Biodiversity: An Overview [Hardcover] Kumar, Mukesh; Gupta, Rajan Kumar and Paliwal, G. S.

India s phytodiversity is one of the most significant in the world. India is one of the twelve mega-biodiversity centers in the world and also an important center of origin of agrobiodiversity. It is therefore, very important to study, document and conserve the plant wealth of India and also of the world before its possible extinction. There are convincing scientific, economic and sociological reasons for giving priority to the conservation of the major centers of plant diversity throughout the world.

The strategies to conserve the biodiversity include establishment of protected area network and corridors with emphasis on appropriate levels of management, reduction of anthropogenic pressure on natural populations by cultivating them elsewhere, programmes of augmentation, reintroduction and introduction of target taxa, restoration of degraded habitats, etc. The conservation strategies can be either, in-situ conservation of genetic resources within their ecosystem and natural habitat or ex-situ conservation of components of genetic material of biological diversity outside their natural habitat. The choice of conservation strategy depends upon the nature of the material to be conserved, i.e., the life cycle and mode of reproduction, size of individual population and ecological status. Ex-situ techniques include the establishment of botanical and zoological gardens, banks of pollen, seed tissue culture, DNA, etc. Establishment of forest reserves, national parks, protected areas and on farm conservation of valuable plant varieties is being promoted to facilitate their in-situ conservation.

The present book comprises of 29 contributions by eminent scientists and research workers who are acknowledged internationally in their respective fields. The book has been prepared with the intention of providing sufficient depth of the subject to satisfy the academic needs of the reader up to a higher level, which is comprehensive and interesting. There are articles on the various groups of plants, i.e., angiosperms, sedge vegetation, grassland vegetation, wetland flora, sacred groves, ethnobotany, pharmacognosy of drug-plants, phenology of medicinal plants, changing water regimes, hotspots and biodiversity conservation.

In totality, it contains useful information for the postgraduate students, teachers, scientists and researchers dealing with Basic and Applied Botany, Ethnobotany, Environmental Biology, Forestry and Agricultural Botany. Moreover, it will prove helpful for Government departments dealing with forestry, social forestry and the cultivation of medicinal plants.

Mukesh Kumar(b. 1963) is currently an Associate Professor at the Department of Botany, Sahu Jain Post Graduate College, Najibabad - 246 763, affiliated to MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. He is well known for his researches in the fields of Polyhouse Technology and Cyanobacteria. He has explored the Cyanobacterial Diversity of the Sub-Himalayan belt of Garhwal and Kumaon regions of Uttarakhand state of India and has completed several Research Projects sponsored by the U.G.C., New Delhi. He has already supervised a number of doctoral theses, published 37 research papers and participated in several national and international conferences.

Rajan Kumar Gupta (b. 1963) is Reader in Botany in Government Post Graduate College, Rishikesh, he has obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from BHU, one of the pioneer institutions of our country and worked on Diversity and Ecophysiology of Antarctic Cyanobacteria. Dr. Gupta was deputed as Biological Scientist by Govt. of India for his participation as Biological Scientist in Antarctica twice and has participated in XIth and XIVth Indian Scientific Expeditions to Antarctica during 1991-92 and 1994-95. Dr. Gupta has participated more than 150 national and international conferences. Dr. Gupta published about 75 papers in various national and overseas journals. Presently, he is teaching Microbiology and Biotechnology in Department of Botany, Govt. P.G. College, Rishikesh - 249 201 (Dehradun).

G.S. Paliwal (b.1938) currently a Senior Consultant at the Agricultural Finance Corporation Ltd., New Delhi, formerly Head, Department of Botany, H.N.B. Garhwal Central University, Srinagar-246174, Pauri (Uttarakhand). He is well known for his investigations on several facets of developmental botany. He has authored 8 books, 5 of which have won State and National awards. Besides, publishing over 200 research papers in the national and international journals, review articles and monographs, he has supervised over 80 doctoral theses, covering a wide panorma of disciplines in Plant Sciences. Currently, he is finalizing following volumes, at the invitation of the national fund-granting agencies: Tree Wealth of India (Hkkjr dh o`{k lEink); Medicinal Plants of India: Aspects and Prospects.