Biodiversity of India Through Ages: Past, Present and Future

Dube | Om Mahodaya

Biodiversity through ages | Biodiversity of India

Vol: 1; Iss: 6; Nov-15 | ISSN: 2454-5422

The present paper deals with the studies on “Biodiversity of India” made in the past, efforts undertaken at present and indications towards future perspectives. The past studies referes about the biodiversity documented in the ancient Vedic Literature (2500 to 500 BC) comprising of Veda, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upnishadas and Kalpasutradi Vedangas. It also includes the post Vedic Literature (500 BC to 1000 AD) having the prominent writings of Panini and Jeewak and those of Kautilya Arthashastra, Vatsyanas Kamasutra, Bruhat-samhita including Vrikshayurved, Dravid and others before the 10th century. The plant biodiversity mentioned in these literature refers about cereals, pulses, vegetables, fruits, fibers, oils and medicines. The Ayurvedic literature (1000 to 1500 AD) included in Charak samhita, Sushrut- samhita, Nighantu-granthas written by various authors, Shukra-nitisar and Sharngadhar-samhita report about the biodiversity of medicinal plants, their methods of identification, propagation, preservation and utilization for preventing and curing the human diseases. After 15^th century the “Biodiversity of India” was studied by Europeans including Portugese, Dutch, Danish and English workers who visited India for trade or other reasons. The biodiversity recorded by them have been given in their prominent writings such as „Coloquios Des Simples E Drogas De India, The Herbarium Amboinense, Flora Indica, Flora of British India, etc. The present studies on biodiversity of India are going at many National and State research institutes, Universities, Colleges, Departments, NGO‟s and other organizations located in various geographical and climatic zones of India which have documented the voluminous literature. The government is taking many efforts to protect the prestigious biodiversity of India through established 75 National parks, 42 Sanctuaries, 14 Biospher reserves and many Botanical gardens, Zoos, Gene banks and Cryopreservations. However, „the future perspective‟ about the biodiversity of India seems to be declining. The industrialization, urbanization and trading have resulted in extinction of important plant and animal species and many others have been kept on the verge of extinction. The shifting of human thinking from “Greed-based” to “Need-based” ideology alone can only help to prevent the further destruction of this valuable wealth. All these above mentioned aspects have been discussed by the present authors.