ABSTRACT
The concept of diversity in living species, big and small—elephant or frog, potato or butterfly—is called “biodiversity”. India has four biologically distinct zones or biomes: the Himalayas in the north, the Ganges river plains extending from east to west, the Deccan Plateau in the south, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands. Protecting endemic species of plants and animals is especially important because the loss of these species will irrevocably affect global biodiversity as they are not found elsewhere. In India, individual states oversee the task of protecting species and biodiversity, with minimal intervention of the Central Government. India signed the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992 and adopted it in 1994. India has only 2.4% of the world’s land area but 8% of global biodiversity. Three plant species are particularly damaging to India’s biodiversity: the Siam weed, Lantana, and water hyacinth.
