International E-Symposium on Biodiversity (IESB-2020-SSC): Habitat Fragmentation and its Lasting Impact on Biodiversity of Indian Subcontinent

Foreword In tune with the National and International perception concerning conserving/protecting biodiversity, our institution, Swami Sahjanand College, Jehanabad, Department of Zoology, has also come up with a prospective plan and organized two days international e-Symposium to enhance the forest cover and its quality, to abet mitigation and adaptation in the context of climatic change. The perspective plan is set with a clear understanding of the vulnerability of the Indian Himalayan region, to climatic change. The intricate linkage between the livelihood of its people, availability of natural resources, sustainable developments, and the overall economy and ecological health of the nation is well established and our surrounding is extremely climate-sensitive. The diversity of life forms, so numerous that we have yet to identify most of them, is the greatest wonder of this planet. The biosphere is an intricate tapestry of interwoven life forms. Even the seemingly desolate arctic tundra is sustained by a complex interaction of many species of plants and animals, including the rich arrays of symbiotic lichens. Biodiversity – the diversity of life on earth – is represented as the variability among living organisms from all sources, including diversity with species, between species, and in the ecosystem. Biodiversity thus includes not only the millions of different species on Earth; it also consists of the specific genetic variations and traits within species (such as different crop variants) as well as the various types of different ecosystems, marine and terrestrial, in which human societies live and on which they depend; such as coastal areas, forest, wetlands, grasslands, mountains, and deserts. Biodiversity is essential for sustainable development and human well-being. It underpins the provision of the fund, fiber, and water, mitigates and provides resilience to climatic change, supports human health and provides jobs in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and many other sectors. Without effective measures to conserve biodiversity and sustainably use its components, the 2030 agenda for sustainable development will not be achievable. “The full enjoyment of human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, and water depends on the service spent on health and sustainability. The full enjoyment of human rights thus depends on biodiversity, and the degradation and loss of biodiversity undermine the ability of human beings to enjoy their human rights”. The submission of this e-symposium is holistic in approach and attempts to achieve the national goal of sustainable development of biodiversity through proper planning and implementation. I on my behalf and on behalf of Swami Sahjanand College, Jehanabad would like to disperse my heartiest thanks to Mr. Praveen Deepak, Department of Zoology, and all the esteemed faculty members of the college, members of the webinar committee, all the office staff for its successful accomplishment. I am sure this multifaceted-based e-symposium dealing not only with the sustainable development of biodiversity but also with an improvement in an array of ecosystem services, will make the people and land of our nation more updated to the vagaries of the ever-changing environment. February 2021 Prof. (Dr.) Sudhir K. Mishra Principa