Contents: 1. Biodiversity assessment and its conservation strategies: an overview/N. Ramakrishnan. 2. Plant diversity in Gujarat: its status and conservation strategies/Diwakar Sharma and J.J. Shah. 3. Studies on diversity in a forage grass chloris swartz (Poaceae) Morphology and cytology/T.N. Mary, P. Anthoniamma, P. Koti Rao, S. Charlotte Kumari, K. Sarada Mary and J. Vijayamma. 4. Conservation of medicinal plant biodiversity in India: achievements and challenges/P.E. Rajasekharan and Vibha Rao. 5. Biological diversity: need of future/B.L. Chavan. 6. Biodiversity conservation and traditional knowledge/Prashant Kumar Mishra. 7. Biodiversity of cyanophyceae in Sonvad Project Dam and Devbhane Dam of Dhule, Maharashtra (India)/S.N. Nandan and D.S. Jain. 8. Bio-diversity conservation - cry of the nature?/Maruthanayagam C. and G. Sharmila. 9. Economic importance of some flowers and minor fruits; ethno-ecological approach of conservation/Archana Banerjee. 10. A study of bacillariophycean diversity in polluted lakes of Jalgaon District of North Maharashtra (India)/S.N. Nandan and S.R. Mahajan. 11. Facts and dimensions of biodiversity conservation/M.Vijaya Koteswari. 12. Phytodiversity assessment at landscape level in District Jammu of J & K State-linking remotely sensed data with ground observations/Shashi Kant and Neeraj Sharma. 13. Characterization, conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources for future food, Agriculture and medicine/D. Thangadurai, K.S. Ramamurthy and T. Pullaiah. 14. Forest/Vegetation mapping and area prioritization for biodiversity conservation in Rudraprayag District of Uttaranchal Himalaya using remote sensing and GIS Techniques/G.P. Raturi and A.B. Bhatt. 15. Diversity indicates and natural organisation of Zooplankton/C. Maruthanayagam. 16. Biodiversity of the Thar Desert/P.C. Trivedi.

"Biodiversity refers to the diversity of biological species and the ecosystems in which they live. The survival of mankind greatly depends on biodiversity which meets the diverse needs of man right from food, fuel, fibre and medicine. Over the last few decades biodiversity has been a matter of focused attention due to very rapid loss of biological species forever from the biosphere. Biological diversity is, in fact, the very basis of human existence on earth. It's conservation and wise management is likely to be critical to the very survival of humanity.

The present book "Biodiversity: Assessment and Conservation" incorporates articles on biodiversity and its conservation with special reference to India. This book will be useful for a variety of scholars, environmentalist, botanist, forest people, phytogeographers and conservationists." (jacket)