 100:10:1 for microbial growth. Addition of slow-release oleophilic fertilizers such as Customblen, Inipol EAP22 containing oleic acid, urea and lauryl phosphate, oxygen releasing compounds magnesium peroxide OrCal, or molasses as carbon source stimulates bloom, increasing viable counts from 10^4 to 10^7 colony forming units per gram within weeks and accelerating mineralization kinetics described by Monod equation. Marine oil spills Exxon Valdez demonstrated success of nutrient augmentation. Unlike bioaugmentation seeding lab-grown strains facing intense competition and predation, biostimulation leverages already competitive autochthonous microbiota reducing ecological risk and cost, with monitoring via quantitative PCR of catabolic genes confirming stimulation effect rather than mere microbial presence.
Ref: Adams et al. Frontiers Microbiology 2015 Biostimulation vs Bioaugmentation; EPA Technical Guide biostimulation; PubMed comparison.
Bioremediation encompasses deliberate application of biological agents including bacteria, archaea, fungi and plants to neutralize, transform, degrade or immobilize environmental pollutants, ultimately converting hazardous organics into less harmful end products such as carbon dioxide, water, chloride and inorganic salts. Indigenous genera Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Rhodococcus harbor catabolic plasmids TOL encoding toluene degradation, OCT for octane, NAH for naphthalene, and chromosomal genes nahAc non-heme iron dioxygenase, alkB integral membrane alkane hydroxylase, xylE catechol 2,3-dioxygenase that initiate oxidative attack. Mycoremediation using Phanerochaete chrysosporium exploits lignin peroxidase to oxidize recalcitrant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Unlike chemical precipitation requiring lime addition producing sludge, incineration generating dioxins with high energy cost, or physical removal via excavation, bioremediation exploits natural metabolic pathways under ambient temperature, operates in situ minimizing disturbance or ex situ with control, and can be enhanced via bioaugmentation, biostimulation or engineered strains expressing expanded substrate ranges. Applications span oil spills, chlorinated solvents, heavy metals via biosorption and radionuclides via bioprecipitation, representing sustainable ecosystem restoration strategy.
Ref: EPA Bioremediation overview https://www.epa.gov/remedy/bioremediation; Vidali I J Green Chem 2001; NCERT Environmental Biotechnology.
Ex situ conservation protects threatened plants and animals outside their natural habitats through zoological parks, botanical gardens, seed banks, and similar methods.
Ref: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 13: Biodiversity and Conservation Biodiversity Conservation - In situ Ex situ Hotspots
In situ conservation protects species in their natural habitats through national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves.
Ref: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 13: Biodiversity and Conservation Biodiversity Conservation - In situ Ex situ Hotspots
Botanical gardens conserve plants outside their natural habitats and are examples of ex situ conservation.
Ref: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 13: Biodiversity and Conservation Biodiversity Conservation - In situ Ex situ Hotspots
Gametes, spores, and seeds can be preserved in liquid nitrogen at −196°C, a method known as cryopreservation.
Ref: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 13: Biodiversity and Conservation Biodiversity Conservation - In situ Ex situ Hotspots
Deforestation destroys natural habitats and contributes to biodiversity loss, whereas the other options are conservation approaches.
Ref: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 13: Biodiversity and Conservation Biodiversity Conservation - In situ Ex situ Hotspots
The NCERT textbook recognizes 34 biodiversity hotspots worldwide, four of which include regions of India.
Ref: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 13: Biodiversity and Conservation Biodiversity Conservation - In situ Ex situ Hotspots
Biodiversity conservation aims to protect plants, animals, microorganisms, and their habitats.
Ref: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 13: Biodiversity and Conservation Biodiversity Conservation - In situ Ex situ Hotspots
