2. Biodiversity Register

Biodiversity is the diversity of living things, that is, the variety of life forms on earth.

A biodiversity register is used for documenting the diversity of living things in an area.

A GI tag stands for a Geographical Indication tag.

Nallur Tamarind Grove in Karnataka and Majuli in Assam (any two of the listed sites are correct).

A scientific name is a name given to a living thing that is the same across languages. It ensures that people, especially scientists, know they are referring to the same living thing.

A pesticide is used to prevent or control harm to hosts by pests and may be liquid, solid or gas. A weedicide is used to prevent or control harm to plants by weeds.

A host is a plant or animal on which other plants or animals live. For example, dogs are hosts for fleas, which suck their blood.

Variety refers to differences in a similar kind of plant. For example, Alphonso, Kesar and Dasheri are different varieties of mango.

Navara rice comes from Kerala and Gobind Bhog rice comes from West Bengal (Basmati from Uttarakhand is also listed).

The book says sketches must be made of whatever is included in the register. Sketching makes students observe details carefully and helps them identify living things later.

Urban wildlife refers to birds and animals living in cities. Kites and mongooses are examples given in the project.

Recording biodiversity matters for several reasons:

• Habitats change due to land clearance for construction or farming and shifts in climate, so many species face extinction or become endangered.
• Because of interconnectedness, the loss of any plant or species affects ecosystems, including humans.
• Registers give useful local knowledge about crops, animals, medicinal plants, pests and when to plant crops.

A biodiversity register records many kinds of information:

• Information about the habitat, including the landscape and types of soil.
• Scientific and local names of living things.
• What animals eat and which living things may harm others.

The project suggests several sources:

• Talking to teachers, elders, family members or experts.
• Looking up books in the library or searching the Internet on a computer.
• Using applications on mobile phones, such as Google Lens, for identification.

Students must protect themselves and nature:

• Wear shoes and cover arms and legs to prevent mosquito bites.
• Be careful while observing wild plants, insects, birds and animals, and do not disturb any animal, bird or insect.
• Do not damage any plant and do not leave garbage behind, as it harms living things.

A GI tag is given by the government and recognised all over the world:

• For plants, it means the plant is grown in a specific geography and all produce from that area is of a high standard.
• Examples include Navara rice from Kerala, Basmati from Uttarakhand and Gobind Bhog rice from West Bengal.
• Jalgaon bananas from Maharashtra and Alphonso mangoes from Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg also have GI tags.

The project suggests inviting different experts:

• A forest officer or a farmer, who know local plants and animals.
• A conservationist, who works for the protection of plants and animals.
• A Vaid or Vaidya, an expert in Ayurvedic and traditional tribal medicine, who knows medicinal herbs and plants.

Visits are planned in an organised way:

• Identify places that can be reached quickly, such as around school, water bodies, home, parks, farms, religious places and markets.
• Divide into groups of at most 5 students and consult local experts.
• Schedule visits at different times of the school year to observe changes across seasons.

The project gives three guidelines:

• Share observations with each other, as a friend may have noticed something you missed.
• Fill in any new information each time you visit a place.
• Sketch or photograph unfamiliar insects, worms, birds, plants and animals so they can be identified later.

Table 2.3 uses onion as an example:

• Local names: Kanda in Marathi, Vengayam in Tamil and Pyaaz in Hindi; scientific name Allium cepa.
• Variety: Pachaganga; planting method: direct seeding, bulbs or transplants.
• It can be planted and harvested in different seasons and is eaten raw or after cooking.

Napier grass, also called elephant grass, is the fodder example:

• Its local name is Hatti govat in Marathi and its scientific name is Pennisetum purpureum; the variety is Pusa giant.
• It is planted by cuttings of stem or splits, with sowing time from February to March.
• It is used as forage for livestock and gives habitat and shelter to wildlife.

Aphids are given as pests of potato:

• Scientific names: Myzus persicae (green peach aphid) and Aphis gossypii (cotton aphid).
• They are commonly found on the undersides of leaves and on tender shoots and buds.
• They can be winged or wingless and attack after winter, as the temperature starts rising.

Google Lens is an image recognition technology using machine learning and OCR:

• It can identify scientific names, diseases and other information about plants, crops, weeds, insects and pests from photos.
• To use it, open the app, tap the Google Lens icon in the search bar, point the camera and tap the shutter button.
• The missing information can then be added to the register.

Biodiversity Heritage Sites are areas recognised for their unique biodiversity:

• Their purpose is to protect biodiversity and recognise its role in traditional cultural practices.
• Gogabeel in Bihar has over 90 bird species, including many from Central Asia.
• Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh is known for growing rice and fish together.

The project builds the register through a series of activities.

• Observe living things around you and note where they are found, with names in many languages.
• Meet experts such as a forest officer, farmer, conservationist or Vaidya, with prepared questions.
• Identify places to survey and schedule visits in groups at different times of the year.
• Fill in the register tables for crops, fruit plants, fodder, weeds and pests with date, location, habitat and weather.
• Find missing information through experts, the library or AI tools, and then make a presentation in two parts.

A biodiversity register is useful in many ways.

• It documents the variety of living things and their habitats in an area.
• It records local and scientific names, helping people and scientists talk about the same living things.
• It preserves local knowledge on crops, animals, medicinal plants, pests and planting times.
• It helps notice changes, such as species becoming rare due to land clearance or climate change.
• This helps the community take steps to protect biodiversity, on which humans also depend.

The presentation is based only on the students' own observations and information.

• Part 1 summarises all the tables for an imagined visitor.
• It answers questions like which plants are seasonal, whether all crops are harvested in the same season and whether fodder is available all year.
• It also covers weeds, pests and community knowledge such as medicinal and sacred plants.
• Part 2 goes deeper, comparing places, counting varieties of plants and pests and noting the same insects in different places.
• It also mentions AI tools and other sources used, and ends with a conclusion or reflection.

India has several Biodiversity Heritage Sites.

• Nallur Tamarind Grove, Karnataka: tamarind trees over 400 years old.
• Ameenpur Lake, Hyderabad: over 200 bird species in the middle of a busy city.
• Majuli, Assam: the biggest river island on the planet, with monasteries called Satras.
• Myristica swamps, Kerala: ancient nutmeg (Jayafala) trees.
• Mawphlang Sacred Grove, Meghalaya: protected by local tribes and rich in rare plants and medicinal herbs.

These terms describe how plants grow and what harms them.

• Cropping season is the season in which a particular crop is grown.
• Season of fruiting is the season when fruit trees produce fruits.
• Source of seeds or plants tells how new plants grow, such as from seeds, seedlings, bulbs or stem cuttings.
• An affected crop is one damaged by pests, diseases, insects or other reasons.
• Pests are insects, birds or animals that are harmful to plants.

I would combine information from all the tables of my register.

• I would name the plants that grow around us and say which grow in all seasons and which are seasonal.
• I would explain whether crops and fruits are harvested in the same season and how the plants are useful to us.
• I would describe fodder availability, useful and harmful weeds, and pests that affect plants in different seasons.
• I would share what people in the community told us about medicinal and sacred plants.
• I would highlight that places and living things vary a lot, which is what biodiversity is about.

The project uses technology to support observation.

• A camera or smartphone can be used to take photographs and make video and audio recordings.
• Smartphone apps and Google Lens can identify living things, read text and translate languages.
• The Season Watch website lets students register a tree and upload weekly photographs.
• Benefits: missing information can be found quickly and observations shared easily.
• Precautions: take the teacher's help, check before uploading or downloading, and never share personal information.

Elders and community members hold valuable local knowledge.

• They can tell how biodiversity in the area has changed over the last 10 or 20 years.
• They can name birds and animals that were seen when they were young.
• They know uses of plants as medicine, as fodder and as sacred plants.
• Farmers and gardeners can share knowledge of crops, pests and planting times.
• This helps students understand which measures may work to preserve local biodiversity.

Tara should record the bird carefully and identify it later.

• (i) Sketch it or take a photograph.
• (ii) Ask an expert or elder, or use an app such as Google Lens.
• (iii) The safety rules say do not disturb any animal, bird or insect.
• (iv) Date of observation, location, habitat type and weather condition.

The case shows why repeated visits are needed.

• (i) To observe changes in living things across different seasons.
• (ii) A maximum of 5 students.
• (iii) Table 2.7, the description of pests.
• (iv) Fill in the new information each time they visit.

The extract defines a biodiversity register.

• (i) For documenting the diversity of living things in an area.
• (ii) The landscape and types of soil.
• (iii) Local names help people of the area, while scientific names are the same across languages.
• (iv) Aphids, which harm potato plants (fleas on dogs is also correct).

The case shows how habitat change affects biodiversity.

• (i) Land clearance for construction.
• (ii) Because ecosystems are interconnected, the loss of any species affects humans too.
• (iii) It records which species are present and helps notice changes over time.
• (iv) Chilkigarh Kanak Durga Sacred Grove in West Bengal (or Mawphlang Sacred Grove in Meghalaya).

The case is based on the fruit plant table.

• (i) Mangifera indica.
• (ii) Grafting or seeding.
• (iii) A distinct, intense and pleasant aroma.
• (iv) The GI tag authenticates its origin from specific regions of Maharashtra, particularly Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

The case is based on Table 2.6.

• (i) Cynodon dactylon.
• (ii) In sugarcane, cotton, grassland and fruit tree orchards.
• (iii) It is highly tolerant to heat and drought.
• (iv) Yes; it is used in playgrounds and sports fields and gives habitat and food to insects and wildlife.

Aman needs better preparation for the visit.

• (i) A magnifying glass, binoculars or a field guide.
• (ii) He should wear shoes and cover his arms and legs to prevent mosquito bites.
• (iii) Use them for identification, but still make sketches in the register.
• (iv) Do not share personal information anywhere (or check before uploading or downloading).