ABSTRACT
Wildlife include plants and animals that form part of habitats. They occur naturally in our forests, grasslands, rivers, lakes, and oceans, and perform vital roles in the functioning of ecosystems. They ensure the continuity of life on this planet. And they provide us with several benefits — not just stuff like timber, firewood, medicines, and water, but also several non-consumptive values such as recreation and education, and indirect values such as conservation of soil and protection from erosion, groundwater recharge, regulation of stream flows preventing floods, purification of air and water, waste assimilation, carbon sequestration, and regulation of climate. They play crucial roles in enhancing the GDP and benefits of the local communities by providing various means of employment and sustenance. If not for anything else, we need to conserve wildlife to ensure that we continue to receive the benefits that they provide, for generations to come.
The present chapter elucidates these points.
