Tag: environmental conservation and biodiversity

Quinine occurs naturally in the bark of the Cinchona tree, though it has also been synthesized in the laboratory. The medicinal properties of the Cinchona tree were originally discovered by the Quechua, who are indigenous to Peru and Bolivia, later the Jesuits were the first to bring Cinchona to Europe.

In ecology, edge effects refer to the changes in population or community structures, that occur at the boundary of two habitats. Areas with small habitat fragments exhibit especially pronounced edge effects that may extend throughout the range. As the edge effects increase, the boundary habitat allows for greater biodiversity.

The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to 3.38 m (11.1 ft) over curves and weighing up to 388.7 kg (857 lb) in the wild. Its most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with a lighter underside. The species is classified in the genus Panthera with the lion, leopard, jaguar and snow leopard. Tigers are apex predators, primarily preying on ungulates such as deer and bovids.  The wild  buffalo (Bubalus arnee), also called Asian buffalo and Asiatic buffalo, is a large bovine native to the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.
Tigers will be mostly killed by wild buffaloes, when they both fight. So, a tiger will have to think twice before attacking wild buffalo.

Genetic diversity refers to the variety of genes within a species. Each species is made up of individuals, that have their own particular genetic composition. Within a species there may also be discrete populations with distinctive genes. 

Genetic diversity refers to the variety of genes within a species. Each species is made up of individuals that have their own particular genetic composition. Within a species there may also be discrete populations with distinctive genes. Sexual reproduction is critical for maintaining genetic diversity within a species, because it combines the parents genetic material, resulting in offspring with unique genetic blue prints different from either parent. 

Diversity in crops is showcased as genetic and phenotypic characters. These include variety of  the size of seeds, branching pattern, height differences, flower color, fruiting time and flavor. Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics that make up the species and play a major role in modern plant breeding and the greatest diversity in crop plants is seen in the homelands.

Species diversity is a measure of the diversity within an ecological community that incorporates both species richness (the number of species in a community) and the evenness of species abundances and it varies from region to region and mainly depends on rainfall apart from other other factors like temperature, light intensity etc. 

Rice has more than 50,000 genetically different strains, while mango has 1000 varieties in India. 

White birds with no markings would likely to nest in a deep tree hole as they can't camouflage with the surroundings and can easily be prey for its predators. Others can hide themselves under the color of trees. 

The total variability of life forms on planet Earth is measured called as global biodiversity which is reported to be between 5 million and 30 million at present scenario.