Question

What are sacred groves? What is their role in conservation?

Answer 1

Biodiversity is the existence of a variety of plant and animal species together in a variety of ecosystems. This also includes the organisms that belong to the different species or same species. The biodiversity is important because it is crucial for the food chain to occur in a regulated manner. Biodiversity increases the productivity of the ecosystem, more diversity means, more species can exist. This ensures different types of resources available for the humans. For example, among crops, different crop species provide different nutrients, different medicinal plants, etc.

Sacred groves are the centers of conservation of biodiversity. The plant and animals species that are at the risk of extinction are conserved using sacred groves. It enables the conservation of rare plant and animals species and prevents their extinction.