Siksha Sarovar

Siksha Sarovar (sikshasarovar.com) is a free educational web application that helps students in India learn programming and prepare for academic and competitive exams. The platform offers structured coding courses (C, C++, Python, Java, HTML, CSS, PHP, Power BI, AI, Machine Learning, Data Science), complete university curriculum notes for BCA/MCA students with previous year question papers, Class 10 and Class 12 CBSE/HBSE school notes, and dedicated preparation material for SSC, UPSC, Banking, Railway and other government exams. Browsing the site is completely free and requires no account. Users may optionally sign in with Google solely to save their learning progress, quiz scores and personal preferences across devices.

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Siksha Sarovar is a free e-learning platform for coding courses, BCA university notes and competitive exam preparation. Optional Google sign-in saves your learning progress across devices.

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3.5 Threats to Biodiversity

Lesson 20 of 30 in the free Environmental Studies notes on Siksha Sarovar, written by Rohit Jangra.

The "HIPPO" Acronym

The major threats can be summarized as HIPPO:

H - Habitat Loss & Fragmentation:

  • The #1 cause of extinction.
  • Cutting forests for farms destroys homes. Fragmentation breaks large forests into small islands, isolating animal populations (Inbreeding).

I - Invasive Species:

  • Non-native species introduced by humans that spread uncontrollably.
  • Examples in India:
  • Lantana camara: Replaced native grass in forests.
  • Water Hyacinth: Choked Indian lakes (Terror of Bengal).
  • African Catfish: Eating native Indian fish.

P - Pollution:

  • Pesticides (Bioaccumulation) kill birds. Plastic chokes marine life.

P - Population Growth:

  • More humans = More demand for resources = Less space for wildlife.

O - Overexploitation:

  • Hunting/Fishing faster than reproduction.
  • Poaching: Illegal trade for Tiger skin, Rhino horn, Ivory.

Man-Wildlife Conflict

When humans encroach into forests, animals enter villages.

  • Result: Crops destroyed, cattle killed, humans killed -> Retaliatory killing of animals.
  • Solution: Wildlife corridors, solar fences, compensation.