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- Conservation preserves ecological diversity and our life support systems - water,air and soil.
- It also preserves the genetic diversity of plants and animals for better growth of species and breeding .
- In agriculture we are still dependent on traditional crop varieties . Fisheries too are heavily dependen t on the maintenance of aquatic biodiversity .
- In the 1960s and 1970s , conservationists demanded a national wildlife protection programme.
- The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act was implemented in 1972, with various provisions for protecting habitats .
- The thrust of the programme was towards protecting the remaining population of certain endangered species by banning hunting , giving legal protection to their habitats and restricting trade in wildlife.
- Central and many state governments established national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
- The center also announced several projects for protecting specific animals , which were gravely threatened , including the tiger , the one horned rhinoceros , the Kashmir stag or hangul, three types of crocodiles - freshwater crocodile, saltwater crocodile and the Gharial, the Asiatic Lion , and others.
- Most recently, the Indian elephant , black buck (chinkara), the great Indian bustard (godawan) and the snow leopard , etc. have been given full or partial legal protection against hunting and trade throughout India.
- The conservatio n projects are now focussing on biodiversity .
- There is more intensive search for different conservation measures.
- Now, even insects are finding a place in the conservation planning .
- Under the Wildlife Act of 1980 and 1986 , several hundred butterflies , moths , beetles and one dragonfly have been added to the list of protected species .
- In 1991 , for the first time plants were also added to the list, starting with six species.
