Multi-institutional collaborative programme on Bioprospecting of Biological Wealth using Biotechnological Tools was initiated in October 1997 by the Department of Biotechnology. The study is concentrated mainly on the two hot-spot regions - North Eastern Himalayas and South-Western Ghats and in addition the Lahaul and Spiti region of the Western Himalayas. There are 9 major sub- programmes involving 13 institutes. Extensive studies have been suggested to address issues of identifying biomolecules, gene markers, understanding generic and species variability, developing habitat relationship of economically important plant resources, their habitat characterization and landscape characters so as to focus on comprehensive biodiversity conservation.

Under this a programme on "Biodiversity characterization at landscape level" has been jointly supported and implemented by the Department of Biotechnology and Department of Space. The satellite remote sensing, with its varied sensor systems, allows assessment and monitoring of vegetation cover and its attributes. The Geographic Information System allows building of comprehensive database on physical, biological and environmental parameters, which govern the spatial distribution of biodiversity. Their landscape ecology unravels the impacts of human intervention, spatial pattern and spatial organization of the habitats. The unique attempt in the DBT-DOS project, allows combining field lab data, ancillary data and information derived from satellite remote sensing for defining conservation strategies and prioritizing sites for bioprospecting. Integrating spatial data with vegetation cover type, disturbance regimes and biological richness with taxonomical & genetic information, and creating a comprehensive plant species database linked with the landscape level information for facilitating conservationists and biotechnologists are the main thrusts.

Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) data is being used for this important task under this project. Besides mapping of vegetation and land use, impacts of habitats are being studied under landscape ecological principles. Forest fragmentation and human induced disturbances are being mapped. The vegetation cover in different disturbance regimes is being sampled at ground, using stratified random sampling approach to assess the diversity in plant species, their economic value, endemism and ecological status. The above parameters are being processed and modeled employing Geographic Information System (GIS), using a customized software package called 'Bio-CAP' developed specifically for the purpose at Department of Space. This database has been integrated with species database, classified as per conservation values by Botanical Survey of India. The spatial information like, vegetation cover and land use, disturbance regimes, and fragmentation, biological richness along with non-spatial information on species distribution, etc., is being developed as Biodiversity Information System (BIS).

Department of Biotechnology proposes to use this information for bioprospecting of biomolecules available in the different plant species of different habitats across varying ecological zones. Integrated gene marketing techniques are planned for flagging location-species-environmental complexes. Under this project, specific efforts are made to map known medicinal plant species formations occurring in gregarious and almost in pure monolithic colonies, specially in higher reaches of the Himalayas, some of these species are Taxus walliachiana, Rhododendrom, Hippophae and Leuntopodium etc.

This project undertaken by the Department of Space is being implemented by Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun at the lead, through an inter-institutional network involving institutions within Department of Space and some leading institutions like Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun; G.B.Pant Inst. For Himalayan Environment & Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora; French Institute, Pondicherry; North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong; respective State Forest Departments and many Universities and individuals.

Some of the important accomplishments of the Project are :

• Establishment of Excellent Network (Interest Groups) to prepare Biodiversity Information System which needs to be further enlarged.
• Identification of Biodiversity Gap Areas which will enable decision making for bioprospecting.
• Identification of Biologically Rich Fragmented Sites - such sites require special attention for their conservation and regeneration. Detailed community level definition and mapping of such sites are to be carried out. This will be greatly facilitated from future IRS satellites : (i) IRS-P6 (Resourcesat), that will provide multispectral data at 5.8 m. resolution, and (ii) IRS-P5 (Cartosat) that will provide better locational accuracy through its 2.5 m. resolution PAN data.
• Evolution of Biodiversity Information System using the present framework involving developing protocols for data storage dissemination and updation.
• It is hoped that the outputs of the project will provide valuable database for planning biodiversity conservation efforts in these eco-regions. The species distribution and occurrence maps will be of use in identifying the 'species distribution gap areas'; it will also help in identifying some 'biodiversity rich pockets' all together leading to marking of these location-species-environment complexes for sustainable bioprospecting.