It was during my secondary schools, when I first came across the term "botanical name" . Well, those days taught me that every organism has at least two names ; first one with which we generally know them and the second is the one with which the scientists know them ! This was quite interesting for a mediocre student like me at that age! Somehow, gradually I have developed an interest in knowing both the names of everything living around me. Years passed by and I became a student of science; information on species around me went on increasing. As a student of agricultural sciences, gradually I have started learning the importance of all these species, known to identify them (of course with certain degree of failure!). Still, the inner interest developed years ago in secondary level didn't die out in this ocean of knowledge. Every time I encounter a new species, I tried to know its local name, botanical name and at least one use of the same.
During this entire process, what I have felt as a learner was that, many of our local species are still not properly known to the world. Sometimes if we have the local name and use, may be we fail to identify them botanically. Sometimes, non listing of all local names in all languages across the widely used resources in internet, we fail to match the botanical names and the common or local names. Those experiences led to a particular affinity within me to observe and gather as much as information possible on local species available in and around me.
With the global spread of environmental awareness and information, we have come across various terms related to bio-diversity, which naturally includes information on depletion of biodiversity. But, for many of us, this term "bio-diversity" has very restricted perception. Normally, for any common people, conserving biodiversity means focusing on those species which are aesthetically important or centre of attraction for Eco-tourism. But, what we normally forget is that each and every species, be it the smallest microbe or the biggest animal or tallest tree of the world, every species has their own role in the natural ecosystem, each of them form the part of the greater food web, completes material cycling across the biosphere and thus helps in our survival. That is why, we need to be more and more careful while handling all these species.
The exponential rise of population has sharpen the demand of increasing food production across the world. This growing demand has resulted in development of hybrid crop species all over the world. Due to higher yield and resistance traits against adversities of drought, flood, pest and disease attack, these varieties are widely accepted by the farmers. Further, introduction of new, highly productive species also occurred to newer environments with the aim of larger economic gain. Similarly, replacement of age old natural environments for plantation and cash crops, non-judicious application of chemicals in agricultural ecosystems have also caused different stresses for bio-diversity of an area. But, what most important to know is that, under the qualitative impact of all these factors, local diversities have started depleting. Farmers have stopped growing local varieties, which where less yielding, but definitely are store house of many desirable traits.Not only crops, local plants (not to forget many of them have medicinal properties), local predators and beneficial organisms have also moved to the path of extinction. And not to forget about species, which we don't even see or realize the existence of!!
I belong to a place, which is one of the richest in Biodiversity. We have myriads of species in our natural environment, which are yet to be properly known. Assam, being a centre of origin of 'rice' , the most cultivated staple cereal of the state, had many different local varieties of the crop. To name a few, "Kolajoha"," Manikimadhuri", "konjoha" - all belong to scented rice varieties, "Rongabora", "Kolabora" - sticky or glutinous rice variety, "Amona bao", "Chakoa bao"- varieties with enormous capacity to withstand flood are among the popular varieties cultivated in the state. But, now a days, a gradual decline is observed in cultivation of all these varieties due to the wide scale adoption of hybrid and high yielding varieties by farmers. This erosion of rice genetic resources from farmers filed is not a very good sign. And, I am sure, the scenario is same all over the world.
Local diversity depletion is quite serious, because, these varieties are adapted to their local environment. This means, they are the repositories of genetic information on how to adapt to a particular environmental conditions. And, what we should know is that these information have generated over a time-tested series of evolution. So, once a species is lost, all these valuable information developed over a long period of time is lost from the environment. Certainly, that is not at all good for us. Not only that, as already mentioned, many times, we don't even know a species fully. So, under those circumstances, losing a species means losing all the probabilities of its use. Particularly, when changing climatic patterns have caused a overall strenuous situation for all the organisms, It may so happen that these species may provide us some ways of sustenance.
So, that makes it relevant. We need to focus on our local bio-resources; let us accept them as bio-resources. So, decline of any of these resources means loss of profit in either way. Let us keep the fact in mind that species belonging to our locality are integral part of our own eco-system, the system to which we all belong. Once, they are lost, a vital component of the system goes missing, which cause the system to dysfunction. Let us not forget that, since we don't know how many individuals of a particular species are there, we should not kill or pluck or cut or remove any of them; because, who knows that may be the last individual of that species !! Let us develop an interest in what is around us, let us try knowing them or at least recognizing their importance in the earth, which definitely is also their home !! Let us admire all these local species, the fascinating species around us ......
(Re-post from my another blog www.greeningthought.wordpress.com)
