Question

What information is given in the Red Data Book?

Answer 1

Red data book is the name given to a book which deals with the endangered plants and animals of any region of the world. The book gives the main information source in organizing studies and monitoring programmes on the rare and endangered species and their habitat.

Complete answer:
At the period of about the 20th century the world passed through a rapid developmental activity in all spheres of scientific and agricultural attainments. At the same time, there is a growth of population also increasing at a fast rate to interfere with the natural resources. The most serious effect of such development was experienced by plant life. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural resources(IUCN) compiles to provide up to date information about the plants and animals. The main reason to create this book is to maintain the records of the animals and plants that are on the brink of extinction.
The main objectives of the Red Data Book are to provide a global index of the decline of biodiversity, to develop awareness about the importance of threatened biodiversity and the defining conservation priorities at the local level and to establish conservation action. The Red Data Book was created in 1963 and it contains about 18000 species out of which 11000 are threatened.

Note: The species with a small population either restricted geographically with localised habitats or with widely scattered individuals. These species are at risk of becoming rarer but they are not in immediate danger of extinction. According to the Red List of India, about 44 species of plants are critically endangered.