National Wildlife Week 2019 Special: Intricate and complex interconnectedness of natural living systems is perhaps beyond man’s comprehension. As much as we claim to know about species, habitats and their ecology, we are left humbled and stumped at every juncture. It was only after the wolves disappeared from the Yellowstone due to hunting, that we witnessed the trophic cascade effects of their absence on the ecosystem unravel. And the reintroduction of this apex predator some 70 years later, saw the food chain largely stabilise and a crumbling ecosystem revive. The gray wolf is by no means a lesser known species. The idea of citing the above example was to assert the undeniable role that each organism plays in its ecosystem.
Photo: Shailendra Singh
Closer home, the devastation of vulture populations, that once existed in hundreds of thousands, to near extinction in the 1990s, due to the use of the cattle-treating drug Diclofenac, gave rise to the most unexpected and unprecedented problems. India found itself stuck in a quagmire of deadly diseases and rat and feral dog population explosion due to lack of the winged-scavengers to feed on the millions of dead livestock. This cost thousands of humans their lives and the Indian economy huge sums of money. On shifting focus from the tigers, elephants and rhinos, you will see a plethora of plants, animals and even protists (microscopic organisms) which do not get their fair share of attention in the form of respect and appreciation, let alone protection. The ecosystems are made up of each and every one of those frogs, beetles, grasses, lizards, fungi, sea slugs, spiders, birds, fish, dolphins, soil microbes….the list is a long one; and the streams, stones, soil, rivers, marshes, sand, hills, caverns, and such other abiotic factors. It is simply impossible for us to know of all the intricate links that criss-cross ecosystems. Similarly, it is impossible to know of the various dominos that will collapse when a species or a habitat crumbles.
Did you know that tadpoles help keep mosquito populations in check and also prevent algal contamination of water bodies by simply feeding on them? Did you know that bees contribute extensively to the global food production, and that bee populations are crashing the world over? Take krill, the tiny crustacean among the most abundant creatures on Earth, which is the main food source for whales and several other mega and small marine species. The ocean’s food chain stands on the humble krill’s shoulders, without which the marine ecosystem would collapse and fishing industries worldwide would come to a halt. What does this mean for world’s food security at a time when human population is exploding?
This just goes to show the extent to which we as humans are dependent on plants, animals and their habitat for crucial ecological services. But, does that mean we strive to protect only those species which are of apparent use to humans? This has been a long drawn argument within the conservation community that lies divided between the ethics of co-existence and practical inevitability of an anthropocentric world. Like I mentioned earlier, we will never know how far and deep the connect between various flora, fauna and the surroundings in different ecosystems runs. We can only attempt to find out. But what we can and should definitely do is work to protect and divert our attention and resources in the conservation of lesser known species. So, when the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) team (including me) sat down to brainstorm on what sort of information we would like to dole out to create awareness and educate the masses this National Wildlife Week, we decided to highlight some of the lesser known and endangered species as well as the lesser known habitats of India. This we decided to do by sharing fascinating information about some of the incredible research and conservation work of exceptional and dedicated individuals which WCT has been supporting and backing through its Small Grants Programme. Instituted in 2017, the WCT-Small Grants Programme is an effort in earnest by WCT to draw attention to lesser known species, critical habitats, conservation issues that need as much, if not more, attention as the iconic tigers, snow leopards, whale sharks and elephants. Through the programme, WCT seeks to provide financial support to local organisations and motivated individuals including students to carry out conservation research in India.
It is so important to appreciate and support the people who are quietly working away, having dedicated their lives to study and protect the lesser known species in the near and far reaches of the country – from the endangered Gangetic river dolphins in West Bengal and Bihar to endemic Narcondam Hornbills of the isolated Narcondam island of the Andamans; from the critically endangered Asian brown tortoise and White-bellied Heron in Northeast India, to the neglected habitat of the coastal plateau in the Western Ghats that harbours a unique and fragile ecocystem of its own; and much much more.
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About the Author: Purva Variyar is a conservation and science writer at the Wildlife Conservation Trust, India.
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Disclaimer: The author is associated with Wildlife Conservation Trust. The views and opinions expressed in the article are her own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Wildlife Conservation Trust.
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- Connectivity Conservation
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