Authors : Vasanti K. Rewatkar
Page Nos : 01-06
Description :
Mega biodiverse country is one that contains majority of living species found on the earth. There are 17 mega bio
diverse countries in the world. India ranks 9th, in terms of richness of higher plant species. Flora and fauna are most
diverse along with food, culture, clothing, languages in India. Biodiversity is due variety of geographical features that
include frozen glacier, deep rain forest, fertile valleys, blistering deserts and beaches with palm vegetation India also
has islands like Andaman Nicobar, Seychelles, Lakshadweep island which is home to different species of plants. The
land occupied for this mega biodiversity is 2.4% of land on the globe which accounts 7.8 % of world recorded species
and most of them are preserved and protected our plant wealth by the tribals who are 7.5 % of India’s population as
they have been using many plants for curing their ailments, to celebrate festivals, ceremony, folklore, vitality and
longevity enjoyed by the tribals since time immemorial. Ethnobotany consists of knowledge based on uses of plants
applied by tribal community. Linked to Ethnobotany are taxonomy, nutrition, pharmacognosy, phytochemitry,
palynology, ecology and conservative biology On the basis of vegetation India has ten zones or phytogeographical
regions.. These are all biodiversity places and full of dense forests, they are home to some of earth’s unique flora
having 17000 species of Angiosperms, 65 species of gymnosperms, 1232 species of pteridophytes, 2850 species of
bryophytes, 6990 species of algae, 2075 species of lichens, 14500 species of fungi and tribals are using most of the
in their daily life styles.
