Contents: Foreword. Preface. I. Biodiversity and conservation: 1. Introduction. 2. Definitions. 3. Global biodiversity assessment. 4. Biodiversity concept. 5. Valuing biodiversity. 6. Sustainable development : need for valuing resources. 7. Biodiversity and eco-system processes. 8. Measuring biodiversity. 9. Conservation : approaches and researches. 10. Biodiversity in various living organisms. 11. Restoring biodiversity. 12. A world bank guidelines for monitoring and evaluation for biodiversity projects. II. QUO vadis, medicinal plants?: 1. Floral and faunal resources—face a crisis. 2. Factors causing depletion of medicinal plants. 3. Loss of habitat. 4. Background history of Ayurveda. 5. Status report : medicinal herbs. 6. Status report : medicinal shrubs. 7. Status report : climbing medicinal plants. 8. Status report : medicinal tree flora. 9. Medicinal plants : lacunae in conservation and preservation. 10. Medicinal properties of some selected plant species. 11. List of potential drug plants. III. The threatened wildlife of India : 1. India’s wildlife situation is under severe threat. 2. Human population explosion vis-à-vis wildlife. 3. Conserving biodiversity resources. 4. Check-list (tentative) and status of Mammalian fauna. 5. Primates. 6. Pangolins. 7. Status of reptiles and lizards. 8. Amphibian biodiversity. 9. Faunal impoverishment. 10. Invertebrate faunal resources. 11. Avifaunal (Bird) biodiversity. 12. Ichthyofaunal biodiversity. IV. Special site for study of biodiversity and ecology : case of floating island of Loktak Lake, Manipur. V. Protected area and sustainable development of Indian projects –a review. Bibliography.
"Biodiversity is a much discussed subject of the present day in India in the fields of flora and fauna. Indian people of today are very much conscious and concerned about biodiversity loss and degradation of entire eco-system. The authors have collated various definitions, concepts and values of biodiversity and presented them in Charts and Shortnotes to make the subject perceptible to ordinary readers. For this they have chosen the medicinal plant species, birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, lizards and amphibia to highlight the biodiversity loss. They have supported their findings with adequate data and charts to nullify the much bloated conceptions that India is rich in medicinal plants and other animal resources. India needs a well designed strategy to protect these resources. Finally the authors have summarized the Herculian efforts of the Govt. Of India—how on warfooting they have been trying to save these resources from depletion. Hope, this work will open-up new vista in the status of our resources of flora and fauna."
