• Magnitude of Biodiversity:-

IUCN ⟹ International union for conservation of nature and natural resources.

IUCN is now modified to WCU

WCU ⟹ would – conservation union.

According to IUCN 2004 the total number of known and discovered species on earth is about 1.5 million, which is very fewer than actual number of species.

The predicted no. of total species on earth vary from 20 – 25 million.

• According to Robert May estimation total numbers of species is about 7 million.
• More than 70% of total discovered species are animals while plants comprises no more than 22% .
• Among animals more than 70% is insect

Total no. of fungi species on earth is more than sum total numbers of fishes, amphibian and mammal species and rest of the % is micro-organism.

  

India is one of the 12 mega diversity in the word. India has 2.4% global land mass but its  share in global biodiversity is 8.1%.

- More than 45 thousand plant and more than 90,000 species of animal are discovered from India.

- If we accept Robert May estimation only 22% of total species are discovered and described yet

 Many species in tropical area are waiting to be discovered.