NAME – DEBOSMITA DUTTA

CLASS – B.COM (HONOURS)

SEMESTER – 2
COLLEGE ROLL NUMBER – 20535
SUBJECT – ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY ROLL NUMBER- 201434-11-0055
CALCUTTA UNIVERSITY REGISTRATION NUMBER- 434-
1211-0259-20
CONTACT NUMBER – 6290662796
EMAIL ID – debosmitadutta24258@gmail.com

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 CONTENTS
Serial No Topic Pg No
1 Objective of the study 3
2 Introduction 3-10
2.1 Ecosystem 3
2.2 Biodiversity 4
2.3 Biodiversity of India 4-6
2.4 Biodiversity of West Bengal 6-7
2.5 What are Food Chains 7
2.6 Importance of Food Chain 7-8
and Food Web
2.7 Conservation of Biodiversity 8-10
3 Materials and Methodology 10
4 Observation 10-12
5 Results 12-15
6 Sources 15-16
7 Acknowledgement 16

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 (1)OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
To study the local and common plants, animals, insects, birds of a selected area in order to
attain the biodiversity of a particular area 14/1/1, Dharmadas Ganguly Lane , Howrah – 711102
[Latitude : 22.569710 ; Longitude: 88.323400]. Along with the observation of biodiversity the
feeding habits of some species are also observed to form the probable food chains. With the
understanding of food preference of species their ecological role can be evaluated. Better
understanding of each of their roles will help us comprehend the value of conservation of each
and every species for our ultimate survival.

(2)INTRODUCTION
2.1) What is Ecosystem?

An ecosystem is a community of living and non-living things that work together – it consists
of abiotic (soil, water, air) and biotic parts (flora, fauna). Ecosystems have no particular size.
An ecosystem can be as large as a desert or as small as a tree. The major parts of an ecosystem
are: water, water temperature, plants, animals, air, light and soil. They all work together. If
there isn't enough light or water or if the soil doesn't have the right nutrients, the plants will
die. If the plants die, animals that depend on them will die. If the animals that depend on the
plants die, any animals that depend on those animals will die. All the parts in an ecosystem
work together to achieve balance. A healthy ecosystem has lots of species and is less likely to
be damaged by human interaction, natural disasters and climate changes. Every species has a
niche in its ecosystem that helps keep the system healthy.

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2.2)What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity describes the richness and variety of life on earth. It is the most complex and
important feature of our planet. Without biodiversity, life would not sustain.
The term biodiversity was coined in 1985. It is important in natural as well as artificial
ecosystems. It deals with nature’s variety, the biosphere. It refers to variabilities among plants,
animals and microorganism species.
Biodiversity includes the number of different organisms and their relative frequencies in an
ecosystem. It also reflects the organization of organisms at different levels.
Biodiversity holds ecological and economic significance. It provides us with nourishment,
housing, fuel, clothing and several other resources. It also extracts monetary benefits through
tourism. Therefore, it is very important to have a good knowledge of biodiversity for a
sustainable livelihood.
2.3)Biodiversity of India?
India is recognized as one of the mega-diverse country, rich in biodiversity and associated
traditional knowledge. India has 23.39% of its geographical area under forest and tree cover.
With just 2.4% of the land area, India accounts for nearly 7% of the recorded species even
while supporting almost 18% of the human population.
Bio-geographical zones
There are 10 bio-geographic zones which are distinguished clearly in India. They are as
follows:

1. Trans-Himalayas
2. Himalayas
3. Desert
4. Semi-arid
5. Western Ghats
6. Deccan Peninsula
7. Gangetic plain
8. North-east India
9. Islands
10. Coasts

Flora and Fauna found in different bio-geographical zones

❖ Himalayan foothills:
Flora – Natural monsoon evergreen and semi-evergreen forests; dominant species are Sal,
giant bamboos etc.
Fauna – Elephant, Swamp deer , Hyena , Panther etc.
❖ Western Himalayas:
Flora – Rhododendrons, dwarf hill bamboo and birch forests mixed with alpine pastures.
Fauna – Tibetan wild ass(kiang) , wild goats , blue sheep , golden eagle etc.

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 ❖ Eastern Himalayas:
Flora – Oaks , Magnolias , laurels and birches covered with moss and ferns.
Fauna – Red panda, hog badgers, forest badgers, crestless porcupines etc.
❖ Peninsular India:
Flora – Sal in north and east extensions (higher rainfall) and teak in southern plateau are
dominant trees.
Fauna – Elephant, wild boar ,deers , blackbuck, wild pig etc.
❖ Indian desert:
Flora – Thorny trees with reduced leaves, cacti , other succulents are the main plants.
Fauna – Animals are mostly burrowing ones. Among mammals’ rodents are the largest group.
❖ Tropical rain forest region:
Flora – Extensive grasslands interspersed with densely forested gorges of evergreen vegetation
known as shoals occur in the nilgiris.
Fauna – It is very rich with all kinds of animals. There are wild elephants, gaur and other larger
animals.
❖ Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
Flora – These are home for tropical rain forests. Mangroves are distributed in the coastal areas.
Fauna – Among mammals, bats and rats, Andaman pig crab-eating macaque etc.
❖ Mangrove swamps of sunderbans:
Flora – Various species of mangroves.
Fauna – In the higher regions of mangroves, there are spotted deer, pigs etc. The most
interesting animal of Sunderbans is the Royal Bengal Tiger.
Richness of Biodiversity in India
India is one of the world’s “mega diversity” country. It is ranked ninth in the world in terms of
higher plant species richness. At the ecosystem level, India is also well endowed with ten
distinct biogeographic zones. It also contains two of the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots,
because of their extraordinarily high levels of species richness and endemicity and threatened
status.
Two different Hotspots of India
Northeast India- This region is quite rich in its biodiversity, it has been worsening over the
past few decades. Six species of mammals have been discovered in this region recently
including large antlered muntjac, Annamite Muntjac , gray-shanked douc etc. Freshwater turtle
species found in the region are however endemic.1300 species of birds too can be spotted here
including the white- eared night– heron, gray-crowned crocias and orange necked patridge
most of which are endangered.
The Western Ghats- These hills are present along the western edge of peninsular India. Since
they are situated near the ocean, they are likely to receive a good amount of rainfall. There are
more than 6000 vascular plants here which belong to more than 2500 genus. 3000 plants out

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of these are endemic. Most of the species found in the world such as black pepper and
cardamom all are believed to have originated in the Western Ghats. The vegetation in this
region was originally spread over 1,90,000 sq.km. but has reduced to 43,000 sq.km. today.
Only 1.5% of the original forest is still prevalent in Sri Lanka.
2.4)Biodiversity of West Bengal?
The wide variety in physical feature and climate situation have resulted in a diversity of
ecological habitats in West Bengal, like coastal and marine ecosystem, mangroves ecosystem,
wetland ecosystem, grassland ecosystem, tropical or evergreen forest and alpine forest
ecosystem.
• Coastal and Marine ecosystem- Marine ecosystem are one of the important
components of biodiversity. The coastline of west Bengal is 220km in length and spread
into the three coastal district i.e. East Midnapore, South 24 Parganas and Nort 24
Parganas in the Bay of Bengal. It is endowed with Sunderban Biosphere Reserves, a
globally known and UNESCO heritage site.
• Mangrove- Mangrove forest ecosystem is a typically salt evergreen forest found
mainly at Sunderbans covering an area of about 4200sq km. Sunderban is the habitat of
many rare and endangered animals Batagur baska, Pelochelys bibroni, Chelonia mydas,
especially the Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris). The main characteristic feature of
mangrove vegetation is the presence of aerial breathing root and oviparous germination.
• Wetlands- India has about 4.1million ha. Of wetlands (excluding paddy fields and
mangroves) of which 1.5 million ha. Are natural and 2.6 million ha are man-made.
These ecosystems encompass diverse and heterogenous habitats ranging from rivers,
fold plains and rain lakes to swamps, estuaries and salt marshes. The predominant
wetland are marshes, jheels, terai, swamps and char lands of gangetic plains. These
wetlands harbor enormous diversity of flora and fauna species many of which are
endangered.
• Grasslands- In West Bengal Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary has pure grassland extends
over 30.55sq km which is the important habitat of Rhino, Hog deer, Spotted deer,
Barking deer, Elephant and Gaur. The riverine grassland and Savannh woodland
occupy about 20% of the total plant cover of Gorumara National Park, which is the
grazing ground of wild herbivores.
• Tropical or Evergreen Forest- Tropical forest rises roughly to an altitude of that
1200m, contains deep sided valleys and gorges with well drained flanking slope clothed
in dense jungles. It is characterized by gigantic trees, climbers draping their tops.
• Alpine Forest Ecosystem (Mountain)- Alpine zone stretches between 3650 and
5500m altitude- the limit of tree growth. Plant life in this zone is dependent entirely on
snowfall and melting snow, and gets progressively dwarfed and scanty towards the
upper limits. The vegetation is restricted here fir, pine, rhodendron, juniper and
cotoneasters scrub.
2.5) What are Food Chains?
A Food Chain refers to the order of events in an ecosystem, where one living organism eats
another organism, and later that organism is consumed by another larger organism. The flow
of nutrients and energy from one organism to another at different trophic levels forms a Food
Chain.

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2.6) Importance of Food Chain and Food Webs.
Importance of Food Chain- Food Chains are important because they show the intricate
relationships in ecosystems. They can reveal how each organism depends on someone else for
survival. Food Chains also display what happens when a problem occurs and a producer or
consumer is lost. Entire communities can collapse. Food chains can help scientists learn more
about ecosystems and how to help them stay balanced. Example- a simple food chain starts
with grass, which is a producer. The next level is the grasshopper or primary consumer and
herbivore that eats the grass. Then, the secondary consumer is the frog that eats the grasshopper.
Finally, the tertiary consumer is the hawk that eats the frog.
Importance of Food Web- Food Webs distinguish levels of producers and consumers by
identifying and defining the importance of animal relationships and food sources, beginning
with primary producers such as plants, insects and herbivores. Food webs are important tools
in understanding that plants are the foundation of all ecosystems and food chains, sustaining
life by providing nourishment and oxygen needed for survival and reproduction. The food web
provide stability to the ecosystem. Example- plants are eaten by grasshoppers and squirrels.
The grasshopper is eaten by the lizard, which is then eaten by the fox. The squirrel can be eaten
by a fox or a golden eagle. The squirrel can also be eaten by a snake, which is then eaten by
the fox. When the fox or eagle die, they are decomposed by earthworms and bacteria.
2.7) Conservation of biodiversity?
The variability of life on earth is called Biodiversity. Biodiversity take into account all the
living organisms present on earth. Healthy and good biodiversity indicate a healthy and good
ecosystem. Hence, biodiversity is very important. A healthy ecosystem also includes the
availability of pure water, pure air, healthy land, good climate and availability of nutrients on
earth. Therefore, biodiversity conservation plays an important role in the quality of life of all
living organisms.
The species richness of a place depicts the biodiversity of that particular place and hence, the
biodiversity can be effectively evaluated and compared to any place. The elements that
constitute the biodiversity of a place are:
• Genetic Diversity- Refers to total genetic information contained in the genes of
individuals of plants, animals and microorganisms. Genetic Diversity is comparatively
less obvious level of diversity as it represents variations within species.
• Species Diversity- It is the most common level of diversity and comprises the number
of different species at a place.

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 • Ecosystem Diversity- It relates to variety of habitats, biotic communities and ecological
processes in the biosphere, and is considered as complex level of diversity.
Why Biodiversity needs to be conserved?
Biodiversity conservation refers to the protection, preservation and management of
ecosystems and natural habitats and ensuring that they are healthy and functional. The three
main objectives of biodiversity conservation are as follows-
• To protect and preserve species diversity.
• To ensure sustainable management of the species and ecosystems.
• Prevention and restoration of ecological processes and life support systems.

Factors affecting the Biodiversity:

The biodiversity of a place is said to be vanishing or facing threats of extinction if their
natural habitat is destroyed. Extinction of species is also caused by several other factors like-
❖ Habitat destruction and deforestation has played a key role in extinction.
❖ Invasive species that breach the natural barriers that would normally keep them away.
❖ Endemic species can be threatened through the process of genetic pollution.
❖ Over exploitation occurs when a resources are consumed at an unsustainable rate.
❖ Green revolution popularized hybridization for increased yield.
❖ Global Warming is one of the major threat to global biodiversity.
❖ Diseases can eliminate species from earth.
❖ Population explosion thus form the prime factor of biodiversity depletion.
How Biodiversity can be Conserved:
Even though the biodiversity of many habitats has become threatened there are many things
we can do to help reduce this danger. These are some of the steps we can take to conserve
biodiversity:
✓ Governments have the power to control what is done to the habitats within their
country.
✓ Natural preserves are a form of government regulation and are often known as
National Parks.
✓ Invasive species are sometimes introduced to an area on purpose, but also sometimes
by accident.
✓ After an area is damaged by human impacts we can try to return it to its natural state.
This means bringing back the plants and animals that are naturally found there.
✓ To reduce climate change we need to move away from fossil fuels and towards
alternative energy sources and natural or sustainable products.
Protected Areas conserving biodiversity:

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According to the IUCN, a protected area is termed as a clearly defined geographical space,
recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the
long term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.
These protected areas play a major role in conserving biodiversity.
Various conservation methods are-
➢ In-situ Conservation- In-situ conservation of biodiversity is the conservation of
species within their natural habitat. In this method, the natural ecosystem is
maintained and protected. Certain protected areas where in-situ conservation takes
place include National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Biosphere Reserves.
I. National Parks- These are small reserves maintained by the government. Its
boundaries are well demarcated and human activities such as grazing, forestry, habitat
and cultivation are prohibited. For example- Kanha national park, Bandipur national
park.
II. Wildlife Sanctuaries- These are the regions where only wild animals are found.
Human activities such as timber harvesting, cultivation, collection of woods and other
forest products are allowed, here as long as they do not interfere with the conservation
project. Also tourists visit these places for recreation.
III. Biosphere Reserves- Biosphere reserves are multi-purpose protected areas where the
wildlife, traditional lifestyle of the inhabitants and domesticated plants and animals
are protected. Tourist and research activities are permitted here.
➢ Ex-situ Conservation- Ex-situ conservation of biodiversity involves the breeding and
maintenance of endangered species in artificial ecosystems such as zoos, nurseries,
botanical gardens, gene banks etc. There is less competition or food, water and space
among the organisms.
➢ Hotspots- A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that is both a significant
reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction. There are 36 biodiversity
hotspots in the world. They represent just 2.4% of Earth’s land surface, but they
support more than half of the world’s plant species as endemics- i.e., species found no
places else- are nearly 43% of bird, mammal, reptile and amphibian species as
endemics.
3)Materials and Methodology:
A study was carried out which involved observing the local biodiversity from my home
terrace in Howrah, West Bengal. The study period was from 10th June,2021 to 20th June,2021
and the study time was generally in the morning from around 06:00am-08:00am as the
activity of different fauna was found to be comparatively high around that time. The purpose
of the study was to find out the different plants, mammals, birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles
of the locality and make a checklist of my observation. From the checklist obtained, the
different probable food chains among species of my locality were represented using flow
charts.
Materials can be as follows:
a) Note Book
b) MS WORD

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 c)
4) Observation:
Serial No Name of the Scientific Group Role in Number(s)
Species Name Ecosystem in locality
1. Flat-Tailed Hemidactylus Reptile Secondary 7
House Gecko platyurus consumer
2. Grass Alopecurus Plant Producer 10
Prateneis
3. Common Alcedo Bird Secondary 1
Kingfisher Atthis Consumer
4. Indian Emblica Plant Producer 3
Gooseberry officinalis
5. Orange - Treron Bird Secondary 12
Breasted Bicinctus Consumer
Green Pigeon
6. Owls Bubo bubo Bird Secondary 23
Consumer
7. Oak tree Quercus Plant Producer 12
robur
8. Rabbits Oryctolagus Animal Primary 15
cuniculs Consumer
9. Cactus Cactaceae Plant Producer 20

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 10. Snake Serpentes Reptile Secondary or 7
tertiary
consumer
11. Caterpillar Lepidoptera Insect Primary 12
Consumer
12. Lizard Lacertilia Reptile Secondary 9
Consumer
13. Grasshopper Caelifera Insect Primary 13
Consumer
14. Hawk Buteo Bird Tertiary 6
Consumer
15. Mouse Mus Animal Secondary 25
Musculus Consumer
16. Treecreeper Certhiidae Animal Secondary 4
Consumer
17. Butterfly Rhopalocera Insect Primary 20
Consumer
18. Touch me Mimosa Plant Producer 2
not plant Pudica
19. Palash Butea Plant Producer 5
Monosperma
20. Siberian Calliope Bird Secondary 1
Ruby Throat Calliope Consumer
21. Gray-Headed Haliaeetus Bird Secondary 10
Fish Eagle Ichthyaetus Consumer
22. Krishnachura Caesalpinia Plant Producer 2
Pulcherrime
23. Togor Tabernaemon Plant Producer 35
tana
Divaricata
24. Rose Ringed Psittacula Bird Secondary 7
Parakeet Krameri Consumer
25. Ashok Saraca Asoca Plant Producer 4

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5)Results:
There are 25 species in the above Checklist.
Plant- 9
Animal- 3
Reptile- 3
Bird- 7
Insect- 3

Food Chains
EXAMPLE-1

Grass

Rabbits

Snakes

Owls

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EXAMPLE-2

Oak tree
leaves

Caterpillar

Treecreepe
r

Hawk

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EXAMPLE-3

Grass

Grasshop
per

Mouse

Owl

EXAMPLE-4

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 Cactus

Butterfly

Lizard

Snake

MAP OF THE LOCALITY:-

6)Sources:

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 • Old newspaper
• Internet
• Wikipedia
• Brainly.in
• Books
7)Acknowledgement:
I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my Respected Teacher (Name- Prof.
Aritri Sarker) as well as our Respected Principal (Name-Prof. Nibir Goswami) who gave
me the golden opportunity to do this wonderful project on the Topic- A Study On Local
Biodiversity: Common Flora, Fauna And Their Interdependence , which also helped me
in doing a lot of research and I came to know about so many new things I am really thankful
to them.
Secondly I would also like to thank my parents and friends who helped me a lot in finalizing
this project within the limited time frame.

Debosmita Dutta
2nd Semester

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