Status of indigenous ornamental biodiversity

Abstract

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem,biome, or on an entire planet. This term was popularized by the socio-biologistEdward Wilson to describe the combined diversity at all the levels of biologicalorganization. The word biodiversity was considered more effective in terms ofcommunication than biological diversity. Biodiversity includes diversity withina species and among species, and comparative diversity among ecosystems.India has a rich heritage of species and other strains of flora. It is estimatedthat India is one of the 17 mega-diversity (11thamong these in respect to numberof endemic vascular plant species) and 10thamong the plant-rich countries ofthe world as well as 6th among the centres of diversity and origin of agrodiversity.