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Agriculture Biodiversity a Dilemma in Future Crop Production

Agriculture

Agriculture depends on healthy ecosystems to provide services that include nutrient and waste recycling, pollination from insects, sediment control, and clean water. Clearing of native vegetation, some grazing practices and inappropriate fertilizer use have contributed to a decline in water quality, ecosystem function and in biodiversity.

Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a natural entity (or a system) with distinct structures and relationships that inter-link biotic communities (of plants, animals and micro-organisms) to each other and to their a biotic environment. The extension of an ecosystem does not have precise limits, but is characterized by a common origin or common dynamic process. Ecosystems make up big natural systems such as grasslands, mangroves, coral reefs and tropical forests, but also agro-ecosystems, which are highly dependent on human activities for their existence and maintenance.

Critical Ecosystems and Pakistan

Under the Global 200, ecosystems have been ranked to carry out conservation through comparative analysis. It covers all habitats on the land masses and in the ocean. The Earth has been divided into 238 ecoregions, by the United Nation, the National Geographic Society with WWF. Out of them 5 are in Pakistan. The Global ecoregions of Pakistan are:

Rann of Kutch flooded grasslands
Tibetan Plateau
Western Himalayan Temperate Forests
Indus Delta Ecosystem
5. Arabian Sea
About 5,500 - 6,000 species of vascular plants have been recorded in Pakistan including both native and introduced species. The flora included elements of the 6 phytogeographic regions. 4 monotypic genera of flowering plants and around 400 (7.8%) species are endemic to Pakistan.

Almost 80% of the endemics are found in the northern and western mountains The Kashmir Himalayas are identified as a global centre of plant diversity and endemism. Families with more than 20 recorded endemics are Papilionaceae (57 species), Compositae (49), Umbelliferae (34), Poaceae (32) and Brassicaceae (20).

Mammals Around 174 mammal species have been reported in Pakistan. Out of these, there are atleast 3 endemic species and a number of endemic and near endemic sub-species (Biodiversity Action Plan for Pakistan, WWF - P, IUCN - P and GoP).

668 bird species have been recorded in Pakistan. Out of them, 375 were recorded as breeding Breeding birds are a mixture of Palearctic and Indomalayan forms ( 1/3rd) and the occurrence of many species at one or the other geographical limits of their range shows the diverse origins of the avifauna. The Suleiman Range, the Hindu Kush, and the Himalayas in the NWFP and Azad Kashmir comprise part of the Western Himalayan Endemic Bird Area; this is the global centre of bird endemism. The Indus Valley wetlands are the second area of endemism.

Reptiles/ Amphibians

Around 177 species, being a blend of Palearctic and Indomalayan forms. Out of the total 14 species of turtles, 90 of lizards and 65 of snakes have been reported. While 13 species are believed to be endemic. Being a semi arid country, only 22 species of amphibians have been recorded, of which 9 are endemic. (Biodiversity Action Plan for Pakistan, WWF - P, IUCN - P and GoP). Fish/ Invertebrates Pakistan has 198 native and introduced freshwater fish species. The fish fauna is predominately south Asian and with some west Asian and high Asian elements. Fish species diversity is highest in the Indus river plains and in adjacent hill ranges (Kirthar Range), and in the Himalayan foothills in Hazara, Malakand, Swat and Peshawar. Diversity is lowest in the mountain zone of the northern mountains and arid parts of north-west Baluchistan. There are 29 endemic species. There has been little research on Invertebrates of Pakistan. About 5,000 species of invertebrates have been recorded including insects (1,000 species of true bugs, 400 species of butterflies and moths, 110 species of flies and 49 species of termites). Other includes 109 species of marine worms, over 800 species of mollusks and 355 species of nematodes. (Biodiversity Action Plan for Pakistan, WWF - P, IUCN - P and GoP).

Threats to Biodiversity:

Deforestation: Pricinciple cause of deforestation in Pakistan is the consumption of fuel wood and timber.

Grazing:

Rapidly increasing domestic livestock population is the direct cause of degradation on rangelands and forests.

Soil Erosion & Desertification:

Agricultural activities and overstocking has lead to the reduction of vegetation cover, resulting in the acceleration of both wind and water erosion. Dams/Irrigation: The construction of dams and barrages in the Indus basin to control flooding and store water for irrigation have greatly increased the amount of Wetlands habitat in Pakistan. Reduction in freshwater flow to the coast has greatly increased salinity in mangrove forests. The most serious effect has been the consequent conversion of land to agriculture, with removal of extensive tracts of riverine and thorn forests and the resulting disappearance from large areas of the associated fauna. Salination/water logging: Being a serious problem faced by the agriculture sector, pockets of forests of the Indus basin could be threatened. Pollution: Pakistan faces a serious challenge of growing pollution in urban areas and water courses. Likewise discharge of sewage and industrial effluent into aquatic and marine ecosystems is also on the rise.In Pakistan's 1981 census, 415 cities were classed as urban in which less than one third of the population resides, which is increasing by 4.4% per annum. Hunting/Fishing: There is a strong tradition of illegal hunting and sports hunting in Pakistan. This has resulted into the decline of bird and mammal species. Agricultural practices: Pakistan faces degradation of agro-ecosystems caused by irrigation. The agricultural use of pesticides and fertilisers has rapidly increased in recent years. Pesticide use in Pakistan has increased 7 fold in quantity between 1981 and 1992.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is simply the variety of all life, the different plants, animals, micro-organisms, their genes, and the ecosystems they form. Loss of biodiversity is one of Australia’s most serious environmental problems, with severe losses occurring in agricultural areas. In another definition Biodiversity is the variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or for the entire Earth. Biodiversity is often used as a measure of the health of biological systems. The biodiversity found on Earth today consists of many millions of distinct biological species, which is the product of nearly 3.5 billion years of evolution. In General we can say Biological diversity, or "biodiversity," refers to the variety of life on earth. As defined by the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, it includes diversity of ecosystems, species and genes, and the ecological processes that support them. Natural diversity in ecosystems provides essential economic benefits and services to human society - such as food, clothing, shelter, fuel and medicines - as well as ecological, recreational, cultural and aesthetic values, and thus plays an important role in sustainable development. Biodiversity is under threat in many areas of the world. Concern about global biodiversity loss has emerged as a prominent and widespread public issue. Agriculture Biodiversity and FAO FAO’s goal is to alleviate poverty and hunger by promoting sustainable agricultural development, improved nutrition and food security, and the access of all people at all times to the food they need for an active and healthy life. The importance of biological diversity for food security was reconfirmed in commitment No.3 of the Rome Declaration on Food Security made at the World Food Summit held in Rome in 1996. FAO is actively promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity for food and agriculture. Socio-economic and Agriculture Biodiversity In the face of a growing population and ever changing technological advances, pressures on biological diversity are mounting. Activities focusing on the sustainable management of biological diversity must therefore include socio-economic issues. This implies intersectoral co-operation and decentralisation of management to the lowest level appropriate, equitable and gender sensitive distribution of benefits, and the use of adaptive management tools and policies to deal with uncertainties as modified in the light of experience and changing conditions. Agriculture Biodiversity and Genetics Today's agricultural systems are changing rapidly and must be able to draw on a wide range of genetic resources in order to develop harmoniously. This is all within a context where access to genetic resources is increasingly constrained by national access legislation, intellectual property protection over commercial material, and capital concentration in agricultural input industries. An ecosystem is a natural entity (or a system) with distinct structures and relationships that inter-link biotic communities (of plants, animals and micro-organisms) to each other and to their abiotic environment. The extension of an ecosystem does not have precise limits, but is characterised by a common origin or common dynamic process. Ecosystems make up big natural systems such as grasslands, mangroves, coral reefs and tropical forests, but also agro-ecosystems, which are highly dependent on human activities for their existence and maintenance. Sustainability of Agriculture Biodiversity Promoting land management systems such as Integrated Crop Management (ICM) throughout the world, which encourages the protection of natural wildlife habitats within and around the farm. This is key to establishing a network of protected areas around the world, as stipulated by the Convention on Biological Diversity. The habitats include temporary, e.g. uncut, field margins, as well as permanent conservation areas. Researching the impact of plant technologies to ensure effects on the environment are minimised. CropLife International’s leading companies are working to improve seed qualities and to develop more target-specific crop protection products, which for instance break down more readily in the environment. New product dose rates today are more often measured in grams rather than kilograms per hectare. All this enables farmers increasingly to make use of environmentally-sound farming solutions. assisting with the management of invasive species, which is critical to many ecosystems’ health around the world. supporting cooperative efforts between management, employees, community members, local conservation groups and government to protect and enhance wildlife habitats on corporate land. maintaining seed bank collections, which helps to ensure the retention of biological diversity for future generations.

Allah Dad Khan

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