(i) Protected areas :
(i) They are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values
(ii) There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international organizations involved
(iii) They are essential for biodiversity conservation, often providing habitat and protection from hunting for threatened and endangered special.
(ii) Wild life sanctuaries:
(i) Any area other than the area comprised with any reserve forest or the territorial waters can be notified by the state Government to constitute as a sanctuary
(ii) E.g. Periyar wild life sanctuary in Kerala in famous for the Indian Tiger and Asiatic elephant
(iii) WWF :
(i) World Wild Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental charitable trust founded in 1961, with headquarters at Gland, Vaud, Switzerland. It aims at wildness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment
(ii) It was formerly named the World Wild Life Fund. The living planet report is being published every two years by WWF since 1998
(iii) The vision of WWF is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth by conserving the world's most ecologically important regions
(iv) If such area is of adequate ecological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, natural or zoological significance.
(v) This is for the purpose of protecting, endangered factual species.
(vi) Some restricted human activities are allowed inside the Sanctuary area, according to Wildlife Protection Act (WPA) 1972.
(vii) Ecotourism is permitted, as long as animal the is undisturbed.
(viii) There are 544 existing wildlife sanctuaries in India covering an area of 118,918 km², which is 3.62% of the geographical area of
the country.
(ix) Sanctuaries are tracts of lands where wild animals and fauna can take refuge without being hunted or poached.
(x) Other activities like collection of forest products, regulated harvesting of timber, private ownership of land are permitted
(xi) Protect and restore species and their habitats, strengthen local communities ability to conserve the natural resources they depend upon and to ensure that the value of nature is reflected in decision made by individuals, communities, governments and businesses.

(i) Identify and protect all threatened species.
(ii) Identify and conserve in protected areas the wild relatives of all the economically important organisms
(iii) Identify and protect critical habitats for feeding, breeding, nursing, resting of each species.
(iv) Resting, feeding and breeding places of the organisms should be identified and protected
(v) Air, water and soil should be conserved on priority basis
(vi) Wild life Protection Act should be implemented
There are two aspects of conservation strategies
In-situ Conservation:
It is the on site conservation or the conservation of genetic resources in natural populations of plant (or) animal species.
Ex-situ Conservation:
This is a conservation strategy which involves placing of threatened animals and plants in special care locations for their protection.

(i) In shifting cultivation, plots of natural tree vegetation are burnt away and the cleared patches are farmed for 2-3 seasons, after which their fertility reduces to a point where crop production is no longer profitable.
(ii) The farmer then abandons this patch and cuts down a new patch of forest trees elsewhere for crop production. This system is practiced in northeastern regions of India.
(iii) When vast areas are cleared and burnt, it results in loss of forest cover, pollution, and discharge of CO₂ which in turn attributes to a loss of habitat and climate change which has an impact on the faunal diversity of that regions.
(iv) Carrot grass (Parthenium) and lantana introduced into our country have become invasive and caused environmental damage; they pose a threat to the native species of plants in our forests.

(i) Mass extinction: The extinction of a large number of species within a relatively short period of geological time
(ii) The sixth mass extinction is believed to be caused by natural forces.
(iii) It is also believed to be caused by human - related factors.
(iv) It is believed to affect relatively fewer species and affect relatively fewer areas.
Steps to prevent sixth mass extinction:
(i) Spread the word to your family friends, co-workers and social media that the extinction crisis is real
(ii) Reduce your carbon foot Print
(iii) Eat fish from only healthy fisheries
(iv) Eat less meat
(v) Enjoy nature
(vi) Never ever buy anything made from ivory
(viii) Adopt a species

The major causes for biodiversity decline are:
(i) Habitat loss, fragmentation, and destruction (affects about 73% of all species)
(ii) Pollution and pollutants (smog, pesticides, herbicides, oil slicks, GHGs)
(iii) Climate change
(iv) Introduction of alien/exotic, species.
(v) Over exploitation of resources (poaching, indiscriminate cutting of trees, overfishing, hunting, mining).
(vi) Intensive agriculture and aquacultural practices.
(vii) Hybridization between native and nonnative species and loss of native species
(viii) Natural disasters (Tsunami, forest fire, earthquake, volcanoes).
(ix) Industrialization, Urbanization, infrastructure development, Transport - Road and Shipping activity, communication towers, dam construction, unregulated tourism, and monoculture are a common area of specific threats.
(x) Co-extinction.